Yearly Archives: 2026

Reba McEntire has achieved numerous milestones in her remarkable, storied career.  She has a whopping 35 number-one hits on the Billboard country chart over her five-decade long career. She has also sold tens of millions of albums all over the world and holds the record for the most Top 10 hits by a female artist on the Billboard Country […]

The post Country Music Icon Is Celebrating a 40 Year Milestone: “Many Memories, Stories, and Songs” appeared first on Wide Open Country.

A much-needed warning these days. As problematic as AI has gotten in the music industry over the past year from a pure artistic and ethics standpoint, highlighted primarily by a completely AI-generated “artist,” Breaking Rust, capturing the #1 spot on a Billboard country chart this past October, the concerns over artificial intelligence reach far beyond the music itself. Of course, this is hardly a dismissal of the very real issue of AI “artists” not only stealing both streams and intellectual […]

The post “Please Don’t Fall For It”: Cody Johnson Issues Urgent Warning To Fans Over Dangerous New AI Scams first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Ali Larter really appreciates the presence of veteran actor Sam Elliott on the set of Landman. It’s safe to say that one of the break out roles of Landman’s first two seasons has been Ali Larter as Angela. The series that tackles the dramatic ins-and-outs of  the oil industry – as well as family life – boasts an impressive cast, with the likes of Billy Bob Thornton and Demi Moore both playing major roles. But one role that continues to be […]

The post ‘Landman’ Star Ali Larter Has Nothing But Praise For The Presence That Sam Elliott Brings To The Show: “Brings So Much Soul” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

One sweet shop in Gatlinburg, Tennessee is getting desperate after suffering their fourth bear-break-in since Christmas. It’s estimated that around 400,000 bears live in the United States, and in certain parts of the country, residents have to always be on alert and keep an eye out for bears. Black bears make up most of that total number (around 300,000), and one place where you are almost guaranteed to see them is in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Millions of people flock to Smoky […]

The post Gatlinburg Candy Shop Has No Idea How To Stop Pesky Bear Who’s Broken In 4 Times Since Christmas first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The truth hurts sometimes… Popular comedian Druski is ruffling feathers with his latest sketch, a satirical video poking fun at megachurch pastors that has many criticizing him for being disrespectful to Christianity, while others are living him for calling out these celebrity pastors who rake in millions and live lavish lifestyles thanks to their church. You may be familiar with Druski (whose real name is Andrew Desbordes) for his comedic skits on social media, his standup comedy, or his hilarious […]

The post Comedian Druski Under Fire For Controversial Sketch Mocking Megachurch Pastors, But He Kind Of Nailed It first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

She’s one of country music’s sharpest young writers. Continue reading…

Sometimes tragedy begets more tragedy. That seems to be the case with the late retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffie. He, his wife, and their children, along with three others, all lost their lives in a plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on December 18, 2025. The cause of the crash is still […]

The post Late NASCAR Legend’s Home Burglarized, $30,000 Stolen, After He and His Family Died in Fatal Plane Crash appeared first on Wide Open Country.

Jelly Roll isn’t the only member of his household trying to lose weight. His wife, Bunnie Xo, is also trying to shed a few pounds.  While losing nearly 300 pounds helped the “Save Me” singer “fall in love with himself,” the Dumb Blonde podcast host said her recent experience with a weight loss drug scared her “so bad.” We […]

The post “I Didn’t Think I Was Gonna Make It”: Jelly Roll’s Wife Bunnie Xo Shares Her Scary Experience With This Popular Weight Loss Drug appeared first on Wide Open Country.

Sarah Trahern’s tenure at the CMA wasn’t really marked with any especially remarkable achievements or catastrophic mistakes. She wasn’t really vilified by purists or lauded by the industry.

The post CMA CEO Sarah Trahern Retirement Ends an Era. Let’s Hope It Starts a New One first appeared on Saving Country Music.

It’s a wonderful time to be a beer drinker.  We reported earlier today about how Pabst Blue Ribbon is selling 99-can packs of its brew. Now Anheuser-Busch is announcing the long-awaited return of one of its flavored lagers.  Krystyn Stowe, head of marketing for the Busch family and Natural family for Anheuser-Busch, shared some news with USA […]

The post The Popular Flavored Brew Is Making Its Return This Year appeared first on Wide Open Country.