The acoustic versions are just exceptional. Kip Moore released his seventh studio album Reason to Believe in May, and it was another impressive project, which finds him reflecting on grief, resilience, faith and hope. Kip consistently puts out stellar albums, and despite being truly one of the most talented artists in mainstream country in terms of his vocals and songwriting prowess, he has remained of the most underrated artists in country in my humble opinion. On top of that, his live shows are truly second to none… if you’ve never seen him in concert before, you’re severely missing out, but I digress… Reason to Believe consists of 13 songs which range from earnest ballads in “Long Time Coming” and “Wild Things Like You,” to introspective tracks like “The Darkness” and “Faith In The Wind,” as well as some really fun, Tom Petty-inspired tracks like “Heartbreaker” and “You & Me.” The standout for me is the longtime fan-favorite song that is the title track, “Reason to Believe,” and his blend of country and heartland rock is so unique and he does it so well, and throughout the album, the production is top-notch and Kip’s raw, gritty vocals are on full display. I’ve always thought his vocals were just incredible, he’s one of those artists who sounds exactly the same live as he does on his albums with all the studio bells and whistles, and so that’s what makes the stripped back, fully acoustic renditions of a lot of the songs on the tracklist so stellar. He did a session with Carter Vintage Guitars where he played a few tunes from Reason to Believe, and I’ve always thought he should fully lean into the acoustic feel because I honestly think that’s where he shines. Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand most albums need the full professional production treatment and all of that, and of course different songs need a different sound, but his acoustic stuff is just special. Kip did an acoustic tour in 2019 (it was incredible), and he does acoustic performance videos like the ones below from time to time. But every time, I’m blown away at his talent and I would absolutely love for him to one day record a fully acoustic album. Of course, he recorded an acoustic EP in 2018, but I’m talking full-length studio album. In the 2026 state of modern music, it can often feel like TikTok artists with little talent blow up and shoot to the top of the charts with little to no work and even less heart in the music (hell, even AI artists have topped the charts), hearing someone with raw talent bare their soul with a simple acoustic guitar is truly a rare talent, and he’s got it in spades. If you haven’t taken the time to listen to Reason to Believe, you definitely should, and I think these acoustic renditions are the perfect place to start: “Long Time Coming” “Wild Things Like You” “The Darkness” “Josephine” Kip, if you’re reading this, why don’t you just finish out the rest of the album with acoustic performances because you’re nearly halfway there now… Kip Moore Tour Dates August 7 – Port Wentworth, GA – Port Wentworth Amphitheater * August 8 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy * August 20 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center * August 21 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed * August 22 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill * September 10 – Charleston, SC – Firefly Distillery * September 11 – Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre * September 12 – Richmond, VA – Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront * October 17 – Pretoria, ZA – SuperSport Park Stadium October 23 – Cape Town, ZA – GrandWest Arena October 24 – Cape Town, ZA – GrandWest Arena October 30 – Melbourne, AU – The Forum October 31 – Melbourne, AU – The Forum November 6 – Brisbane, AU – The Fortitude Music Hall November 7 – Brisbane, AU – The Fortitude Music Hall November 13 – Sydney, AU – The Enmore Theatre November 14 – Sydney, AU – The Enmore Theatre November 21 – Christchurch, NZ – Christchurch Town Hall November 22 – Auckland, NZ – Auckland Town Hall ^ – with Cody Johnson * – Billy Currington & Kip Moore: Live In Concert ** with Jackson Dean # – FestivalThe post Kip Moore’s Raw Talent Is On Full Display With ‘Reason To Believe’ Acoustic Performances first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The greatest to ever do it. The Academy of Country Music (ACM) announced its special honorees for the 19th annual ACM Honors Awards back in June, which will be taking place on Wednesday, August 19th, at The Pinnacle in Nashville. Returning for her sixth straight year, Carly Pearce will host the star-studded night alongside reigning Album of the Year winner, Parker McCollum. The concept of ACM Honors, unlike the ACM Awards, highlights an artist’s individual performance, album or event, it awards recipients for their impact on the genre at large in a multitude of different categories, including the Poet’s Award, International Award, Spirit Award, Lifting Lives Award and many more. Given his long history of charity and philanthropy, Eric Church is receiving the 2026 ACM Lifting Lives Award. In particular, the ACM highlighted his massive effort in the wake of the Hurricane Helene, which included co-organizing the Concert for Carolina with Luke Combs, donating all royalties from his single, “Darkest Hour,” and continuing to remain active in the rebuilding of North Carolina. Additionally, the Academy would also point to his non-profit, Chief Cares, which has given millions in support, including helping orphanages in Nepal, relief efforts in Haiti, and humane society no-kill shelters. The late, great