Timely advice from Reba. It’s been nothing short of a wild six months for Cody Johnson. If you recall, back in October, the Texas native suffered a huge blow when he blew out his eardrum. Just a month later, however, the “Dirt Cheap” singer would shock the country music world by taking home his first-ever CMA Male Vocalist of the Year award, snapping Chris Stapleton’s four-year winning streak. Despite the huge night in Nashville during the CMAs, the burst eardrum didn’t come without its consequences. With the emergency surgery, multiple different shows were rescheduled, including stops in Pittsburgh, Birmingham and Las Vegas, as well as his scheduled performance at Boots in the Bayou in Gonzales, Louisiana and his highly-anticipated appearance at Hondo Rodeo in Phoenix, Arizona, in which he was scheduled to not only perform but compete at the show’s events. Luckily for Johnson, his recovery process has been nothing short of a success, going as far as to say it’s the fastest his doctors have seen an eardrum heal, and he’s ready to get back out on the road throughout the year in 2026. If you recall, shortly after the announcement and cancellation of his 2025 shows due to the burst eardrum, Johnson would confirm new dates for Pittsburgh and Birmingham and add an additional six new stops across the country throughout 2026 Earlier in the week, however, he added even more to his plate, adding an extra eight shows across the country to end the tour from July through September. Additionally, he’d set the likes of Kip Moore, Clint Black, Randy Houser, Jon Pardi, Carter Faith, Scotty McCreery, Ian Munsick and more as openers through the lengthy 23-show tour. Simply put, it’s looking to be another incredibly busy year for Johnson, and he’s sharing some advice he got from none other than Reba to better handle it. Appearing on Apple Music’s Today’s Country Radio with Brandon Lake, fresh off the release of the highly-anticipated “When a Cowboy Prays,” the Texas native would discuss everything from the virality of the song before he recorded the duet, the aftermath of his eardrum surgery and more. Later in the interview, Johnson would reflect on how unexpectedly rewarding his time off as of late has been, thanks to the surgery. As he views it, it’s been an incredible opportunity to be with his newborn son, Jaycee, who was born on October 21st, as well as his wife and two daughters. “It’s been some of the best three months I could have asked for. Somehow, it didn’t burden me financially. I didn’t have to fire anybody. Everything was fine… I’ve been able to be home for the first two months of my son’s life that I wouldn’t have normally been here for. I spent more time with my daughters. I spent more time with clarity being in a deer stand or working with my horses or just being at home with my wife and kids.” He’d then go on to note Reba’s favorite phrase/piece of advice she gave to him, which helped him slow down and be in the moment while he recovered and planned ahead for 2026. “Reba McEntire told me one time that her favorite word is ‘be still.’ And, you know, I’m being still, and I’m not mad about it. I’m happy about it. I have a lot of gratitude for the funny little accidents that happen in your life where God’s like, ‘I just wanted you to slow down for a minute.’ Because here we are in January now, looking at 2026. 2026 is going to be a whirlwind, and I’m really grateful these things have happened that slowed me down before this whirlwind happens.” While it seems cliché to say, it looks like the burst eardrum, which could have been a career derailment, was ultimately a blessing in disguise for the “Human” singer. Cody Johnson Tour Dates February 6-7 – Birmingham, Alabama – Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex with Ian Munsick & Emily Ann Roberts February 13 – Champaign, Illinois – State Farm Center with Randy Houser & Carter Faith  February 14 – Louisville, Kentucky – KFC Yum! Center with Scotty McCreery & Carter Faith  February 27 – Winston-Salem, North Carolina – LJVM Coliseum with Carter Faith February 28 – Columbia, South Carolina – Colonial Life Arena with Clint Back & Carter Faith March 6 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – PPG Paints Arena with Kip Moore & Walker Montgomery March 7 – Baltimore, Maryland – CGF Bank Arena with Kip Moore & Walker Montgomery March 22 – Houston, Texas – Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with Jon Pardi & Randy Houser March 28 – Little Rock, Arkansas – Simmons Bank Arena with