A little part of every heart of every rodeo fan died there in the rain and the mud in July in Cheyenne. Today marks 37 years since the tragic death of rodeo legend Lane Frost, the 26-year old world champion bull rider who lost his life while competing at Cheyenne Frontier Days on July 30, 1989. Frost, whose father Clyde competed on the rodeo circuit as a saddle bronc and bareback rider himself, got his start in the rodeo early in life and was winning awards by the age of 10. After moving to Oklahoma, he won the National High School Bull Riding Championship in 1981, and by joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1982 after graduating from high school. By 1984, Frost qualified for his first National Finals Rodeo, and just three years later he became the PRCA World Champion bull rider at the NFR. In 1988, the cowboy’s legend grew even more when he became the first rider to successfully ride Red Rock, a 13-year old bull that was undefeated in 309 attempts to ride him. During what was dubbed the “Challenge of the Champions,” Frost managed to last the full 8 seconds and become the first rider to ever conquer Red Rock, scoring an 8-second ride on 4 of their 7 matchups. But what was seen as one of the most legendary rodeo careers of all time was brought to a sudden and tragic end the next year while Frost was competing in Cheyenne Frontier Days, the world’s oldest and largest outdoor rodeo. After a successful ride on a bull named Takin’ Care Of Business, Frost dismounted and landed on his knees in the mud. The bull then turned and knocked him down before hitting him in the back with his horn. The hit broke his ribs and punctured an artery. Frost was able to stand up and signal for help before falling back to the ground, but it’s assumed (because no autopsy was done) that the broken ribs punctured his heart and lungs. Frost was posthumously inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, and in 1989 his friend and fellow bull rider Tuff Hedeman paid tribute to Frost at Frontier Days when he rode his bull for an extra 8 seconds in memory of Lane, en route to his second NFR world championship that year. To this day, there’s a statute outside of Frontier Park honoring the legendary bull rider: View this post on Instagram The life and death of the fallen cowboy was the subject of the 1994 movie 8 Seconds a few years later. But apparently, Frost’s mother wasn’t happy that the movie left out an important part of his life: His faith. Back in 2012, Texas country legend Aaron Watson included a tribute to Lane Frost on his album Real Good Time with his song “July In Cheyenne (Song For Lane’s Momma).” And he revealed that it was inspired not only by Lane’s faith, but also by his own personal loss. In October 2011, Watson and his wife lost their newborn daughter, Julia. And as Watson admitted during an interview with the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, he didn’t really have any interest in getting back on stage: “After that, the last thing I wanted to do was get on stage and play to people having a good time. I hung my guitar up for a long time. I was having trouble functioning and taking care of my three kids and the family I still had here. I asked God to give me a sign to continue writing and signing.” Well around that time, Watson came across the movie 8 Seconds and the story of Lane Frost, and related to the heartbreak of Lane’s mother losing a child. He then came across a quote from Frost’s mother, Elsie, that stuck with him: “This was before I had any relationship with her, and it said, ‘Lane was a world champion bull rider, but that was not his greatest achievement in his life. His greatest achievement came a year before he died, when he asked Jesus to become his savior.’ I was touched by the boldness and simple truth of that.” Watson decided to write a song for her, but he had no intention of actually recording “July In Cheyenne” until he saw the reception that it received when he played it live. He ended up including it on his album, which reached #9 on the country charts, the highest charting album at the time for the Texas country star who was just breaking out into the mainstream. The song has since become synonymous with tributes to Frost, and Watson has said it’s an emotional one to perform, though he insists it’s not a sad song but one of hope: “The end of the song says, ‘If you’re washed in the blood, someday you’ll see him again/And it won’t be in the rain and the mud in July in Cheyenne.’ It’s a gospel song. It’s one that applies to my family as well.” Amen.  The post “It’s A Gospel Song” – The Heartwarming Reason Aaron Watson Wrote ‘July in Cheyenne’ for Lane Frost’s Mother first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Country music legend Tracy Lawrence felt like he had no choice but to “pull the plug” on pursuing a side career in California. There’s been a mass exodus from the “Golden State” over the years. Whether it be wildfires, do-nothing politics, or rising prices, Californians are ditching the west coast for places like Austin, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee, (just to name a few landing spots). Ask any of them why and they’ll tell you that California isn’t what it used to be. Even Hollywood isn’t the place to be to make movies and TV shows anymore… just ask Taylor Sheridan. Lawrence recently sat down on the Like A Farmer Podcast, and he too has pretty much given up on California. The “Time Marches On” singer revealed that he had been working with some acting coaches and was exploring an acting career, but he eventually gave up on all of it because of the current state of California: “I had a couple of different acting coaches that I was working with over the last several years, but I mean, it’s just weird going out to California these days, man. It’s kind of… it’s