Not a want but a need. In honor of Veterans Day, Cody Johnson finally released his official studio cover of “Travelin’ Soldier,” which fans have been begging him to do for years at this point. You’ve probably seen the mega-viral video of Cody’s acoustic performance of the song, which first went viral back in June of 2020, during the height of the pandemic, when CoJo did a live stream with his backing band. He eventually released an acoustic cover on his YouTube channel in March of 2022, and it exploded from there. Once Johnson released it as a single, it exploded on streaming platforms as well, becoming the highest charting song of Johnson’s career, debuting at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, which encompasses all musical genres. It also got nearly 15 million global streams in its first week, making it the No. 1 streamed country song for the week and placing it at No. 11 across all genres. The track also debuted in the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Country Chart. Cody Johnson explained that he’s known he would cut “Travelin’ Soldier” for a while, and it’s been an incredible journey getting to hear so many stories from his fans about what this song means to them: “It’s been three years since we released an acoustic cover of ‘Travelin’ Soldier.’ The fans responded so enthusiastically and began requesting it during our live shows, so it’s remained on the set list. I had no idea that it was going to give me the opportunity to hear, see, and bring words to y’all’s stories. I knew at some point, when the time felt right, we needed to record it in the studio.” While “Travelin’ Soldier” was well worth the wait for a studio cut, there is another cover from Johnson that I’m hoping he has the same plans to take to the studio one day. His cover of Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman.” Johnson recorded the cover back in 2021 as a part of his CMT Campfire Session, and it’s genuinely a flawless nod to Glen Campbell. The track was written in 1968 by Jimmy Webb for Glen Campbell and is considered one of the first existential country songs. Bob Dylan even once called “Wichita Lineman” the “greatest song ever written,” and it’s stood the test of time, making the Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time, landing at number 206. Webb was inspired to write the tune while driving through the Oklahoma Panhandle and seeing lines of telephone poles, putting himself in the place of one of those linemen, talking on the phone to his girlfriend. Although the Oklahoma plains inspired the tune, Webb set the song in Kansas. “I am a lineman for the county And I drive the main road Searchin’ in the sun for another overload I hear you singing in the wire I can hear you through the whine And the Wichita lineman Is still on the line…” Over the years, the track has been covered by numerous artists, including Dwight Yoakam, Midland, Drake Milligan, and more. While all those covers are excellent to say the least, something about Johnson’s silky smooth twangs and cowboy background makes the words pop a smidge more. “Wichita Lineman” represents the complex thoughts of a blue collar lineman. As Johnson delivers the lyrics while sitting around a fire, viewers are captivated by the ease with which he delivers them and by the emotion he conveys. It’s genuinely the perfect fireside performance. Cody Johnson, this is the cover we ask you to take to the studio next. The world needs it. If you aren’t familiar with the performance, check it out: And without the original, we would not have this stellar version to enjoy, so fire up Glen Campbell’s version while you’re here, too: The post Now That Cody Johnson Gave Fans His Cover Of “Travelin’ Soldier,” We Need Him To Cut “Wichita Lineman” Next first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

One of his biggest inspirations, and now, closest friends. Morgan Wallen is gearing up to release a limited-edition I’m The Problem CD zine, which is slated to drop on December 19th, and the book promises exclusive interviews with the likes of Wallen himself and other collaborators, articles reflecting on the record penned by the “Whiskey Glasses” singer, exclusive lyric sheets of all 37 songs and, of course, the highly anticipated letter from Morgan’s father. And fans are getting an early look at some of the stories, as a preview on his website describes Morgan’s childhood years in a rural church in east Tennessee, where he first started singing and playing piano: “I grew up in a very rural Southern Baptist church, singing gospel and bluegrass. When I was 5 years old, I asked for a violin for Christmas, and I’d play piano growing up, but I wasn’t allowed to listen to secular music when I was a kid.” But it’s obvious in his current music that his faith isn’t the only inspiration. Morgan discovered early 2000s rock band Breaking Benjamin when his friends first played him the CD, and once he started playing travel baseball, he got into a lot of rap and hip hop: “The first non-Christian album I bought was a Breaking Benjamin CD. My buddies were listening to that kind of stuff. Then around 2006, I was playing travel baseball, and we were in Atlanta. I remember being in the car with my friend and his parents, and TI came on the radio. I’d never heard anything like it before – the way that he enunciated and used his words. It was so cool. I started listening to a lot of Atlanta and Memphis hip-hop after that.” Those types of influences are certainly still prominent in Morgan’s music, to the chagrin of many more traditional country fans, but it was Eric Church who really sparked Morgan’s love for country music in particular. Morgan says Eric’s lyrics really spoke to him, and he fell in love with all of