Kip Moore & Carter Faith April 10 – Bossier City, Louisiana – Brookshire Grocery Arena with Kip Moore April 24 – Indio, California – Stagecoach May 2 – Clemson, South Carolina – Death Valley (Clemson Stadium) May 9 – Des Moines, Iowa – Casey’s Corner May 30 – Rosemont, Illinois – Allstate Center July 11 – Cavendish, Prince Edward Island – Cavendish Beach Music Festival July 17 – Columbus, Ohio – Nationwide Arena with Drew Baldridge July 18 – Columbus, Ohio – Nationwide Arena with Ian Munsick & Walker Montgomery July 25 – Jacksonville, Florida – Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena August 8 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Paycom Center August 22 – Knoxville, Tennessee – Food City Center August 29 – Saint Paul, Minnesota – Grand Casinoa Arena September 12 – Tacoma, Washington – Tacoma DomeThe post “Be Still”: Cody Johnson Reveals The Best Advice He’s Received From Reba McEntire first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

It’s hard not to get lost in the immersive experience that the Las Vegas Sphere has to offer. Kenny Chesney can attest to that. The country music superstar with countless No. 1 hits (like “Summertime” and “When The Sun Goes Down”) played at the shiny new venue last summer, and was actually the first country artist to headline the Sphere. The magnificent music center that took five years to build (and opened in 2023) had previously hosted bands like U2, The Eagles, and Dead and Company. All of the acts that have played at the high-tech concert space have made their mark (especially Zac Brown Band). Kenny Chesney’s time in the $2.3 billion venue last year can only be described as a huge success. The “Summertime” singer performed 15 sold-out shows throughout his first residency. So in other words, “No Shoes Nation” really showed out. And why wouldn’t they? The visuals at the state-of-the-art venue are incomparable, and it’s truly stunning what the Sphere can do. So stunning, in fact, that the Sphere can even be distracting for artists that are up on stage. Chesney sat down with Rob Lowe on the Literally! with Rob Lowe podcast and revealed that on the first night of his inaugural run at the Sphere, he got distracted by the visuals of the LED display surrounding him and forgot what he was singing: “The first night I went on stage, I was almost distracted. Because I’m up here, we’re playing and doing the show, and there’s an audience in front of us. And I’m used to the stuff going on behind me, but up here (above me) and in front of me and over here in your peripheral… it’s so visual. There were two moments in the show during songs that I wrote that I was so distracted that I was completely lost in the middle of my own song. I forgot the words. I admitted it to the audience. I went, ‘Okay help me, because I’m lost. I’m looking at all this stuff.'” Though it was a bit jarring for Chesney, he described it as a bonding moment that he and the audience were able to have. And connecting with the crowd is very important to the Knoxville native. That was the one concern he had going into his first residency at the Sphere: fans looking at the screen rather than the band. But Chesney recognizes the Las Vegas Sphere is just one of those venues where the artist on stage isn’t the sole reason why the audience is there: “I was there looking at them, and it’s almost impossible for them – at first – for them to look at you and meet you halfway. They are looking straight at the screen. It’s impossible for them not to. I had to get used to that.” Country music legend Vince Gill has said much of the same about the Sphere. All of that being said though, it’s still a great venue for music, and the distracting nature of the state-of-the-art facility isn’t stopping Kenny Chesney from returning to Las Vegas for another run of shows. It was just a couple of days after Chesney was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame last year that he formally announced he’s headed back to the Sphere this summer in his second residency titled, I Go Back 2026, with five shows running from Friday, June 19 to Saturday, June 27: “I got a little carried away. But after all the guests, all the songs we hadn’t planned on, all the people who came from all over, I just didn’t want to keep it a secret. I knew we were coming back, and if No Shoes Nation had half as much fun as we did, I wanted them to know we’d see them right here next summer. What could be better?” View this post on Instagram Now, anyone that loves some good beach-themed country music is making a point to get out to Sin City to see Kenny Chesney… especially if they missed out the first time around. Here’s to hoping that the Country Music Hall of Famer can stay focused and not let the Sphere get the best of him once again when he returns to the stage there later this year.The post “Help Me… I’m Lost”: Kenny Chesney Admits The Las Vegas Sphere Was So Intense He Forgot His Own Lyrics first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

