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Riley Johnson

Riley Johnson

Riley Johnson covers country music’s legends, tributes, and the stories behind the songs for Country Thang Daily. When a legend is honored, remembered, or back in the spotlight, Riley is usually the one writing it.

Riley Johnson writes about the heart of country music: the legends, the tributes, and the moments that remind fans why they fell in love with this music in the first place.

What Riley Covers

  • Country legends and classic artists, from Dolly Parton and George Strait to Alan Jackson and Willie Nelson
  • Tributes, memorials, and the artists we have lost
  • The Grand Ole Opry, Hall of Fame inductions, and career milestones
  • Gospel, faith, and family in country music
  • The stories behind classic songs

How We Report

Every Country Thang Daily story is checked against primary sources before it goes live. Read our Fact-Checking Policy and Corrections Policy.

Get in Touch

Have a story tip or spot something we got wrong? Contact the Country Thang Daily team.

Riley's Track Record

Updated automatically from published stories.

1,749stories written for Country Thang Daily
2023writing for CTD since August 2023
474Legends & Classics stories 406Songs & Music stories 268Stars stories

Artists Riley Covers Most

Number of stories per artist.

Dolly Parton103
Willie Nelson62
Reba McEntire49
Alan Jackson47
Miranda Lambert45

Most Read Stories by Riley

Ranked by how many readers opened them.

Latest Stories

Get to Know the Five Members Who Make Up Country A Cappella Group Home Free

Meet the members of country a cappella group Home Free as they welcome a new face, keep the harmony tight, and continue shaking up country music with just their voices.

Barbara Walters Was Tough But Dolly Parton Was Tougher in That Now-Legendary 1977 Interview

Dolly Parton faced off with Barbara Walters in a now-iconic 1977 interview, proving wit, class, and confidence could outshine even the toughest questions.

Carrie Underwood Honors Randy Travis With “Forever and Ever, Amen” at the Grand Ole Opry

Carrie Underwood handed Randy Travis the mic for the final word of "Forever and Ever, Amen" at the Opry 100, and it might be the most emotional moment of her career.

Reba McEntire Looks Almost Unrecognizable Without Her Iconic Red Hair on Stage

Reba McEntire rocked strawberry blonde hair during a NYC performance, and fans barely recognized her without her iconic red mane, but her fire was all there.

Carrie Underwood Honors Ozzy Osbourne With a “Mama, I’m Coming Home” Cover That Gave Everyone Goosebumps

Carrie Underwood's raw cover of Ozzy Osbourne's "Mama, I'm Coming Home" on Howard Stern hit like a gut punch and proved she can hold her own in rock's shadow.

Alan Jackson and Denise’s 40-Plus-Year Love Story Proves Country Legends Love Hard

Alan and Denise Jackson's 40-plus-year love story is full of heartbreak, healing, and country grit. It proves that some country legends don't just sing about love, they live it.

13 Controversial Country Songs That Offended Some but Spoke to Millions

These 13 country songs stirred up headlines and heated debates, but they also told the truth, sparked change, and stuck with us like the best songs always do.

Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley’s Love Story Is the Kind of Country Song You Can’t Make Up

Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley's relationship is a real-life country ballad full of heart, humor, grit, and love that's lasted over two decades and counting.

Kelly Clarkson’s Cody Johnson Cover Reminded Folks What Country’s Supposed to Feel Like

Kelly Clarkson delivers a raw, soulful take on Cody Johnson's "When It Comes To You" that proves she's got country grit in her bones and something real to say.

Luke Bryan’s Brother and Sister Died Years Apart and He’s Still Carrying That Pain Today

Luke Bryan's heartbreaking losses of his brother, sister, and brother-in-law shaped his rise to fame, and he's still carrying that pain through every song.

Opry 100 Crowd Thought It Was Over Then 50 Country Legends Sang “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”

Opry 100 had its jaw-dropping finale when 50 country legends surprised the crowd with "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" and brought the house down in tears.

Is Florida Georgia Line Done for Good and What Really Happened Between Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley?

Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley say Florida Georgia Line is on a break, but cryptic songs and solo moves hint the good-time duo might be done for good.

