Becoming the father he always dreamed of being. Jelly Roll has always been an incredible parent; there is no denying that. He and his wife, Bunnie Xo, stepped up to be there for his daughter, Bailee Ann, ensuring that she was raised in a stable home. Jelly has spoken at length about how learning of his daughter’s birth while he was in jail was the real reason behind his getting his act together and walking a straight and narrow line after years of being a criminal. Jelly Roll has also opened up about how he’s made sure that he and Bunnie are able to be there for Bailee Ann because her mother has chosen not to act as a mother, as she’s continually struggled with addiction. Jelly Roll shared on The Pivot Podcast last year that he is constantly heartbroken seeing how Bailee Ann’s mother’s actions hurt her. “You know, my child’s mother has struggled with drug addiction, since my daughter’s been born, pretty much. I’ve seen the effect that it had on her. Like I’ve got a 16-year-old, almost 17-year-old upstairs, that it’s truly affected her life.” View this post on Instagram Jelly Roll has always made sure that his Bailee Ann has emotional support whenever she sees that her mother has returned to jail or is struggling with other hardships of being a teenager. He and Bunnie Xo have truly given Bailee Ann a loving, safe, and supportive childhood home. But now Jelly Roll has shared that he feels like an even better father after losing a significant amount of weight. At his highest, the country singer (whose real name is Jason DeFord) weighed around 550 pounds, but he knew he had to make a change. Jelly Roll recently admitted that it got to the point that he was “disgusted” with himself and struggling to do daily tasks: “A little bit over a year ago, I was, I literally struggled to walk down my hill to the mailbox. I mean, it was really bad. And I had let myself get to a point of just being absolutely disgusted with myself.” Flash forward to 2026, and Jelly Roll is now looking nearly unrecognizable. Jelly Roll also reached his goal of being on the cover of Men’s Health in 2026 and is still on track to continue losing weight and improving himself. View this post on Instagram While Jelly Roll began his weight-loss journey for himself, he’s found it has had a positive effect on those around him. Like his youngest child, Noah. Jelly Roll’s son remains out of the public eye for the most part, unlike Bailee Ann, but Jelly Roll shares some tidbits about Noah’s life now and again, including that he’s about to begin coaching his basketball team. During a red carpet interview at the live premiere of the new Star Search on Netflix, he said losing weight has made him a better father. The interviewer asked Jelly Roll how his weight loss has impacted him physically and emotionally, to which Jelly Roll replied: “Every way, and spiritually. I’ve gotten closer to God. I’ve gotten closer to myself, I’m a better father, I’m more present for my children. You should see it, dude, I’m coaching my son’s basketball team this year. It’s like they’re a bunch of little… They’re kids. It’s not like I’m coaching a competitive team or anything here.” The interviewer then asks whether his decision to coach Noah’s basketball team was because he felt physically better. Jelly Roll wholeheartedly agreed with that interjection. “I just feel physically better, and I feel like I can physically (do it). Dude, when you’re 550 pounds, you wonder if they have a seat big enough for you somewhere. You know what I mean? You definitely don’t think about coaching a team: you wonder if there’s a bench big enough for you to sit on. So for God to make that big of a difference, just to have the weight off, literally 300 pounds, I’m a whole different human.” Jelly Roll says he’s now 300 pounds down and feels like a whole different human being. I’m sure that Coach Jelly Roll is getting these kids into great shape and building a team unlike any other. In the fall of 2025, Jelly Roll went viral for giving Noah’s flag football team an incredible pep talk. Bunnie XO, who is Noah’s step-mother, took a video of the pep talk that Jelly gave to the team, which is called the “Tigers,” after they suffered a loss on the field: “Hey listen man, this is part of it, baby. You have good days, and you have bad days, but above everything, you have fun, and you stick together. Y’all remember, y’all are a team, and y’all figure out how to get tighter and be better together, right? That’s all right, though.” Jelly Roll went on to help the young team reframe their defeat. It looked like he held the attention of the kiddos throughout his speech, and the rapper-turned-country-artist praised their effort and abilities while encouraging them to come back better than ever in their next contest: “Well, it was a good day in the sun as far as I’m concerned. The philosophy we have from this day forward: the Tigers don’t lose, the Tigers learn. Is that a deal? Take the time first to pat yourself on the back for what you do, showing up in a hundred-degree heat… and then think about what you can do