Daily Archives: February 26, 2026

Sometimes you read about a crime and just shake your head in disbelief that such a brazen act really happened. Unfortunately, just that type of heinous, tragic lawlessness reportedly did take place in Oregon a few months ago. A preacher named Kevin Cooper, 56, lost his life in a late-night home invasion in Portland that […]

The post Oregon Preacher Dies Protecting Family Including Grandchild After Teens Pretending To Be Cops Invade His Home appeared first on Wide Open Country.

Quite the compliment. Carson Hocevar is in his third full year of the NASCAR Cup Series as the driver of the #77 car for Spire Motorsports, and it’s safe to say he hasn’t made many friends in the garage area since he arrived. During his first season in the Cup Series, Hocevar was fined $50,000 and docked 25 points for spinning Harrison Burton under caution at Nashville. And last year, with a full season under his belt, Hocevar seemed to […]

The post Richard Petty Says This Young NASCAR Driver Reminds Him Of Dale Earnhardt: “Earnhardt Never Made No Friends Either” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

If you’re a Dolly Parton fan, then you are undoubtedly familiar with her song “Jolene.” As we shared a few years ago, the singer’s breakthrough hit was about a bank teller who seemed to have a crush on her husband, Carl Dean.  “And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much […]

The post This Country Singer Wrote a Sequel to Dolly Parton’s Hit “Jolene” appeared first on Wide Open Country.

Andrea Pavan will not compete in the DP World Tour’s Investec South African Open golf tournament this weekend. This means he will miss out on a chance to compete for a $1.5 million purse and an invitation to the Masters golf tournament this April.  Instead, the 36-year-old will be recovering from injuries he sustained when […]

The post Pro Golfer Injured After Falling Down Elevator Shaft appeared first on Wide Open Country.

Another honor for the late legend. It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since the tragic passing of the late, great Toby Keith. As we all know, the Oklahoma native passed away on February 5, 2024, at the age of 62 after a long battle with stomach cancer. Words can hardly describe the lasting impact he’s had on not only the genre itself but all his long-time fans, members of the military and the countless number of lives touched […]

The post Oklahoma Lawmakers Officially Pass Bill To Name New Turnpike In Honor Of Toby Keith first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

JD Graham, an Oklahoma-born singer beloved in the Red Dirt and Americana scenes, sustained extensive injuries, and his dog died in the crash. Continue reading…

Carly Pearce recently admitted that she’s built a shrine to herself in a corner of her home, and she sees no issue with doing so.

The post Country Singer Reveals They Have a Shrine of Themselves in Their Home appeared first on Wide Open Country.

Never skip a Zach Top cover. Simply put, there’s no one doing it quite as well as Zach Top these days. Though there are plenty of other stellar artists keeping the traditional scene alive, such as Jake Worthington, Charley Crockett and more, the Washington native has launched himself into the stratosphere as of late. Of course, this was highlighted on a national scale the past few months when he not only took home Best New Artist at the CMA Awards […]

The post WATCH: Zach Top Delivers Phenomenal Covers Of “Two Dozen Roses” & “Modern Day Bonnie And Clyde” In Copenhagen first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

She might not look like or sound like what you think about when you think of outlaw country, but Mickey Guyton is undoubtedly an outlaw artist. Continue reading…

Pert Near – Side By Side Minnesota string band Pert Near Sandstone emerged 2 decades ago, & this 10-track collection Side By Side (Drops Feb. 27/Independent/37:48) is their 9th. It leans heavily on a punk line by pushing the boundaries of “old time” music & “bluegrass.” There’s a deep roots thread running through their challenging […]

The post REVIEW: Pert Near “Side By Side” appeared first on Americana Highways.