Author Archives: Echoes Staff

Vi Wickam, a Colorado-based champion fiddler and singer, had the top album (The Thanksgiving Album) and the second most-played song  (“Another Fine Day for Thanksgiving”) on folk radio during November 2025, while Delaware-based singer-songwriter John Flynn’s “The Victim Tree” was the top song and Archie Fisher, a notable Scottish folk singer and songwriter who died on Nov. 1 — one week after turning 86, was the month’s most-played artist. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.

[Click on he headline to view the top albums, songs, and artists charts that are posted monthly with permission.]

Tom Brady must have been sick to his stomach watching a 44-year-old Philip Rivers live out his un-retirement dream this past weekend. In case you missed it, Tom Brady says he could come back and play in the NFL. It’s almost as if Tom yearns to stay in the news cycle, and floats out rumors about ending his retirement every so often. Just imagine a now 48-year-old Tom Brady running out of the tunnel and out onto the field. Crazy […]

The post Surprise, Surprise… 48-Year-Old Tom Brady Thinks He Could Come Out Of Retirement: “Give Me A Month” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Gonna be able to take a well-deserved vacation now. In this age of social media we see plenty of instances where a wannabe-influencer tries to harass somebody for their politics or for simply doing their job, and oftentimes it ends up backfiring because TikTokers live in a bubble where they think everybody agrees with them and that they can do whatever they want for content. And that’s exactly what happened here. A Chico, California woman named Michelea Ponce recently decided […]

The post The Internet Has Raised $150k For An Elderly Target Employee Who Was Harassed By A TikToker For Wearing A Charlie Kirk Shirt first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Back in September, Bunnie Xo announced that her memoir would be coming out in February 2026. Titled Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic, her husband, Jelly Roll, was excited to share the news with fans.  “Bunnie’s book is completely stripped down. It’s authentic, it’s real, it’s Bunnie unstripped in every way she can be,” he said. “If you know […]

The post “My B-Hole Is So Puckered”: Jelly Roll’s Wife Bunnie Xo Has Huge News, and Nothing Has Scared Her More appeared first on Wide Open Country.

I’m starting to think that Billy Bob Thornton might actually be the most interesting man in the world. He’s one of the biggest names in all of Hollywood in the modern day, but before everybody knew his name, he was a nobody just trying to make it. It’s hard to imagine that the actor known for such classic films as Sling Blade and Bad Santa was struggling to get his foot in the door, but like many that chase the dream of becoming […]

The post After An Injury Derailed His MLB Career, ‘Landman’ Star Billy Bob Thornton Worked As A Roadie For Johnny Paycheck first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The deaths of director Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, 68, rocked the entertainment industry and crushed all who knew them. But no one is feeling their stunning loss more acutely than their adult children, Jake and Romy. They are now breaking their silence about the incalculable anguish that the alleged murder […]

The post “They Were Our Best Friends”: Children of Rob and Michele Singer Reiner Break Their Silence on Parents’ Death appeared first on Wide Open Country.

“It’s like Alabama and Jimmy Buffett had a baby.” In an industry that never stops moving, one can argue that Ernest is one of the busiest of all artists working today. In addition to co-writing not one but four of Morgan Wallen’s multi-platinum, #1 hits off I’m The Problem, “I Got Better” (platinum), “Smile” (2x platinum), “Just In Case” (2x platinum) and the title track (3x platinum), the “Flower Shops” has been incredibly busy on his own throughout 2025. Back in […]

The post Ernest Has Already Finished His Next Record & It’s Dropping This Spring: “It’s Like Alabama & Jimmy Buffett Had A Baby” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

New music is coming soon. Riley Green has had a very successful year in 2025, which included winning multiple big awards for his duet with Ella Langley “You Look Like You Love Me,” as well as selling out shows all over the country on his Damn Country Music tour. He didn’t put out a ton of new music, aside from the deluxe edition of his 2024 album Don’t Mind If I Do, in addition to his Midtown Sessions EP, but […]

The post Riley Green Confirms New Music Is Coming Early In 2026: “In The Studio Now” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

When you think about the percentage of country artists who managed to maintain a long and successful career, that number is actually rather small.  Think about it: For every Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, or Reba McEntire, there are at least twice as many artists who have flamed out or almost broken through.  Next year, Trace […]

The post Trace Adkins Says He’s “Humbled” He’s Been Able To Perform for 30 Years appeared first on Wide Open Country.

Singing contest TV shows like American Idol and The Voice can be frustrating. When you watch every week to cheer someone on and then they get eliminated, it’s disappointing. Maybe Michael Buble, a coach on The Voice, was feeling that way after the season 28 finale. The victor was Aiden Ross. He was “Niall Horan’s […]

The post Unhappy Coach on ‘The Voice’ Reportedly Quits Following Season Finale appeared first on Wide Open Country.