disheartening. I just kind of pulled the plug on all that stuff.” The ’90s country star admitted that the state boasts a lot of natural beauty, and said despite what many might say, it’s full of wonderful people. But it just became too much to handle – financially and otherwise – for the side pursuits in his life. When it comes to touring in California, Lawrence does his best to make it work. However, he goes into it knowing that that traveling with a load of buses can quickly eat up the potential profit of the trip: “I’ve got about a three week run out there in August and September. Man, we’re looking at $10 a gallon just for gas. You know, take a fleet of buses out there and your trucks and stuff and go out there and try to promote shows. They tax you to death. The economy out there is awful. You know, the price of fuel and just getting in and out of the states, tremendous. It’s basically as difficult and as unprofitable as going into Canada right now.” Clearly Canada and California aren’t two of Tracy Lawrence’s favorite places… at least when it comes to finances, and trying to manage a fleet of tour buses. You can hear the country star talk more about it in the Like A Farmer interview below: And speaking of a fleet of buses… Not too long ago, we got a chance to catch up with Tracy Lawrence on his very own tour bus backstage at Barefoot Country Music Fest. The country star talked to us about traveling, playing beach festivals, staying connected in country music after decades in the industry, why he loves doing his very own podcast, his country music Mount Rushmore (which is conveniently tattooed on his arm) and much, much more. Make sure to check it out before you go! The post Tracy Lawrence Gives Honest Take On Why He Gave Up On California: “It’s Disheartening” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Garth Brooks is doing his best to keep his Blame It All On My Roots Tour tickets in the hands of fans… but he needs their help. The country music star is currently gearing up to go back out on the road. After teasing a new album and new music earlier this year, the “Friends In Low Places” singer finally made the announcement official earlier this month. Through a release on his website, and in a couple of different social media posts, the country superstar told everyone that the “wait is over,” and happily shared that his Blame It All On My Roots Tour will get kicked off in August. The first set of tickets that went on sale were for Indianapolis, Indiana, and there was so much demand for the two concert dates that were announced that Garth and his team added an additional two shows to the weekend. At one point, over 400,000 people were in the Ticketmaster queue when the tickets for the Indy shows went live: “No one was prepared for this. Nearly 400,000 in the Ticketmaster queue!!! Your patience is so appreciated. This is crazy. THANK YOU.” No one was prepared for thisNearly 400,000 in the Ticketmaster queue!!! Your patience is so appreciatedThis is crazyTHANK YOU! – Team Garth — Garth Brooks (@garthbrooks) July 17, 2026 In case you didn’t hear, Garth chose to make every single ticket that’s for sale – regardless of where it is in the arena – $155.25. When you break that down, it’s $140 for the ticket, and then $15.25 added on top of it in facility fees and service charges (plus taxes). In other words, whether it’s the front row or the nose bleeds, every single seat costs the same. Though some were concerned about the pricing strategy, it’s clearly been effective thus far. Soon, the tickets for Garth’s Denver, Colorado stops will become available, and the country superstar is doing his best to give his fans plenty of heads up: “DENVER… YOU’RE UP! The next stop on Garth Brooks’ ‘Blame It All On My Roots Tour’ is Ball Arena on September 4 and 5! Tickets go ON SALE Friday, July 31.” DENVER… YOU’RE UP! The next stop on Garth Brooks’ Blame It All On My Roots Tour is Ball Arena on September 4 & 5! Tickets go ON SALE Friday, July 31, at 10 a.m. MT https://t.co/KG6v9YapU4 -Team Garth pic.twitter.com/Gk3kEkO7ET — Garth Brooks (@garthbrooks) July 23, 2026 Why is Garth really trying to get the word out about his concert tickets going on sale? Well, he obviously wants country fans to be there. But one main concern he has is making sure the tickets for his shows get into the hands of his fans, rather than bots or scalpers. He even provided some quotes through GarthBrooks.com (the No. 1 source for all things Garth) about how getting into the queue early helps battle bots: “When you join the waiting room before the queue opens, it helps Ticketmaster block bots so real people have a fair shot at getting tickets. I really urge people to get in the waiting room before the queue opens and update all your info ahead of time.” The country icon previously let his strong beliefs against scalping be known. He believes that scalping should be illegal, and says he’s entertained the thought of walking up to the “powers that be” and telling them he only wants to tour in a world where scalping is outlawed: “I’ve never understood why scalping is legal. I don’t think I am making it too simple by saying if we just make scalping illegal, a bunch of the problems of today’s ticketing procedures would be gone… I’ve always wanted to go to the ‘powers that be’ and tell them I would be happy to do a tour without scalping if they want to see if we all miss it or not.” Please do that Garth. Because the rest of us are out here fighting tooth and nail for tickets. And if you are trying to secure some Garth Brooks tickets, all four nights in Indianapolis, including the two newly-announced shows, are on sale now. As for the Denver shows, those tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. MT tomorrow. You can join the Ticketmaster queue and pay exactly $155.25 per ticket HERE. Like