his albums… and the rest, as they say, is history: “Later, I got into Eric Church, and I didn’t really ever get into country music until I listened to him. What struck me most was how I could just picture all his lyrics. I started digging deeper and listening to all of his catalog. I mean, I knew every bit of his first three records. I could sing them all.” They of course now co-own Field & Stream together, and Eric has been featured on several Morgan Wallen songs, some of his best songs in my opinion, in “Quittin’ Time,” “Man Made a Bar” and most recently, “Number 3 and Number 7.” They’ve become close friends too, and Morgan even called Eric right before he got arrested at Eric’s bar on Broadway in Nashville… I can’t imagine what it’s like now to be close friends with the person who made you fall in country music, considering Morgan is now the biggest country star, and one of the world’s most famous musicians, all because he gave Sinners Like Me a spin. To be fair, that is one of the albums that first made me fall in love with country music, and I still think it’s one of Eric’s best records. Actually, I think that about all three of his first three albums Morgan referenced. I’m sure there’s plenty more stories like this in that 100-page CD zine, and Morgan will hit the road once again in 2026 for his Still The Problem stadium tour, and likely has some new music coming next year too. Still The Problem Tour Dates April 10 || Minneapolis, Minn. || U.S. Bank Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason April 11 || Minneapolis, Minn. || U.S. Bank Stadium w/ HARDY, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason April 18 || Tuscaloosa, Ala. || Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Vincent Mason, Zach John King May 1 || Las Vegas, Nev. || Allegiant Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason May 2 || Las Vegas, Nev. || Allegiant Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason May 8 || Indianapolis, Ind. || Lucas Oil Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Hudson Westbrook, Zach John King May 9 || Indianapolis, Ind. || Lucas Oil Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Flatland Cavalry, Zach John King May 15 || Gainesville, Fla. || Ben Hill Griffin Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King May 16 || Gainesville, Fla. || Ben Hill Griffin Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King May 29 || Denver, Colo. || Empower Field at Mile High w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason May 30 || Denver, Colo. || Empower Field at Mile High w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason June 5 || Pittsburgh, Penn. || Acrisure Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 6 || Pittsburgh, Penn. || Acrisure Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 19 || Chicago, Ill. || Soldier Field w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 20 || Chicago, Ill. || Soldier Field w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 26 || Clemson, SC. || Clemson Memorial Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat June 27 || Clemson, SC. || Clemson Memorial Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 17 || Baltimore, Md. || M&T Bank Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 18 || Baltimore, Md. || M&T Bank Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 24 || Ann Arbor, Mich. || Michigan Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten July 25 || Ann Arbor, Mich. || Michigan Stadium w/ HARDY, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten July 31 || Philadelphia, Penn. || Lincoln Financial Field w/ ​​Brooks & Dunn, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten August 1 || Philadelphia, Penn. || Lincoln Financial Field w/ Ella Langley, Hudson Westbrook, Blake White “Number 3 and Number 7” “Man Made A Bar’  The post Morgan Wallen Says He Never Listened To Country Music Until He Discovered Eric Church: “I Knew Every Bit Of His First Three Records… I Could Sing Them All” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Bringing out one of Auburn’s most beloved legends. Ahead of a very important game this evening, Riley Green brought out a very famous Auburn fan in the one and only Charles Barkley, who of course played college basketball there at Auburn University from 1981 to 1984. He left after his junior year to enter the NBA draft, but he made history leading Auburn to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history in 1984. He still holds the Auburn record for career field goal percentage at 62.6%, and his No. 34 jersey was rightfully retired 2001, and as any college football or basketball fan knows, his number one enemy while playing there, and still to this day, is rival school Alabama. So with Riley playing at the Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama last night, Barkley delivered a timely message as Auburn is set to Alabama this evening in the Iron Bowl. Barkley took the mic to a very excited crowd, telling them that going to Auburn was “the best decision of my life”: “Hey, I just want to say this. I made the best decision of my life to come to Auburn. I did. I made the best decision of my life to come to Auburn. And listen, let’s have fun with Riley Green.” But like any good college football fan, Barkley knew exactly how to close out his little speech: “I’m gonna finish with this. F*** Alabama!” Enough said… we know who these two will be rooting for tonight: @rileygreenalerts Charles Barkley crashed the stage at Riley Green’s Show in Auburn. Nothing like rivalry week. #WarDamn #RileyGreenAlerts ♬ original sound – RileyGreenAlerts Riley will once again hit the road for an extensive 2026 tour, and you can view the full list of dates below. Cowboy