Brett James, who tragically died in an airplane crash this past September, is set to posthumously receive the Poet’s Award alongside The Carter Family for their songwriting careers. James, in particular, wrote a laundry list of smash hits, including the likes of Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take The Wheel,” Jessica Andrew’s “Who I Am,” Kenny Chesney’s “When The Sun Goes Down,” Jason Aldean’s “The Truth” and many more. The ACM Spirit Award, which was inspired by Merle Haggard and is “presented to an honoree that exemplifies Merle’s dedication to country music and passion for storytelling,” will go to none other than Kacey Musgraves. Musgraves, a 7x time ACM Award winner and 8x Grammy winner, is fresh off her most successful album to date, Middle of Nowhere, which debuted at #3 all-genre back in May. Taylor Sheridan’s hit show, Landman, is also being honored, receiving the ACM Film Award. Of course, this is thanks to its killer soundtrack that features the likes of Turnpike Troubadours, Colter Wall, George Strait, Ella Langley, Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan, The Red Clay Strays and many more.  As for the Icon Award, “Whisperin’” Bill Anderson and Mike Curb will be honored thanks to their roles across a plethora of different avenues throughout the decades. For Anderson, he co-wrote the likes of George Strait’s “Give It Away,” Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss’ “Whiskey Lullaby” and Kenny Chesney’s “A Lot of Things Different” and is also known for being an acclaimed author, television personality and radio personality. For Curb, he is the founder and owner of Curb Records. Since entering the music industry in the 1960s, Curb has worked with the likes of Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes, Wynonna Judd, Hank Williams Jr. and many more. Additionally, he co-wrote hits and themes for countless major films and television series, including films starring Clint Eastwood, Jimmy Stewart, Frank Sinatra, Jack Nicholson and more. And today, it was announced that there will be a special tribute to the icon herself, Mrs. Dolly Parton, as she will be honored with the ACM Poet’s Award, and while she unfortunately will not be there in-person, Dolly will accept the honor via a special video message which I’m sure we’ll all get to see. You don’t need me to tell you how influential Dolly has been on this genre, and it’s more than deserved, obviously: View this post on Instagram The Academy says Dolly is being recognized for her “extraordinary, decades-long impact as one of country music’s most gifted and influential songwriters”: “Dolly Parton is receiving the ACM Poet’s Award in recognition of her extraordinary, decades-long impact as one of Country Music’s most gifted and influential songwriters. A 13-time ACM Award recipient, Parton’s relationship with the Academy spans generations. She has also hosted the ACM Awards three times, further cementing her place as one of the genre’s most beloved and enduring figures.” Dolly has of course won many awards for her classic songs over the years, and she has been nominated multiple times in the ACM Song of the Year category, including for “You’re the Only One,” “9 to 5” and “When I Get Where I’m Going,” underscoring the lasting power of her songwriting within Country Music. From “Jolene” and “Coat of Many Colors” to “I Will Always Love You,” Parton has “written with honesty, heart and unmatched storytelling power, creating songs that have shaped the culture of country music and continue to resonate far beyond genre lines.” I couldn’t have said it better myself… They also announced a ton of performers set to take the stage that evening, including Avery Anna, Big Kenny, Carly Pearce, Carter Faith, Dierks Bentley, Dylan Scott, Gabriella Rose, Gavin Adcock, Kaitlin Butts, Mark Collie, Margo Price, Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum and Trisha Yearwood. Additionally, Ella Langley, who broke the record this year by winning seven trophies at the 61st ACM Awards, will be honored at the ceremony for her first-career Artist-Songwriter win, in particular. Other honorees include the likes of Scott Zolke for the Service Award, Leslie Fram for the Lift Every Voice Award, the festival, C2C: Country to Country, for the International Award and Jessie Jo Dillon for Songwriter of the Year. Full List of ACM Honors Recipients POET’S AWARD – Brett James and The Carter Family INTERNATIONAL AWARD – C2C: Country to Country FILM AWARD –Landman ICON AWARD – Bill Anderson and Mike Curb SPIRIT AWARD – Kacey Musgraves SERVICE AWARD – Scott Zolke LIFTING LIVES AWARD – Eric Church LIFT EVERY VOICE AWARD – Leslie Fram ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR – Ella Langley SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR – Jessie Jo Dillon  The post Dolly Parton To Receive the ACM Poet’s Award At 2026 ACM Honors Awards Show first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Remember who’s signing your paychecks. Jason Aldean has made no secret over where he stands politically throughout the course of his career. Aldean is an outspoken conservative and friend of President Donald Trump, who’s gotten more than his fair share of outrage simply because of his political beliefs. But at the same time, being a touring artist is a massive operation, and Aldean employs plenty of people who don’t agree with him politically – something he knows and has no problem with. What he does have a problem with, though, is employees who are disrespectful because they disagree with him politically. Of course one of the biggest “controversies” of his career (and