Yearly Archives: 2025

Some ideas are well-intentioned but don’t pan out the way they were expected to. Maybe that explains what went so badly haywire a few months back when Cracker Barrel ditched its familiar iconic logo. It featured an older gent typically referred to as “Old Timer.” It represented traditional, welcoming Americana. What was substituted in its […]

The post Cracker Barrel Exec Concedes Changing Iconic Logo Was a Mistake: “I Feel Like I’ve Been Fired by America” appeared first on Wide Open Country.

As the music world mourns the tragic death of Todd Snider, his friends and collaborators share their memories of the acclaimed songwriter.

The post Friends and Peers Remember the Late Great Americana Icon Todd Snider appeared first on Wide Open Country.

The legendary duo weighs in on the AI debate. Against all odds, the biggest threat to country music right now (and music as a whole for that matter) is not lazy lyrics, uninspired production or the constant need to shove 808 beats and electronic percussion into nearly each and every song occupying the Top 40 on country radio. While those still are quite annoying, at least they’re created by humans. Today, the fight against AI infiltrating music is not just […]

The post Brooks & Dunn Weigh In On Growing Concern Of AI In The Music Industry: “A Machine’s Never Going To Be Able To Get Up On Stage” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

I am sure this is not the karma that Bunnie Xo thought was headed her way after sharing a collection of her old mug shots. As Bunnie gears up for her book release on February 10, 2026, she’s teasing some of the novel’s stories and highlighting her personal evolution. In a recent social media post, Bunnie Xo vulnerably reopens her past and shared her mugshots from her early adulthood. In the post’s caption, Bunnie, whose real name is Alisa DeFord, […]

The post “I’m Going To Jail” – Bunnie Xo Might Be Adding A Mugshot To Her Collection Thanks To A 5-Year-Old Ticket first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Nothing hits like Zach Top covering some country music classics. Zach Top is no stranger to neotraditional country music fans. With a sound heavily influenced by ’90s music, Zach Top has turned back time in the best way possible, creating a multi-generational fan base. However, as much as Zach Top is honored to lead the movement to make country music that honors traditional roots, he’s shared more than once that he never set out to be a ’90s country gimmick act. […]

The post WATCH: Zach Top Delivers Stunning Acoustic Performance Of Randy Travis’ “If I Didn’t Have You” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The Cyrus and Hurley families are all one, big, happy family according to Elizabeth Hurley’s son, Damian. Obviously, Billy Ray Cyrus has been back in the news cycle for a variety of different things this year. The country music artist first made headlines when he had a disastrous performance at Donald Trump’s Inaugural Ball (remember that?). Then you had the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer taking shots from his son, Trace, which was definitely a weird internet thing to witness. And finally, […]

The post Elizabeth Hurley’s Son, Damian, Calls Billy Ray Cyrus “One Of The Sweetest Men” He’s Ever Met first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Coach O’s potential return to the sidelines of LSU rests on the highly anticipated coaching decision that will soon be made by Lane Kiffin. There’s no doubting that Ed Orgeron, also known as “Coach O,” was a great coach for Louisiana State University. Orgeron was the head coach from 2016 to 2021, and boasted a record of 51 wins and 20 losses during that time. One of those wins was the 2019-20 National Championship. Some say that Joe Burrow led […]

The post Sources Say Coach O Could Join LSU Tigers Coaching Staff If Lane Kiffin Leaves Ole Miss & It NEEDS To Happen first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

East Texas singer-songwriter Travis Bolt met us at The Red Building on Nashville’s Music Row during AMERICANAFEST 2025 to deliver three heartfelt and semi-autobiographical songs from his debut record Burning Bridges, coming out March 6, 2026.

The session begins with the song that helped put Bolt on the

Dolly’s bringing Southern hospitality to your next road trip. Continue reading…

We had a chance to interview Bob Dylan Center director Steven Jenkins recently.  In first grade, Steven Jenkins was already “heavily into” The Beatles and The Beach Boys when he discovered Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits, Volume 1 in his mother’s record collection.“I didn’t understand the songs back then, but I was captivated by Dylan’s voice […]

The post Interview: Bob Dylan Center Director Steven Jenkins appeared first on Americana Highways.