The 57-year-old is most closely associated with kick-starting Carrie Underwood's career and feeding her hit songs early and often. Continue reading…

Terrible news. Grammy winning country songwriter Brett James, whose credits include 27 #1s and tons of other hits, was killed this afternoon in a plane crash in North Carolina. According to authorities in Macon County, NC,  the Cirrus SR22T with tail number N218VB took off from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville shortly after noon on Thursday before crashing near Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, North Carolina. Luckily, all students and staff at the elementary school were safe, but all three passengers on the plane were killed in the crash. The plane was registered to James, whose full name was Brett James Cornelius. James got his start in country music as an artist himself, dropping out of medical school at the University of Oklahoma and releasing his self-titled debut album in 1995. He charted two singles, including “Chasing Amy” and “After All” after signing to Arista Nashville in the early 2000s, but never released another album and actually ended up going back to medical school after his music career failed to take off. But James had signed with a new songwriting company before going back to school, and continued writing songs while attending medical school to fulfill his contract. And he found himself having success at his side gig, scoring 33 songs recorded by major artists – so he decided to focus on songwriting once and for all. It turned out to be the right decision, because James ultimately wrote 27 #1 hits including songs like “Jesus, Take The Wheel” for Carrie Underwood, “When The Sun Goes Down” and “Out Last Night” by Kenny Chesney, “The Truth” by Jason Aldean, “The Man I Want To Be” by Chris Young, and “Somethin’ Bad” by Miranda Lambert. And that’s just scratching the surface: He’s also written songs for artists from Tim McGraw, Wynonna, Billy Ray Cyrus, Dierks Bentley and Lorrie Morgan to Bon Jovi and the Backstreet Boys. James was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020, and after his death the Hall of Fame paid tribute to the songwriter on social media: “We mourn the untimely loss of Hall of Fame member Brett James (“Jesus Take The Wheel” / “When The Sun Goes Down”), a 2020 inductee who was killed in a small-engine airplane crash on Sept. 18. He was 57.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nashville Songwriters HOF (@nashof_official) After his death was announced, several artists took to social media to pay tribute to the legendary songwriter, including Sara Evans, who recorded several songs by James including “Cheatin'” and “Big Cry.” “I am absolutely devastated at the loss of one of the best writers I’ve ever written with and recorded several of his songs. Brett James. I’m praying for his loved ones. What a tragic and sad day. He will be so missed.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sara Evans (@saraevansmusic) There’s no word yet on what caused the crash, but the FAA and NTSB are investigating.The post Grammy-Winning Country Songwriter Brett James Killed In North Carolina Plane Crash first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Stelen Covel says he's 'not a fan' of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!', but he doesn't think the show should have been pulled off air. Continue reading…

Country music star Riley Green is on the move. Not only is the “Worst Way” singer on the rise in the music industry, he’s moving on up in the Nashville real estate market. That’s at least what one could assume after he listed his Charlotte Park area home back in April of this year. Now, it appears that the country music singer has found a buyer for the property, as the house has now moved into contingent status. Kim Penz and Annie Hickerson, of Zeitlin Sotheby’s International Realty, hold the official listing on the home that used to belong to Riley Green. It was listed for $1,059,999 before it was made public that Green had accepted an offer. That doesn’t mean that the buyer paid that price, but there’s a good chance that the final selling price was somewhere around that number. Hard to imagine that the total price would have dipped below $1 million, considering how many amenities the house boasts. The listing described the new build as the following: “Built with intention, not just to impress – this Charlotte Park stunner offers elevated craftsmanship and custom finishes. Constructed in 2023 by renowned luxury builder MCH Construction, this home stands apart from typical new builds in the area. From soaring 10-foot ceilings, Fisher & Paykel appliances, and full-house speaker system to refined designer touches throughout, every detail reflects elevated