I put “controversies” in quotes because the whole thing was so stupid) came when he released “Try That In A Small Town” a couple of years ago. I won’t rehash the whole thing, but suffice it to say many on the left were outraged and began twisting the song and the video to accuse the country singer of racist imagery – despite the song not mentioning race at all and simply serving as a commentary on big city lawlessness at a time when the police were being disrespected and riots were rampant. Well apparently, even some on Aldean’s crew weren’t fans of the song – and with the swirling controversy from the media, felt emboldened to join in the disrespect for the artist who paid their bills. Aldean and his tour manager Jake Lagrone recently joined the Try That In A Small Town podcast, which is hosted by the co-writers of the song including Kurt Allison, Kelley Lovelace, Neil Thrasher and Tully Kennedy, where they discussed life on the road and managing a massive operation like the country star takes out on the road with him every weekend. As Lagrone says, it would be “crazy” to think that everybody in their touring crew has the same political opinions: “I’m old enough to remember this and so are you guys. Democrats and Republicans will argue like crazy and then go have lunch together. Our world is really divided right now. You would be crazy to think that 80 people on the road are all Republicans. They’re not.” But on the road, when their goal has nothing to do with politics, obviously reasonable adults should be expected to be able to put that aside and work together: “I pulled them all together and I said, ‘Here’s the deal, guys. Out here we’re one team. I don’t care where you sit. You’re not going to change how I feel about issues. I’m not going to change how you feel probably either out here. You’re going to be respectful because at the end of the day, that’s what matters.'” When the controversy erupted around “Try That In A Small Town” though, apparently some people on the crew felt like they could join in the chorus of disrespect. According to Kennedy: “It also reached a new level after we put out Try That In a Small Town. And we’re very proud of that moment. We know what we know we meant by it and there were some people in our crew that found it okay to disrespect it and disrespect us.” Well as you can imagine, Jason says those people aren’t members of their crew anymore: “They no longer work for us.” Jason continued: “Here’s my issue: When you’re riding around on a tour bus that I’m paying for, and I’m feeding you three meals a day, every day, and a paycheck to, you know, pay your rent or whatever it is, and you’re out there on those buses, in our catering and you’re bad mouthing me and our crew like, yeah, you got to go.” Of course I feel like this is just a microcosm of where our society is at the moment: People are unwilling to put politics aside in anything they do, which results in a lot of people who are completely unable to function in society. Nothing an employer can really do but let those people go before they become an even bigger cancer in the workplace. The post Jason Aldean Says He Fired Crew Members Who Became Disrespectful Over “Try That In A Small Town” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Throughout country music history, we’ve seen some absolutely insane stories unfold to the biggest stars in the genre. Whether its Hank Williams Jr.’s infamous 500-foot fall off Ajax Mountain in Montana in 1975 that he miraculously survived, Tracy Lawrence surviving three gunshots, one of which missed an artery by by a tenth of a millimeter, after getting mugged and car-jacked in 1993 or HARDY, who recently revealed he nearly lost his life in his famed bus crash in 2022, you don’t have to look very far to find nearly unbelievable stories of beloved artists dodging death. One artist who has flirted with death multiple times is none other than Trace Adkins. Of course, he’s best known for late ’90s and early 2000s hits such as the infamous “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” and “Swing,” as well as other popular tracks such as “Every Light In the House,” “You’re Gonna Miss This” and “Ladies Love Country Boys.” Beyond the patented baritone vocals and deep, southern drawl, however, is a long history of near-encounters with death throughout his life. None of his encounters, however, are as famed as the time his wife, Julie Lauren Curtis, shot him during an argument back in 1994. In case you’ve never heard the story, it goes as follows. After a day of boozing while doing some yard work, Julie wanted Trace out of the house, but Trace wasn’t leaving without his two kids (from his previous marriage), so he told her to leave. When he came out of the bathroom, Julie had that .38 special pointed it straight at him. In response, he said: “Give me the gun, or I’m gonna take it away from you and beat your damn brains out with it.”  