Travis Tritt Honors Waylon Jennings With Cover of “Good Ol’ Boys” Theme From The Dukes of Hazzard

Travis Tritt honors Waylon Jennings with a raw cover of "Good Ol' Boys," keeping the outlaw spirit alive for every country fan who still loves a rebel song.

Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton’s “A Song to Sing” Duet Feels Like an Instant Classic

Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton's "A Song to Sing" proves real country duets never go out of style, blending raw honesty with timeless harmony.

Blake Shelton Nails George Strait Classic With His Own Spin on “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

Blake Shelton puts his own spin on George Strait's "All My Ex's Live in Texas" in Vegas, proving some country classics never die when the right cowboy's onstage.

4-Year-Old Boy Recites New Testament Books Then Belts Out ‘All My Ex’s Live in Texas’

A Mississippi preschooler recites the New Testament, then stuns the crowd by singing George Strait's "All My Ex's Live in Texas," proving country roots run deep.

Brooks and Dunn Admit They Struggled to Get Along for Years and Tried to Blow It Real Hard

Brooks and Dunn admit they nearly crashed their duo more than once, proving some country partnerships thrive on chaos and good old-fashioned grit.

Waylon Jennings Once Said Garth Brooks Was the Most Insincere Person He Ever Saw

Waylon Jennings once called Garth Brooks the most insincere man he ever saw, a feud that still echoes in country music's clash of outlaw grit and arena polish.

Lee Greenwood Almost Didn’t Release “God Bless The USA” as a Single, Now It’s America’s Anthem

Lee Greenwood nearly kept "God Bless The USA" off the radio, but one bold Halloween night changed everything and gave America its timeless anthem.

The Untold Truth Behind Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)”

Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" was born from personal loss and national tragedy, capturing raw patriotism that still sparks debate today.

35 Patriotic Country Songs to Turn Your Backyard Into the Ultimate 4th of July Party

Crank up these 35 patriotic country songs and turn your backyard into the ultimate Fourth of July party, beer in hand and fireworks blazing.

These 12 Depressing Country Songs Will Have You Sobbing and Hitting Repeat All Night

From George Jones to Jason Isbell, these 12 painfully real country songs handpicked from Reddit's top fan picks will break your heart and keep you listening all night.

George Strait Brings Lone Star Magic to Patriots Stadium With “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

George Strait brought classic Texas swagger to Patriots Stadium with "All My Ex's Live in Texas" proving again that real country legends don't need flashy tricks to own a crowd.

Blake Shelton Was Supposed to Sing “The House That Built Me” Then Miranda Lambert Made It a Classic

Blake Shelton almost made "The House That Built Me" his own, but Miranda Lambert took it, owned it, and gave country music a classic for the ages.

George Strait’s “You’ll Be There” Hits Harder When You Know Who He Was Singing To

George Strait's "You'll Be There" isn't just a country ballad. Once you know the heartbreak behind it, the song becomes a gut punch only a grieving father could sing.

Lee Greenwood Teams Up With U.S. Soldiers for a Powerful New “God Bless the USA”

Lee Greenwood teams up with the U.S. Air Force Band for a powerful new version of "God Bless the USA" that strips away politics and hits with pure American pride.

Inside the Beautifully Messy Love Story of Johnny Cash and June Carter

The wild, beautiful, and brutally honest love story of Johnny Cash and June Carter proves that the greatest romances are the ones that survive the fire.

Yellowstone Fans Shocked to Hear Kelly Reilly’s Real Accent and It’s Nothing Like Beth Dutton

Kelly Reilly stunned Yellowstone fans when she revealed her real British accent on live TV. She sounded nothing like the tough-as-nails Beth Dutton they know.

Meet the Famous Men Nicole Kidman Dated Before Keith Urban Put a Ring on It

Before Nicole Kidman found lasting love with Keith Urban, she dated Hollywood's boldest names, from Tom Cruise to Lenny Kravitz, in a romance saga all her own.

Keith Urban Stopped His Show So Thousands of Fans Could Serenade Nicole Kidman for Her Birthday

Keith Urban stopped a packed festival mid-show so thousands of fans could sing "Happy Birthday" to Nicole Kidman, somehow making every man on earth look unromantic.