design.” And that description isn’t an exaggeration. The 4-bed, 4.5 bath home that features an open concept on the downstairs level (kitchen, dining and living all flow together) didn’t skimp on really anything. There are exposed beams, a “drop zone” from the garage to the pantry, a large walk-in closet in the master suite, top-of-the-line appliances, and a beautiful state-of-the-art kitchen that features stunning black backsplash and and coffee/wine bar. That $375 per square foot asking price might seem a bit steep for some, but the builders really did a lot to justify that price point. And the backyard is an entertainer’s dream (must have been what sold Riley Green on it), with a 300-square-feet of fenced-in lawn that also includes a covered back porch that’s equipped with a motorized-screen that can enclose the space during colder, winter months. All that to say that whoever came along and bought the house should be very happy with the former home of Riley Green. It’s got all that you could ask for (and more), and not to speculate, but it’s the perfect home for an up-and-coming country music star. Though Riley Green might be moving out of it, whoever it is that’ll be moving in sooner rather than later might benefit from the good vibes of the house more than any of the other lucrative amenities. You can take a look at some of the photos of the home below: And just in case you are wondering… no, the home doesn’t come with Riley Green’s wardrobe and cowboy hat collection. I’ve got a feeling that if some of that was thrown in, the asking price would have been more than a million dollars.The post Riley Green Sells His $1 Million Nashville Home first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Shooting her shot… and it worked. Riley Green is currently on tour in Europe as part of his 2025 Damn Country Music Tour, and I’m sure fans over there are excited to have him because it’s not often that country stars from the United States make it across the pond, and it’s well-known that European country fans are some of the best. From what I hear, they’re very attentive and respectful, and always show up in droves when someone like Riley headlines a concert. So it was really cool to see what’s become a viral moment where Riley brought a fan named Jordan up onstage to sing his hit with Ella Langley, “You Look Like You Love Me.” Of course, it was (and still is) absolutely everywhere last year… from radio, to social media, the song was (and still is) everywhere, and it certainly launched Ella’s career and put her into a new stratosphere in terms of her place in mainstream country. It hit #1 at country radio, and the pair also won the CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year for “You Look Like You Love Me” last year. The song was included on Ella’s 2024 debut studio album Hungover, and became a staple in terms of her catalog, and Riley’s too. So Jordan knew that she wanted to sing a duet with Riley while he was in Glasgow, Scotland, and she made it happen. During the meet and greet, she straight up asked him if she could sing something with him, initially hoping they could do “Don’t Mind If I Do,” but Hannah McFarland is Riley’s opener and they had already practiced that one together, so he asked if she would do “Excuse Me” with him. @jordanpetriebeauty Replying to @Carole(smiley) The debrief is in! Part 1 I’ve had to split it up since I ramble on! Go to part 2. #rileygreen #countrymusic #excusemeyoulooklikeyouloveme #nashville ♬ original sound – Jordan Petrie – A MUA’s Life Jordan shared some about it on TikTok, explaining that she bought tickets to the concert about nine months ago, and had seen that he’d pulled other girls onstage to fill in for Ella, and while she’s not pursuing a professional career or anything like that, she says singing is a hobby of hers and she thought it would make for a cool moment. Props to her for having the guys to straight up ask him in person… ask and you shall receive, as they say, and Jordan looked liked a natural. Plus, her Scottish accent makes it all sound so much cooler: @benitadickinson @Riley Green & a fan from meet & greet (who was amazing ) in Glasgow #rileygreen #rileygreenglasgow #damncountrymusic #youlooklikeyouloveme ♬ original sound – Benita Dickinson Here’s part of another one: @jordanpetriebeauty Last night a dream came true for me. Thank you Mr @Riley Green My friend is screaming in this video so I do apologise and I couldn’t hear a thing so hopefully I wasn’t too off key!! Haha @Big Machine #rileygreen #o2academyglasgow #excusemeyouloveme ♬ original sound – Jordan Petrie – A MUA’s Life “You Look Like You Love Me” The post Riley Green Brings Fan Onstage In Glasgow To Duet “You Look Like You Love Me,” & She Totally Crushed It first appeared on Whiskey Riff.