As It Gets 2026 Tour Dates: April 16th, 2026 – Southaven, MS – Landers Center#~$ April 17th, 2026 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center#~$ *ON SALE 10/3 April 18th, 2026 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena#~$ May 7th, 2026 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion#~• May 8th, 2026 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre#~• June 18th, 2026 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center#~• June 19th, 2026 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center#~• June 20th, 2026 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater#~• June 25th, 2026 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center#$* June 26th, 2026 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake#$* July 16th, 2026 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center#~• July 23rd, 2026 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre#~• August 6th, 2026 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater#/• August 7th, 2026 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center#/• August 8th, 2026 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live#/• August 13th, 2026 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion#/• August 14th, 2026 – Hartford, CT – The XFINITY Theatre#/• August 15th, 2026 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheatre#/• August 21st, 2026 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford#$*^ August 22nd, 2026 – Grand Forks, ND – Ralph Engelstad Arena#$*^ #Justin Moore ~Drake White $Mackenzie Carpenter •Hannah McFarland *Adam Hood /Zach John King ^Not A Live Nation ShowThe post Riley Green Surprises Fans With Auburn Legend, Charles Barkley, Ahead Of The Iron Bowl, & He Didn’t Mince Words first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Blanco Brown believes that an AI-generated song that’s recently been making waves in the music industry actually belongs to him… in a way. You’ve surely heard about the AI-generated song that topped the Billboard Country Digital Songs Sales chart, right? Whiskey Riff reported that a track titled “Walk My Walk,” by an artist called Breaking Rust, had seemingly fooled the masses. It’s a complete AI creation all around – from the artist, to the music video, to the song itself. “Walk My Walk” is actually credited to someone named Aubierre Rivaldo Taylor, who has seemingly also created another “artist” called Defbeatsai, which posts nothing but raunchy AI-generated songs. At least when it comes to the Instagram page for Defbeatsai, it’s disclosed that the songs are AI-generated (I mean, AI is in the name of the artist). When it comes to the social media for Breaking Rust, that “artist” is described as “Outlaw Country” and “Soul Music for Us.” There’s no mention that Breaking Rust’s music has been created entirely by AI, and “Walk My Walk” in particular is the one that rocketed to the top of the digital sales chart. It became one of the top stories in not just country music, but all of music in November. And Blanco Brown believes Breaking Rust is a direct rip off of his work. For those not familiar, Brown is an Grammy nominated artist that went viral in 2019 for his TikTok dance number, “The Git Up,” and then followed it up with another No. 1 as a guest on Parmalee’s hit single “Just the Way.” Blanco recently spoke to ABC News and he strongly believes that Breaking Rust’s style is based solely on his music. The artist says that others reached out to him after listening to “Walk My Walk” to warn him that the AI might have been trained by Brown’s catalogue: “I didn’t even know about the song until people hit me up about it. My phone just kept blowing up. Somebody said: ‘Man, somebody done typed your name in the AI and made a white version of you. They just used the Blanco, not the Brown.” And his argument has some legs. Why? Well, as I mentioned earlier, Defbeatsai appears to be the creator behind Breaking Rust. If you are to look more into that AI organization (I guess you can call it that?), there’s an actual person that appears to be involved by the name of Abraham Abushmais. Also known as “Abe,” Abushmais was a co-writer on Blanco Brown’s 2019 project Honeysuckle & Lightning Bugs. Considering that the two have worked together in the past, there’s a strong likelihood that Abushmais did just help Defbeatsai learn how to create and sound like his former collaborator. And according to Brown, he can’t get a hold of Abushmais to talk about the matter: “Abe’s number changed. We used to talk. I ain’t heard from him in a year or two.” Besides Brown speaking out about the song, he’s also chosen to take some matters into his own hands. The rapper went into the studio and covered “Walk My Walk,” then released it in late November. There are also plans to rework the song with a different arrangement and modified lyrics, and release that as well. Brown’s motivation for doing so? Rather simple: “If someone is going to sing like me, it should be me.” When I’ve covered stories involving AI before, I’ve pointed out that artificial intelligence can’t just create things out of thin air. There’s always something that AI is pulling from to bring to life something else. Vince Gilligan, who created Breaking Bad, called artificial intelligence the “world’s most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine” in recent weeks. I’d guess Blanco Brown feels the same way. Blanco Brown – “Walk My Walk” The post Blanco Brown Claims Breaking Rust, The AI-Generated Artist That Topped Country Digital Sales Chart, Is Based On Him first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

You won’t be able to avoid these festive decorations on a drive in the wintertime.

“Black Friday” Parody Song