WPYB Country

11/04/2025

Megan Moroney and Brad Paisley teamed up for a beautiful duet of his hit “She’s Everything”during Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas event in Nashville, Tennessee (yes, I know, it’s way too early…).
Of course, Brad Paisley co-wrote “She’s Everything” with Wil Nance, and it was included as the fourth single from his 2006 album, Time Well Wasted. Of course, it peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart, becoming Paisley’s seventh number one single. You can watch a clip of their performance and the original video on my ‘Facebook Post of the Night’

A RIFF on what country is really about.

11/02/2025

Back in 1991, The Highwaymen—Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson —sat down for an interview with New Zealand host Paul Holmes that yielded all sorts of soundbites.
The interview is where the famed line from Waylon Jennings comes up, saying he’s going to burn down Holmes’ house after he asked if they’d teamed up because their individual careers had fallen off. While Cash and the others were able to laugh it off a bit and give an earnest answer, Waylon Jennings famously responded:
“I tell ya, one more point too, that if you ask another question like that, we’ll burn your home.”
But one of the most memorable parts of the interview comes near the end. Holmes asks all the men to name the best country song ever written.
The men then went around and shared their thoughts. Willie Nelson said Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” Waylon Jennings said “Dreaming My Dreams” (a song he’d recorded a version of but was written by Allen Reynolds), and Johnny Cash named “I Love You Because” (a song written and originally released by Leon Payne but made famous by Jim Reeves).
So what about Kris Kristofferson‘s choice? Kristofferson’s choice spoke volumes about who he respects, and his answer is one of the highest honors you can give to a friend. He went with “Big River,” which just so happened to be written and recorded by a man sitting to his right, Johnny Cash.
I have a live performance from Johnny on my ‘Facebook Post of the Day’

A RIFF on what country is really about.

11/01/2025

Cotton Festival is underway! Come join us in downtown Dunn!

11/01/2025

These posthumous Luke Bell releases are bittersweet.
On the one hand, it makes his already devastating passing all the more tragic, because with every new song that reaches my ears, I am in more and more awe of Bell’s talent and one-of-a-kind sound. On the other hand, though, it is a blessing that unreleased songs of his are seeing the light of day and reaching new fans that otherwise may not have had the opportunity to appreciate his brilliance.
5, count them, 5 new songs from Luke Bell are featured on my ‘Facebook Post of the Night’

A RIFF on what country is really about.

10/31/2025

One of the darkest songs Johnny Cash ever recorded is my ‘Facebook Post of the Night’ for Halloween. Read about “Delia’s Gone” and watch the video starring Kate Moss.

A RIFF on what country is really about.

10/31/2025

Back in 2023, Billy Strings and his band had a show on Hallow’s Eve in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was basically a hometown show (he’s from Lansing), which makes sense as to why he felt so comfortable bringing out the Halloween costumes for himself and his band.
And they went all out with the wrestling theme. There was an actual wresting ring, WWE-style announcers, a fake fight with a guitar tech, and some world-class wrestling costumes. It was billed as the “Van Andel Scramble,” and Billy Strings was dressed head-to-toe like Hulk Hogan. His bandmates went as other famous wrestlers, like “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Sting, and the Undertaker. I have a short clip of Billy as the Hulk absolutely shredding the guitar on my ‘Facebook Post of the Night’

A RIFF on what country is really about.

10/29/2025

Alan Jackson tickets for his star-studded final show in Nashville, Last Call: One More For The Road – The Finale, sold out just hours after the presale went live and we now know who his guest performers will be. A who’s who in country music
Luke Bryan,Eric Church,Luke Combs, Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack.
WOW!
Funny story Alan told on The Bobby Bones Show back in 2021, Jackson revealed that his wife Denise typically had quite a bit of input on which songs he selected for album cuts and eventual singles, calling her a “good board” to bounce ideas off of.
“My wife’s a pretty good board to bounce it off of. I just feel like I know when gut instinct tells me, usually, if it’s a pretty good song. I’m not always right. I’ve written a lot of things that I realize weren’t top shelf. Everybody does, and you don’t really know [until it’s written].”
Denise was not a fan of “Where I Come From.” Actively pushing against the release of it as a single. She thought the song was stupid, due to the slightly cheesy, straightforward nature of the ode to southern living.
“I wrote this song that she told me was stupid, and it went on to be a #1 hit, so you never know.”
Luckily for Jackson, he went against Denise’s wishes, and released it as a single on July 9, 2001. Three months later, it would become his 18th #1 atop Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.

A RIFF on what country is really about.

10/29/2025

Saving Country Music’s reigning Artist of the Year Zach Top has opened that opportunity back up once again with his surprising success. Building off the work of mainstream predecessors like Jon Pardi and his early records, slowly but surely the decision makers on Music Row could see a path opening up for preservationists of the country sound as opposed to the folks undermining it. This has given opportunities to all kinds of up-and-coming artists who are helping to create a new neotraditionalist wave in country.
But it’s also opening up new opportunities for older artists, many of whom were put out to pasture during the Bro-Country era. There might not be a better example of this than Joe Nichols. With an excellent country voice brought to a traditional country sound, he had some iconic hits in the 00’s before having to resort to more pop-oriented, and then more Bro-oriented material to keep his label happy.
Letting the old guy back in is exactly what’s happening with Joe. His new song “Goodbyes Are Hard To Listen To” is pure country. And Joe Nichols says there’s more where this came from.

Opportunities are opening up for older artists, many of whom were put out to pasture during the Bro-Country era, or forced to capitulate to the current sound. There might not be a better example than Joe Nichols.

10/27/2025

Some true pioneers of red dirt music are the Red Dirt Rangers. Founded in 1988 in a two-story, five-bedroom, funky old house called “The Farm,” the Rangers have been a staple red dirt band over the last 35 years and have paved the way for many other Oklahoma acts, including Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland & the Stragglers, Stoney LaRue, the Turnpike Troubadours and many more.
The band took a hiatus from recording after their 2018 record, Blue Door Nights, but 2025 was the year they got back to it, releasing a lot of new music this year, including their most recent release, a full-length LP titled Red Dirt Town.
“We’re proud to announce the release of the title track from our album “Red Dirt Town”, co-written by our brother Brandon Jenkins along with John Cooper and Brad Piccolo from the band.
Thanks to dear friend Evan Felker from Turnpike Troubadours for adding vocals and harmonica to the track.”
Let’s head back to that small town on my ‘Facebook Post of the Night’

A RIFF on what country is really about.

10/26/2025

Hayden Baker is one of these multi-tool traditional country up-and-comers that you can’t get enough of once you’re initiated. He’s an incredible guitar player. Brad Paisley’s on record saying Hayden’s his “new favorite guitarist,” which is no faint praise. Brad might be a little bias though. Just like Paisley, Hayden Baker plays a custom G-Bender Telecaster, which allows Baker to bring that extra element of twang to tracks.
Hayden Baker won “Musician of the Year” for his guitar skills at the Texas Country Music Industry Awards back in his home state earlier this year. With his new album Alive & Well though, he’s out to prove that he can’t just pick ’em. He can write and sing ’em too. 3 songs are featured for your introduction to Hayden Baker on my ‘Facebook Post of the Day’

It's time you graduate from "never heard of him" or "sounds familiar" to "he's my new favorite traditionalist" when it comes to fielding queries about Hayden Baker.