Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Granger Smith Dedicates Tattoo for His Late Son River

by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Spotted during a set at the LakeShare Music Festival on Sunday, the 23rd of June, Granger Smith has his son’s name tattooed onto his forearm, forever immortalizing his life and his memory.

Granger Smith Honors His Son

At his set at the festival, Smith gave a very emotional tribute to his late son River by singing his recently released song “Heaven Bound Balloons” in River’s honor.

Granger Smith
via Laura Mathis’ Twitter Account

The lyrics are already emotional as it is, but this song as a tribute to the child broke a few more hearts that night. Fans were also quick to notice the new tattoo. It was a simple script that reads “River” along the bottom of his right arm. It made the performance all the more powerful.

A Tragic Loss

The country singer and his wife came out with the tragic news on the 6th of June about the passing of their youngest son River. They have confirmed that the cause of death is a “tragic drowning accident” that happened at home.

Granger Smith, Granger, Smith, Tragedy, Drowning, Son, River
via Granger Smith’s Official Facebook Page

Smith and his wife, Amber, would later come out and share a few more details of the event in a YouTube video, admitting that everything happened in a blink of an eye and it changed their lives forever.

They are also parents to their 8-year-old daughter London, and  5-year-old son, Lincoln.

Since the accident, the country star implored his fans to donate to the Dell Children’s Medical Center in River’s name, saying that the doctors and the staff who attended the child have all been incredible. Smith’s team have also created a shirt in memory of River.

Granger Smith, Granger, Smith, River, Smith, River Smith
via Yee Yee Apparel’s Official Instagram Account

The description of the shirt describes that it has a “Yee Yee Excavator,” since River’s favorite thing to do was to watch excavators scoop up dirt. Also, it was red to honor the toddler’s favorite color. It also continues saying that 100% of the proceeds from the shirt will go directly to the medical center.

Latest Stories

Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson Grace the Stage Together for a Memorable Performance of “Folsom Prison Blues”

Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson Grace the Stage Together for a Memorable Performance of “Folsom Prison Blues”

Country legends Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson collaborated to release a live album titled VH1 Storytellers. The Rick Rubin-produced album incorporated records associated with both artists, taking turns performing — ...

Brooks & Dunn and Their First Number One Country Hit “Brand New Man”

Brooks & Dunn and Their First Number One Country Hit “Brand New Man”

For their debut album, country music duo Brooks & Dunn immediately served four consecutive number-one singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. ...

Embracing Change: Brad Paisley's Hit Song “Welcome to the Future”

Embracing Change: Brad Paisley’s Hit Song “Welcome to the Future”

In 2009, country music artist Brad Paisley released his song “Welcome to the Future” as part of his album American Saturday Night.  Upon its release, it immediately topped the music ...

Kirk Franklin Reminds Us What It Takes If You “Wanna Be Happy?”

Kirk Franklin Reminds Us What It Takes If You “Wanna Be Happy?”

In 2015, record producer and singer Kirk Franklin released one of the best contemporary gospel songs of all time, “Wanna Be Happy?” as part of his album, Losing My Religion.  ...

Leon Russell's Emotional Take on “He Stopped Loving Her Today”

Leon Russell’s Emotional Take on “He Stopped Loving Her Today”

In 1998, country singer Leon Russell released his amazing cover of the hit country single “He Stopped Loving Her Today” as part of his album, Legend in My Time” Hank ...

Michael Ray's Heartfelt Rendition of “He Walked On Water”

Michael Ray’s Heartfelt Rendition of “He Walked On Water”

In 2021, rising country star Michael Ray released his heartfelt cover of the Randy Travis hit song “He Walked On Water.” The song was originally released in 1990 by Randy ...

80’s Pop Soundtrack “Footloose” Goes Country with Blake Shelton

80’s Pop Soundtrack “Footloose” Goes Country with Blake Shelton

A “Footloose 2.0” remake in 2011 was made with Blake Shelton singing the soundtrack. On October 8, 2011, the country singer premiered the music video of the classic soundtrack “Footloose” ...

Merle Haggard’s “The Old Rugged Cross” Kindles Love for Jesus’ Sacrifice

Merle Haggard’s “The Old Rugged Cross” Kindles Love for Jesus’ Sacrifice

Country musician Merle Haggard released a soulful rendition of “The Old Rugged Cross” in September 1981 for the studio album Songs for the Mama That Tried. The gospel album reached ...

“Clinging to a Saving Hand” by Conway Twitty Comforts Fretful Hearts

“Clinging to a Saving Hand” by Conway Twitty Comforts Fretful Hearts

In faith and glory, Conway Twitty seeks reassurance and praises God’s grace in the song “Clinging to a Saving Hand.” Connie Smith first recorded the song on December 21, 1970, ...

Tammy Wynette's Signature Song, “Stand by Your Man,” Made Her a Country Music Queen

Tammy Wynette’s Signature Song, “Stand by Your Man,” Made Her a Country Music Queen

Of the 65 songs on her discography, starting from her debut single “Apartment No. 9” in 1966, one will forever be affixed to Tammy Wynette’s name: “Stand by Your Man.” ...

Leave a Comment

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.