Garth said, make sure to beat the bots.The post Garth Brooks Begs Fans To Get Into The TicketMaster Queue Early: “Helps Block Bots” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Looks like another big hit for Mr. Top. In an era filled with some of the most exciting voices we’ve heard in the genre lately, ranging from the likes of Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson to Turnpike Troubadours and Colter Wall, there’s no one doing it quite the way Zach Top is these days on a national scale. Though there are plenty of other stellar artists keeping the traditional scene alive, such as Jake Worthington, Charley Crockett and more, the Washington native has launched himself into the stratosphere as of late. Of course, this was highlighted on a national scale the past year when he not only took home Best New Artist at the CMA Awards in November, which he accepted with a Coors Banquet in hand, but also when he scored his first-career Grammy back in February. In turn, Top became the first-ever winner of the brand-new Best Traditional Country Album category, winning it with his sophomore album, Ain’t In It For My Health. Given the immense amount of buzz surrounding him over the past few years, the success of his last two albums and his newly-announced fall extension of the Cold Beer & Country Music Tour, the question on everyone’s mind lately has been “When is new music coming?” Last month, during an appearance on the Mostly Sports With Mark Titus and Brandon Walker podcast, Top would confirm that his junior album is coming next spring and that he’s planning to drop a “couple songs” at the end of the summer “I don’t know if I’m supposed to say it yet or not, but I think we’re gonna put out a couple songs at the end of the summer. Then [I’m] planning on next spring, putting out another record.” Back on July 18th at Under the Big Sky festival in Whitefish, Montana, Top would reignite talk about new music when he debuted an unreleased track, “Good Girls & Cowgirls,” to the sold-out crowd, leading fans to beg for a release date. Turns out the “I Never Lie” singer had even more up his sleeve than just the new track. Shortly after confirming “Good Girls & Cowgirls” is coming on August 21st, he’d double down and announce the release of a second song, “Other Side Of Hurtin’,” on the same day, along with a 7″ vinyl record. View this post on Instagram Though we’re still three weeks from the official release of the two brand new tracks, the 28-year-old singer/songwriter is giving fans a preview of the lead single, “Good Girls & Cowgirls,” in its entirety with a brand new acoustic video on his YouTube channel. Spoiler alert: it looks like Top has a big hit on his hands once again here. After dropping some rock-solid, twangy riffs in the intro that once again showcase his stellar guitarwork, Top opens up with some rapid-fire lyrics that set the scene of a barroom meet-up with one of the titular cowgirls. “Cotton Eyed Joe’s, Friday night What ya drinking? Baby, I’ll buy She said make it a double. Make it on ice You sound like the kinda woman I like She just smiled and said you sure about that? Are you sure you can handle what’s under this hat? There’s two kinda girls in the world There’s good girls then there’s cowgirls” Delivering his signature ’90s sound, here, Top compares the difference between good girls and cowgirls, noting “Good girls are made of sugar and spice. Cowgirls are made of whiskey and ice” in the chorus’ hook. “Good girls you can take home to mama Take ’em to church when they want you to They’re everything nice and not much drama Got your thing that’s good for you If you like them more on the wild side Kind of rodeo that goes all night Good girls are made of sugar and spice Cowgirls are made of whiskey and ice” Though it might not be the most lyrically groundbreaking song by any stretch of the imagination, it simply doesn’t have to be. Much in the vein of Top’s lead single from Ain’t In It For My Health, “Good Times & Tan Lines,” last year, it’s another fun, twangy romp that’s perfect for a late summer release. Watch here: Zach Top 2026 Tour Dates August 6—Toronto, ON—Rogers Stadium~ August 7—Ottawa, ON—Canadian Tire Centre« August 8—Canandaigua, NY—CMAC« August 13—Wantagh, NY—Northwell at Jones Beach Theater≈ August 14—Boston, MA—Fenway Park~ August 15—Boston, MA—Fenway Park~ August 20—Pittsburgh, PA—PPG Paints Arena∞ August 21—Allentown, PA—PPL Center August 22—Bangor, ME—Maine Savings Amphitheater∞ August 27—Dieppe, New Brunswick—YQM Countryfest 2026 August 28—Gilford, NH—BankNH Pavilion∞ September 1—Toronto, ON—Rogers Stadium~ September 11—Lake Tahoe, NV—Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic« September 17—San Diego, CA—Pechanga Arena« September 18—Anaheim, CA—Honda Center September 19—Fresno, CA—Boots In The Park September 25—Corpus Christi, TX—Hillard Center Arena« September 26—San Antonio, TX—Frost Bank Center« October 2—Jacksonville, FL—VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena October 3—West Palm Beach, FL—iTHINK FinancialAmphitheatre October 8—Des Moines, IA—Casey’s Center≈ October 9—Rosemont, IL—Allstate Arena≈ October 10—St. Paul, MN—Grand Casino Arena≈ October 15—Sioux Falls, SD—Denny Sanford PREMIER Center≈ October 16—Milwaukee, WI—Fiserv Forum≈ October 17—Grand Rapids, MI—Van Andel Arena≈ October 23—Lafayette, LA—CAJUNDOME∆ October 29—Duluth, GA—Gas South Arena∆ October 30—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena∆ ≠with special guest Cole Goodwin «with special guest Wyatt McCubbin ∆with special guest Lukas Nelson ~with Chris Stapleton ≈with special guest Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives ∞with special guest Marcus King Band    The post Zach Top Releases Acoustic Video Of “Good Girls & Cowgirls” Ahead Of Its Release Next Month first appeared on Whiskey Riff.