Of course, that’s not the best way to talk down a woman who is aiming to kill you, and she ended up firing the shot. He recalled feeling absolutely nothing when the bullet went through: “Your body and mind does a beautiful thing. In order to protect you, it shuts down. You feel nothing. I did feel pressure, like someone was standing on top of me and I couldn’t catch my breath.” Although the gunshot could’ve easily killed him, he was rushed to the hospital via helicopter, and doctors were able to save his life. He credits the Vanderbilt Life-Flight with the reason he is still alive: “If I had been back in Louisiana, 50 miles from the nearest hospital, I’d be a dead man, no question.” Obviously, the story has remained one of the most insane in all of country music history, and the “You’re Gonna Miss This” singer opened up about it during his recent appearance on Theo Von’s podcast, This Past Weekend. After Von asked him if the story was actually true, Adkins would joke about the entire situation, saying that she took it “a little too far.” “That took it a little far, I thought. That was uncalled for. That was totally uncalled for. Just leave. Let’s just call it quits; we don’t have to go that far.” Theo would then ask him if he thought that Julie had the intent to kill him. Immediately, Trace would explain that he thinks she never actually wanted to kill her, noting that she most likely didn’t know what was about to happen when she pulled the trigger. “I don’t think so, man. I don’t think she even had any idea what that gun was gonna do. I’d never seen her hold a gun; I’d never seen her shoot a gun. I knew she had one, but I’d never seen her use it. I had a bunch of guns — still have a bunch of guns… I don’t think she knew what was about to happen when she pulled that trigger. She thought it was a toy, you know?” Adkins would then go on to explain how the bullet went under his left arm, near his pec, and went straight out under his right arm, causing him to go into shock since he doesn’t remember feeling any pain. He’d also go into detail about just how close he was to dying that day. Calling it a “kill shot,” he’d note that it went through his heart and both of his lungs. “It went straight through my heart and both my lungs. It was a kill shot. The doctors said the only reason I survived was because the bullet went through at point-blank velocity — at muzzle velocity — so it didn’t have time to mushroom. It was just muzzle velocity, so it went straight through.” The 64-year-old singer/songwriter would then explain the long recovery process, which you can watch on the full podcast linked below. The post Trace Adkins Doesn’t Think His Ex-Wife Ever Meant To Shoot Him: “I’d Never Seen Her Hold A Gun” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

That’ll get your attention. Brooks & Dunn are one of the most legendary country music duos of all time, with 20 #1 hits, two Grammy Awards, 20 CMA Awards, and 31 ACM Awards. What makes it even more incredible is that they’re still drawing massive crowds today, nearly 35 years after the release of their debut album Brand New Man back in 1991. Not only are they heading out on their Neon Moon Tour this fall, but Brooks & Dunn are currently opening for Morgan Wallen on his Still the Problem Tour and introducing themselves to a whole new audience more than three decades into their career. They’ve also managed to reach a new audience through TikTok, with songs like “Neon Moon,” “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” and “Hard Workin’ Man” going viral over the past few years. But back in 2009, it looked like the legendary duo might be done for good. While still scoring hits with songs like “Cowgirls Don’t Cry,” “Put A Girl In It,” and “Indian Summer,” Brooks & Dunn announced that they would be going their separate ways following their 2010 The Last Rodeo Tour.  At the time, Kix Brooks explained that they simply felt it was time to bring the ride to an end: “It’s too good a horse to ride it into the ground. We’re still good friends. I’m proud to say we’ve never had a fight, never even yelled at each other. And that’s the truth.” But one person who didn’t feel the same was country music legend Merle Haggard. Brooks & Dunn would reunite in 2015 to perform a series of concerts in Las Vegas with Reba McEntire, and it was largely thanks to Haggard that they decided to get back together. As Kix Brooks recently recalled during an interview with RFD-TV, the Hag wasn’t happy with the duo of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn for walking away from the good thing they had going: “He had already chewed my butt because Ronnie and I stopped in 2010. We really thought we’d gone as far as we could. And he chewed me out then. … We’re in Woodstock, New York, sold out with him, he’s looking out the window and he goes, ‘What the hell are y’all doing?’ I went, ‘I don’t know Merle, what are we doing?’ ‘All those people out there, why would you stop playing?'” Brooks says he and Dunn had been together for 20 years at that point, and needed a break. But later on, Brooks was interviewing Merle for his American Country Countdown radio show when Haggard once again pressed them on why they would walk away from something that was so successful: “He just took a pause in the middle of me catching up with him … and he finally said, ‘When are you getting back together with Ronnie?’ I said, ‘I don’t know Merle, we’re talking, we’ve been duck hunting quite a few times.’ He goes, ‘No, I mean when are you two getting back together and doing your job? You two got a thing. Everybody doesn’t get that opportunity. There’s no explaining why you two are so successful except you write good songs, but at the level you guys have gotten to, don’t waste that. You guys have a thing, and you need to get back to work.'” Brooks said Merle was like the duo’s “living dad” at the time, so he sent the clip from the interview to Ronnie Dunn. “It really put a fire underneath us.” I mean, when a country music legend like Merle Haggard tells you that you need to get back to work, there’s not really any other choice than to get back to work. And I’m glad they did, because they’re still just as good as they’ve ever been. Thanks for that one, Merle. The post Kix Brooks Says Merle Haggard “Chewed His Butt” When Brooks & Dunn Split Up first appeared on Whiskey Riff.