Author Archives: Echoes Staff

Willie Nelson can be a tough get. Ernest recently returned to the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast, and the Nashville-based artist and songwriter had a story and anecdote for just about everything. He spoke to us about how rewarding it is to give joy to others through music, why he’s passionate about giving back to the Nashville music community, working with artists like Jelly Roll (and non-artists like Pat McAfee), and the responsibility he felt cutting a Toby Keith demo after the country legend’s death. […]

The post “It’s A Special Song”: Ernest Tried To Get Willie Nelson To Join Him & Lukas On The Last Track Of His New Album ‘Deep Blue’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Talk about a backfire… and an expensive one. If you watched the Super Bowl, you probably walked away thinking three things. One, the contest between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots was one of the most boring “Big Games” of all time. Two, the quality of commercials for the Super Bowl has really dropped off. And three… Ring cameras are always watching. Ring really thought they had something with the 30-second ad they debuted during the Super Bowl. […]

The post “Soft Launching The Surveillance State”: Ring Terminates Police Technology Partnership After “Lost Dog” Super Bowl Advertisement Sparks Backlash first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Where do I sign? It’s safe to say that Koe Wetzel is known for a lot of things. While many might point to his patented country-grunge sound, which, for all intents and purposes, opened up a path for other bands like Treaty Oak Revival and more to become stars, or even his rowdy live shows, it’s safe to say that February 28th (and the events surrounding it) has remained one of the most important pieces of Wetzel’s lore. In case […]

The post Koe Wetzel Is Officially Petitioning To Make February 28th A Holiday In His Hometown Of Pittsburg, Texas first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Here’s what we know about Season 2 of the ‘Duck Dynasty’ revival show. Continue reading…

Luke Combs is such a nice guy that it’s hard to think that he has haters. Maybe all artists do. They are the perennial naysayers who dislike every new album, bad-mouth someone’s concerts, and find fault with just about every aspect of an artist’s existence. Combs does not let it get to him, though. After […]

The post Luke Combs’ Four Word Response to All of His Haters appeared first on Wide Open Country.

The upshot is that the album was recorded with his touring band, self-produced and written on the spot, and that he considers it a, “a dance record,” a “protest,” and “pure, unfiltered, unapologetic, relentless disco-hedonism.”

The post Johnny Blue Skies (Sturgill Simpson) Reveals New “Disco-Hedonism” Album first appeared on Saving Country Music.

Bentley’s new 2026 tour will begin after his dates with Luke Combs. Continue reading…

Jerry Kennedy has died at the age of 85.  The musician and producer was a member of the “Nashville ‘A’ Team,” a group of session musicians that were known for shaping the “Nashville Sound” from the late 1950s through the 1970s. The news was reported by Saving Country Music. Among his peers were guitarist Chet Atkins, […]

The post Landmark Nashville ‘A’ Team Musician and Producer Dies: RIP Jerry Kennedy appeared first on Wide Open Country.

Bunnie Xo is thrilled with the changes in her husband, Jelly Roll. After shedding 300 pounds, he is a new man and she is loving it.

The post “He Is Literally Just the Happiest Little Bumblebee”: Bunnie Xo Swoons Over Newly Slim and Sunny Jelly Roll appeared first on Wide Open Country.

As news of James Van Der Beek’s death on Wednesday, Feb. 11, became public, friends and peers have been sharing their memories of the Dawson’s Creek star.  The 48-year-old actor had been battling colorectal cancer for several years. He left behind his wife of 16 years, Kimberly, and six children, ages 4 through 15.  While many fans and loved […]

The post ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Host Shares Heartbreaking Final Photo with James Van Der Beek appeared first on Wide Open Country.