Yeah, probably best to get that talent in the studio. The late, great Kris Kristofferson was obviously best known for his incredible songwriting on songs like “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “Me & Bobby McGee” and “Help Me Make It Through The Night.” But Kristofferson was one of the most interesting men in country music. He was a Rhodes Scholar, a graduate of Oxford, and a Captain and helicopter pilot in the Navy before moving to Nashville to pursue a career in music. And once he got to Music City, he went to great lengths to make his dream a reality, taking a job as a janitor at a record label and even landing a helicopter on Johnny Cash’s lawn to deliver some demo tapes in hopes that The Man In Black would record his songs. (It worked). Everybody knows that getting your big break in Nashville isn’t easy, even for someone as talented as Kris Kristofferson. You can throw a rock in this town and hit somebody who could easily be a superstar, and often just making the right connections and putting yourself in the right spot can be the difference between becoming a star or having to pack up and head home. For Kristofferson, the right spot was sweeping the floors at Columbia Records. Kristofferson took the job when he moved to Nashville to help pay off debt from his son’s medical bills. And as fate would have it, working as a janitor actually gave him the opportunity to get the attention of one of the biggest names in country music, Johnny Cash. Kristofferson would meet June Carter and ask her to give his demos to Johnny Cash, but they often ended up in a pile with all of the other demos he was being pitched. Eventually though, the janitor managed to set himself apart as a songwriter and finally got the Man in Black’s attention. In fact, Cash was such a fan that Kristofferson recalls one time that Cash refused to go into a recording session unless Kristofferson was in the room. Apparently, some weren’t happy with how much time Kristofferson was spending with Cash in the studio – and the influence he was having on the Man in Black. So his boss banned him: “I almost got fired one time because a couple of songwriters crashed the session, and they were trying to pitch him a gospel album. And for some reason the woman who was the secretary to the producer blamed me for letting them in there and tried to get me fired. And so the next night my boss came down and said “I don’t think you should go to John’s session tonight,” which was heartbreaking for me because I lived for those recording sessions. But I understood it.” But Cash wasn’t happy to find out that Kristofferson wouldn’t be sitting in on the recording session: “I hid down in the vault of the recording studio and was erasing tapes down there or doing some kind of busy work, and John appeared down there in the basement. He said “I understand you’re not coming to the session.” I said “No, I’ve got a lot of work to do down here, I can’t.” He said “Well I just wanted to tell you I’m not gonna record until you come up there.” So I had to go up and sit on the floor.” Yeah, I’d say that if Johnny Cash says he’s not going to record until you’re in the studio, it doesn’t matter what anybody else says. Kristofferson says the experience was “uncomfortable,” because the same woman who tried to get him fired was also in the studio: “And here I was, the janitor, and I’m sitting on the floor and this woman who tried to get me fired was watching me the whole session. It was the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been in my life.” But Kristofferson says the whole experience was just an example of who Cash really was: Somebody who wasn’t afraid to stand up for the little guy. “But I thought it was the measure of the man. He’s always stood up for the underdog. And that’s something I’ve tried to live up to. He’s been a good example.” Yeah, not a bad guy to have in your corner. The post Johnny Cash Once Refused To Record Until Kris Kristofferson, A Janitor At His Record Label, Was Allowed To Sit In On The Recording Session first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Five Hall of Famers and just as many newcomers make this list. Continue reading…

The ballad of a lonesome drifter continues… Charley Crockett has been cooking up a follow-up to his last record, Lonesome Drifter, announcing today the second part of the “Sagebrush Trilogy,” Dollar A Day. Similarly to his previous concept record project, $10 Cowboy, which he followed up with a second part, Visions Of Dallas, he is doing it again with his latest record, Lonesome Drifter. Today, Crockett announced the second part of his record, which appears to be a three-part concept project called the “Sagebrush Trilogy,” Dollar A Day. The new album is set to release everywhere on August 8th and was once again, produced by the great Shooter Jennings. “I don’t gamble. I just risk it all.