She's kicked into high gear due to a key TV opportunity. Continue reading…

She does her own stunts, too. Today, Megan Moroney released a new song called “Wish I Didn’t,” from her forthcoming album Cloud 9, which was accompanied by a very cinematic music video inspired by the 2005 movie starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” You might also recognize her co-star, Dylan Efron, whose last name you probably recognize because he is the brother to Hollywood actor Zac Efron, notably of High School Musical fame. Dylan has been on reality shows like Season 3 of Peacock’s The Traitors, and more recently he finished in fourth place on Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars, alongside his professional partner Daniella Karagach, which is what I know him from, but he did a great job in this video and it sounds like they got their hands dirty in terms of doing some of the more involved stunts on their own. There’s a scene in the video where Megan jumps on him and they fight, and then Dylan smashes a plate over her head… I for sure thought that part was fake Hollywood magic of some sort, but it sounds like they actually did all of those things themselves. During a livestream talking about making the video, Megan said her knees were black and blue from bruises after filming… and she added that she “probably” had a concussion after getting the plate smashed on her head. I’m sure it was a special kind of plate (fun fact: they used to make them out of sugar) that’s made to easily break, but still… ouch: “Guys, the bruises on my knees after the fight scene… it was wild. Knees were black. It was the end of the day, and we literally only did it twice because I was exhausted. But yeah, we had a stunt coordinator and everything. I need to show y’all the plate getting smashed over my head, because it was… yeah I probably had a concussion over it, but anything for the music video.” To be fair, she also smashed a wine glass over Dylan’s head, and they had a stunt coordinator to make sure everything was done properly, but it sounds they really went all-in with the making of the video and it turned out great: | Megan talking about filming the “Wish I Didn’t” music video on Stationhead tonight! pic.twitter.com/PqRyEyVidx — Megan Moroney Tour & Updates (@megmoroneytours) January 16, 2026 You can watch it here: “Wish I Didn’t” Cloud 9 Tracklist 1. “Cloud 9” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Ernest Keith Smith)* 2. “Medicine” (Megan Moroney, Connie Harrington, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Jessi Alexander)* 3. “6 Months Later” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Rob Hatch, and David “Messy” Mescon)* 4. “Stupid” (Megan Moroney, Amy Allen, and David “Messy” Mescon)* 5. “Beautiful Things” (Megan Moroney, Connie Harrington, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Jessi Alexander)* 6. “Convincing” (Megan Moroney, Connie Harrington, Jessie Jo Dillon, and Jessi Alexander)* 7. “Liars & Tigers & Bears” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon)* 8. “I Only Miss You (ft. Ed Sheeran)” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, Micah Carpenter, and Ed Sheeran)* 9. “Wedding Dress” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, and Colin Healy)+ 10. “Change of Heart” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Micah Carpenter)* 11. “Bells & Whistles (ft. Kacey Musgraves)” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Micah Carpenter)* 12. “Table for Two” (Megan Moroney, Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Micah Carpenter)^ 13. “Wish I Didn’t” (Megan Moroney, Emily Weisband, Hillary Lindsey, and Luke Laird)* 14. “Who Hurt You?” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon)* 15. “Waiting on the Rain” (Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, and Jessie Jo Dillon)*The post “Probably Had A Concussion”: Megan Moroney Did Her Own Stunts, Got A Plate Smashed Over Her Head In “Wish I Didn’t” Music Video first appeared on Whiskey Riff.