a little better next time. But most importantly, tell your teammates you love them, and you’re proud of ’em, and you’re going to come back next week and kick somebody’s a**.” @xomgitsbunnie My heart #jellyandbunnie ♬ original sound – Bunnie Xo I bet Noah’s basketball team will get many speeches similar to this one. These kids will learn to win and lose gracefully, be resilient, and understand that their hard work will pay off on the court.The post “I’m Coaching My Son’s Basketball Team” – Jelly Roll Reveals How His Weight Loss Has Made Him A Better Father first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Cody Jinks is comfortable in any genre you put him in. The Texas native can’t really be put in a box musically. He’s country, he’s rock, and he occasionally even dips into the heavy metal side of things. His upbringing led him to be interested in all sorts of music, and helped him develop a great appreciation for rock and roll and heavy metal bands. When Jinks sat down with us on the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast, he explained that he’s kind of a product of what he was brought up around. He describes what he was brought up around as the “harder stuff,” but also pointed out that he’s partial to the country music genre as well: “I don’t know if I have a country heart and a heavy metal soul, or vice versa. I do know that country is my first love. But when I was 14 or 15 years old, the part of Texas where I’m from, Pantera was a huge deal. I had already gotten into Metallica and had heard a lot of the more radio-friendly hard rock bands of that time. I really loved that, and was really raised on… if dad was home, it was all country. When dad would go to work, that’s when mom would throw on the Elton John and whatever rock and roll stuff. So I had a good upbringing musically. I really latched on to the emotion of heavy metal, and the angst.” In case you didn’t know, Jinks actually got his start in the music industry as a part of a metal band called Unchecked Aggression. When that band broke up, Jinks decided to take a swing at a country music career. That’s obviously worked out wonderfully for the “Loud and Heavy” singer. But even though he’s now underneath the umbrella of country, you can always hear his rock and metal roots bleed through in his music (he also has a rock project called Canned By Nod). It’s no secret that Jinks loves to rock out, which is why this latest touring update from the 45-year-old makes so much sense. Cody Jinks recently announced that he’s going out on the road with the popular heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. The band from Las Vegas, Nevada has hits like “Wash It All Away” and “Wrong Side of Heaven,” and chances are, you’ve heard one of their songs before. They are some of the hardest rockers out there, and thus the perfect pairing with Cody Jinks. Name another country music artist that could go out on the road with a heavy metal band… I’ll wait. Jinks is one of one when it comes to ability to jump back and forth between two very different genres, and touring with Five Finger Death Punch is a testament to his incredible versality. And Jinks sounds very excited to get out on the road with the group in a supporting role: View this post on Instagram Sounds like the sprawling 2026 tour featuring Cody Jinks and Five Finger Death Punch will be quite the combination of heavy metal and country. If you are interested in catching a show, you can look at the list below to see if the tour is coming to a city near you: Five Finger Death Punch with Cody Jinks 2026 Tour Dates July 20: Freedom Mortgage Pavilion – Camden, NJ July 22: Maine Savings Pavilion At Rock Row – Bangor, ME July 23: Broadview Stage at Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY July 25: Hersheypark Stadium – Hershey, PA July 26: Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview – Syracuse, NY July 28: BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, NH July 30: Xfinity Center – Mansfield, MA August 1: Centre Bell – Montreal, QC August 2: Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON August 4: Northwell at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY August 5:  PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ August 7: The Pavilion at Star Lake – Burgettstown, PA August 8: Ruoff Music Center – Noblesville, IN August 10: Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH August 11: Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, OH August 13: American Family Insurance Amphitheater – Milwaukee, WI August 15: Acrisure Amphitheater – Grand Rapids, MI August 16: Pine Knob Music Theatre – Clarkston, MI August 18: Mystic Lake Amphitheater – Shakopee, MN August 19: Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre – Tinley Park, IL August 21:  Hollywood Casino Amphitheater – St. Louis, MO September 8: Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO September 11: White River Amphitheatre – Auburn, WA September 12: Cascades Amphitheater – Ridgefield, WA September 14: Toyota Amphitheatre – Wheatland, CA September 