Tell ’em. For my money, Randall King is one of the guys doing modern country the right way. Thanks to the likes of Zach Top, we’re really seeing a resurgence in the ’90s country, neotraditional sound in the mainstream right now, but Randall has been cultivating a classic country sound since he first burst on the scene back in 2018. The West Texas native has a style that harkens back to the days of George Strait and Keith Whitley, and fans hungry for traditional country music were immediately captivated by it with his 2018 self-titled album. Songs like “Takin’ Me a Heartbreak” and “Mirror, Mirror” showcased a rare blend of emotional vulnerability and cowboy cool, quickly earning him a loyal fan base and the attention of Warner Music Nashville. He followed that up with Leanna, a 4-song EP dedicated to his sister who tragically passed away in 2020. Firmly rooted in the honky tonk tradition, King made his major-label debut in 2022 with Shot Glass. The album was well received, proving yet again that country fans were desperate for fiddle, pedal steel and authenticity on country radio, and it reinforced his status as one of the leading lights of the neo-traditional country movement. In 2024, King released his 3rd full length studio album, Into The Neon. Randall is a road warrior, and no stranger to a rowdy crowd, but the other night in Chattanooga, Tennessee, one fan in particular took it over the line. While introducing a song about his late sister Leanna, he said: “I lost my sister, April 19th of 2020, My sister meant the world to me, she was my best friend. I miss her everyday but I can tell you that the last 5 years, I’ve seen her many times. She shows up in pink flamingos, Yellow rose of Texas, she’s always in my heart…” A tenderhearted moment no doubt, and there was definitely a lot of chatter in the crowd overall. But that’s when some obnoxious fan, who more than likely had a few cold beverages running through that bloodstream, started screaming about Merle Haggard songs. To which Randall replied: “Shut up, I ain’t playing no damn Haggard songs, give me a second. I’m talking about my sister, give me a second. Be respectful please.” The video starts with Randall calling out the fan, and then backs up to what happened before, so just be aware when watching that: @duartexaraceli Disruptive behavior during Randall King’s tribute to sister who has passed away. “Fans” continuously interrupted Randall Kings tribute for his late sister requesting him to play a Merle Haggard song at his show in Chattanooga, TN 06/19/25 #randallking #countrymusic #countryconcert #fypシ @Randall King ♬ original sound – Araceli Duarte   Well done Randall… shut him down in the most polite way possible… a true Texas gentleman. He also performed an unreleased song: @duartexaraceli Unreleased- @Randall King 06/19/25 Chattanooga, TN #randallking #unreleased #randallkingconcert #sadcountrysongs #sadcountry #heartbreakcountry #randallkingmusic #newcountrymusic #grief #fypシ゚viral #fypシ #countrynews #countrymusicnews #countrymusic #countryconcert #countrytok ♬ original sound – Araceli Duarte The post Randall King Tells Obnoxious Fan To “Shut Up” For Interrupting Tribute To His Late Sister: “I Ain’t Playing No Damn Haggard Songs” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Going to be a can’t-miss show. Sturgill Simpson is returning to Red Rocks Amphitheatre for the first time in eight years, as Stu, AKA Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds, are slated to play the iconic Colorado venue this fall on September 16th & 17th. He last played Red Rocks on September 25th, 2017, and before that, he played the legendary venue in 2015, but this forthcoming two-night stand is being billed as “Red Rocks Au Revoir,” officially wrapping up his 2025 touring schedule. He played quite a few dates this spring on his Why Not? Tour, and is slated to headline the Bourbon & Beyond Festival this fall as well, in addition to opening for Dead & Company during the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary celebration in Golden Gate Park this August. You can register for tickets for the Red Rocks shows now through Sunday, June 29th via Fair AXS: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre (@redrocksco) Of course, Simpson put out his 2024 album Passage du Desir under the moniker Johnny Blue Skies, turning the page to a new chapter of his music that will likely continue with his next project, which he talked about recently during a show at the ExploreAsheville.com Arena in Asheville, saying that it’s “probably time to get back in the studio” since the tour was almost over at this time in May (and now it is finished): He also explained that he has never been happier on stage than he has been during the tour, which is a good sign for the fact that he’s likely ready to continue touring and putting out new music in 2026 too. And after taking a long break starting in September of 2021, fans are hungry for as much Stu as possible. “We are, after tonight, 3 shows away from the end of a year long tour. It’s been the best time I’ve ever had on stage, the best music, the best band I’ve ever got to play with. But after that, it’s safe to say we’ve done two complete laps around the United States and all over Europe, it’s probably time to get in the studio and make some new music… and then turn around and do it all over again: (Scroll to the second slide): View this post on Instagram A post shared by @thinkilljuststayhereandmeme In the lead-up to putting out the aforementioned Passage du Desir, Sturgill was going through it in his personal life, feeling lost and hopeless after having vocal chord surgery. He was depressed, and he knew he needed to travel and explore the world in order to get back to feeling like himself. Simpson spent a lot of time in Paris and Thailand, and he tells GQ:  “‘The endeavors of man just seemed pointless, to put it lightly.’ Stuck at home and unable to speak, much less sing, he knew he wasn’t in the proper setting to get his head right. ‘So I just told my wife, ‘I gotta go, because I’m having some dark ideas here.'” Following his travel, it appears as though Sturgill felt refreshed and ready to get back to music, which led to the new album and subsequent tour. While he’s already wrapping up his live performances for this year, I’m hopefully there will be much more in the way of new music and live performances coming next year. A lot to be excited about. The post Sturgill Simpson To Close Out 2025 Tour Schedule With Back To Back Shows At Red Rocks Amphitheatre first appeared on Whiskey Riff.