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Charley Crockett (@charleycrockett) Dollar A Day will be Crockett’s 17th record, if you include his live record from The Ryman in Nashville, and it will make for the second album release of 2025. Charley Crockett truly never slows down. The rate at which Charley Crockett releases music is impressive in itself, given that there are sometimes years between records for country stars. However, what’s more impressive is the quality found on each of these records. Charley Crockett raises the bar with each record, raising the bar and continuing to prove that he’s one of the best in the business. With Dollar A Day being a continuation of Lonesome Drifter, I am sure that we will see more magic from Shooter and Crockett. When the pair recorded “Lonesome Drifter” over the course of just 10 days, Crockett and Jennings captured “the magic of performance on tape” live. Crockett says the album “made itself” in terms of how easy and natural it all came: “Shooter and I barely talked about it. I just brought all of my guys out, and the album made itself. It was live without a lot of overdubs. There were no inhibitions. I wasn’t being judged, and I didn’t feel self-conscious. Shooter knew how to cut loose and let this thing unfold.” It appears that the content from those tend days lent itself to not one but two records. Crockett recorded this record at the historic Sunset Sound Studio 3 facility in Hollywood, California, sharing a press release that working with Shooter is a natural fit, and he feels like he allows him to express himself fully. “With Shooter, I’ve never felt more like myself in the studio. I don’t feel judged. At all. It’s truly a partnership. Hell, I’d say he’s my best friend, and you can’t aspire to greatness without that kind of trust. With ‘Lonesome Drifter,’  it felt like we opened the portal. With ‘Dollar A Day,’ we stepped through and came out the other side.” Charley Crockett has been teasing some new music since the release of Lonesome Drifter, all of which has a heavy influence of Waylon Jennings, and I hope we see some of those on Dollar A Day‘s tracklist. To celebrate the announcement of the record, Crockett will release the lead single “Crucified Son” later this week on July 3rd. What a way to go into the 4th of July weekend with some new Charley Crockett. Check out the album’s trailer before you go. Dollar A Day Tracklist: Dollar A Day Crucified Son Woman in a Bar Ain’t That Right Lonestar El Paso To Denver Santa Fe Ring Age Of The Ram (Theme) I Stay Ready All Around Cowboy Tennessee Quick Cash Die With My Dreams On Ballad Of A Lonesome Drifter Destroyed AlamosaThe post Charley Crockett Announces New Record ‘Dollar A Day,’ With Lead Single, “Crucified Son” Coming SOON first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Tune in even if you can’t make it. Eric Church is gearing up for three nights at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. But instead of performing the same show each night, the three night run will feature three entirely different shows from Church each evening. The first show on July 14 will be “Eric Church vs. The Machine,” and will feature “a full-scale production featuring his band joined by a dynamic ensemble of strings, horns and choir.” The second show, on July 15, is billed as “Eric Church vs. The ECB,” and sounds like the most traditional Eric Church show of the three nights, featuring “a raw, high-energy set with his original band, including longtime collaborator Joanna Cotten.” And for the third night, he’s stripping it back for “Eric Church vs. The Guitar,” which will be “a stripped-down, intimate evening with Church alone on stage, delivering an acoustic performance like only he can.” (This is the one I’m REALLY looking forward to). According to Church, the shows will set the stage for his upcoming tour, which will feature a mixture of all three shows in one. Speaking with Variety on what he has planned for the Free the Machine tour, Church says he wants to incorporate parts of each of the Red Rocks shows into the tour: “Everything we do every stop on the tour is gonna be within the scope of those three nights. So the first night at Red Rocks, we’re gonna do an orchestra, big band kind of thing. Night two, we’re gonna do old-school band, the OG group. And then night three is me acoustic. So I think the (normal one-night-only) show will end up being in some way the three Red Rocks shows combined into one. You’re gonna have these moments of where we are now with “Evangeline,” and we’re gonna also bring some of the strings and horns into some of our older stuff. You know, you’ve seen “Mistress (Named Music),” you’ve seen “Knives (of New Orleans)” before, but not this way. And then we’ll kind of go into what got us here, and then I think the end of the show will be me and a guitar.” I can’t wait. I’ve never been to Red Rocks before, so as soon as Church announced these shows I knew I had to buy tickets. So if you’re going to be in Colorado, hit me up because I’m flying solo. If you’re not there, however, and still want to experience what are sure to be three magical shows, Church just announced that all three nights will be livestreamed on nugs.net. Fans can choose to just stream one show, or save by bundling all three nights together. And of course members of his Church Choir fan club also get a discount. (Not going to share the code here, but check your email if you’re in the Choir). It looks like it’s going to be $59.99 if you want to watch all three nights in HD (or $74.99 to watch in 4k), or if you only want to watch one night, individual shows are $24.99 or $29.99 for HD and 4k respectively. Church just wrapped up a three night run of festivals filling in for Luke Bryan, performing all three shows acoustic with just his backup singer Joanna Cotten. And they looked absolutely incredible. In fact, I was searching to see if I could find somebody who was livestreaming them so I could watch to see what he would break out. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a livestream for his most recent shows, but it sounds like you won’t have that problem if you aren’t able to make it to Red Rocks and still want to catch the shows. I have a feeling that if you’re an Eric Church fan you won’t want to miss these. I’m already counting down the days until I get to Colorado. The post Eric Church To Livestream All Three Nights Of His Upcoming Shows At Red Rocks first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Post Malone might be the most prolific tipper of the celebrity community. It’s always great to hear stories of celebrities and artists participating in random acts of kindness. The latest example we have is out Phoenix, Arizona, where a dive bar got the surprise visit – and tip – of a lifetime. Post Malone had wrapped up his 2o25 Big A** Stadium Tour stop at State Farm Stadium when, sometime during the night, the artist decided he could use a nightcap. So late Saturday night (or Sunday morning rather) around 1 a.m., Post Malone came strolling into Gracie’s Tax Bar. The place was already close to capacity, and the place flooded with even more energy when the “I Had Some Help” singer swung open the door. I’d imagine a lot of people had to do a double take, or ask their more-sober friend if they were also seeing what they were seeing. Sure enough, it was Post Malone, and he quickly became a man of the people. Chris Banks, a bartender at the popular Phoenix dive bar, was truly impressed with how the pop-star-turned-country-artist handled himself, snapping pictures and taking time to talk with anyone who approached him. Banks told 12 News: “Just to see how he moved and interacted with everyone was honestly impressive. He talked to every single person that walked up to him, and entertained everybody. He was taking pictures and never seemed fazed or annoyed by it. It meant the world honestly.” Grace Perry, the bar’s owner, also had nothing but great things to say about Posty. She couldn’t get over how generous Post Malone was – both with his time and his money. The way he carried himself while at her bar apparently made Grace Perry a fan of his for life: “It just was really nice to see him treating humans like humans. I’m just happy that it was such a positive experience for everybody. I just was so impressed at how respectful he was at this space and generous towards my staff and you know, you don’t see that every day. So that really just kind of made me, who didn’t know Post Malone that well at all now a Post Malone fan.”  Obviously, the surprise appearance and presence of Post Malone would have been enough on its own to make the day memorable – but the “Pour Me A Drink” singer had one more trick up his sleeve. Once he had closed out the bar (at 2 a.m.) with the rest of the bar goers, Malone went to pay for his bill, and left a substantial tip. Bartender Chris Banks didn’t want to share just how much the amount of money Post Malone gifted the staff was, but he did reveal that the tip left by the F-1 Trillion artist was going to be very helpful to those who were working that night: “I don’t want to throw out a figure, but I will say that there were about 15 people on staff that night, and everyone can pay their bills this month.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by 12News (@12newsaz) Post Malone is clearly one of the best in the business. Story after story paints Post Malone as a stand-up, world-class, nice-as-can-be individual. He truly seems to be a light wherever he goes, and social media users were loving that he once again showed off his generosity: “Post Malone genuinely seems like the ONE person who deserves his fame and success. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a story of him treating someone bad.” “That’s so awesome! I love Post Malone.” “He seems like a genuinely good dude.” “Post Malone is an awesome guy! One famous person actually worth meeting!” “It makes you wonder what he was like Pre Malone.” Only included that last one because I’m a sucker for a good pun. And in case I wasn’t clear, that’s not the first time that the country/pop star changed someone’s life through generous giving. Last December, Post Malone visited a Houston, Texas restaurant called The Railyard on Christmas Eve and tipped a bartender there by the name of Renee Brown $20,000. He also stopped by a yet-to-open Pizza Hut in Utah earlier this year, hung out with workers there, and then left them a hefty tip for opening up the store a little early. Big tip energy from Post Malone… no matter where he ends up.The post Post Malone Leaves Massive Tip At Arizona Dive Bar: “15 People On Staff & Everyone Can Pay Their Bills This Month” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.