16: Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA September 18: Long Beach Amphitheater – Long Beach, CA September 19: Michelob ULTRA Arena – Las Vegas, NV September 22: Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre – Salt Lake City, UT September 27: The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – Houston, TX September 28: Germania Insurance Amphitheater – Austin, TX September 30: Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, TX October 2: Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion – Rogers, AR October 3: Morton Amphitheater – Kansas City, MO October 5: Mississippi Coast Coliseum – Biloxi, MS October 7: The Orion Amphitheater – Huntsville, AL October 8: FirstBank Amphitheater – Franklin, TN October 10: MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre – Tampa, FL October 11: iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre – West Palm Beach, FL October 13: Ameris Bank Amphitheatre – Alpharetta, GA October 14: Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek – Raleigh, NC October 16: Truliant Amphitheater – Charlotte, NC October 17: Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater – Virginia Beach, VA October 19: Bon Secours Wellness Arena – Greenville, SC October 21: Nationwide Arena – Columbus, OHThe post Cody Jinks Touring With Five Finger Death Punch This Summer Is A Testament To His Versatility first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

'She is something special and precious. A thing you gotta keep once she touches your life,' the singer wrote. Continue reading…

Miranda Lambert asked the question everyone was thinking after the 2012 ACM Awards. Continue reading…

Ended up being a pretty good decision. At this point in her career, Carrie Underwood has already hit legend status in the genre. Along with her 12 ACM Awards (including 3 Entertainer of the Years), eight Grammy Awards, seven CMA Awards and a plethora of other hardware from Billboard, Dove and more, last year, she became the highest-selling female country artist of all time, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). When talking about Underwood, it’s hard not to mention all the hits. Whether it’s “Jesus, Take The Wheel,” “All American Girl” and “Temporary Home” or her fiery revenge ballads such as “Undo It,” “Church Bells” and “Two Black Cadillacs,” the Oklahoma native has built up a long history of era-defining hits throughout her career. While all the aforementioned tracks may have been big, there’s no denying that “Before He Cheats” has remained not only her signature song but ultimately one of the most popular country song of the century so far. As we all know, “Before He Cheats” was released August 19, 2006 as the fourth single from her debut album, Some Hearts. Upon its release, it would immediately catch fire. Beyond going #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks, it would additionally peak all the way at #8 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100. Couple the chart success with a plethora of awards from the likes of the Grammy, ACM, CMA, ASCAP and CMT, and you have yourself one of the most successful songs of the 2000s. However, it’s “Before He Cheats” longevity that truly makes the song impressive as we look back 20 years later. At this point, “Before He Cheats” falls into a similar territory as Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey.” In other words, it’s one of those country songs that have remained a part of American culture, even to those who may not traditionally like country music, frequently being not only a barroom staple but also a karaoke classic. Its longevity popularity-wise has aided it into becoming one of just 23 country songs ever to sell over 10 million units and receive a diamond certification from the RIAA. The most incredible thing about all of it? Underwood almost passed on the song. In a recent interview with People, the 42-year-old singer/songwriter would reveal that she almost passed on the song thanks in part to the “sweet farm girl” image that she had built up following her American Idol win back in 2005, just six months before the release of Some Hearts. “I remember even when we were talking about recording that song, it was kind of like, ‘Oh, is this too aggressive? Because I was like a sweet farm girl on [‘American Idol’] — and I hope that’s who I still am — but it was almost, ‘Maybe we don’t do this song.'” However, it seemed as if everyone in her camp at the time liked the song too much, and she decided to press forward and record the potentially controversial track at the time. And looking back 20 years later, it worked (a bit of an understatement, I might add). Now, with two CMA Awards, two Grammys and a diamond certification from the RIAA to “Before He Cheat’s” name, it’s pretty safe to say that Underwood made the correct decision recording the track. Fire it up before you go. The post “I Was A Sweet Farm Girl”: Carrie Underwood Reveals Why She Almost Passed On Her Smash Hit, “Before He Cheats” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.