If Riley Green isn’t strumming a six-string and singing, chances are you’ll find him dropping a line in the Ohatchee River, deep sea fishing in Orange Beach, AL, turkey hunting at his primitive camp in Arkansas, or deer hunting at his ‘Back 40 Bash’ property. For this 6’4, blue-eyed, country crooner from Jacksonville, AL it’s not just a “Country State of Mind” - it’s a lifestyle.
Riley has achieved an incredible amount of success for someone doing it all on their own. Though you wouldn’t know it by talking to him, Green is as humble as they come for someone who has released three popular EP’s, stars in two TV shows (Winner of Redneck Island on CMT and his very own hunting show on DirtRoadTV), thousands of social media fans/followers, and has played across the southeast for the last 5 years to hordes of music lovers singing the words of his Alabama anthem (“Bury Me In Dixie”) back to him. People don’t even realize Riley’s an accomplished musician when meeting him. He’s not inclined to brag or talk about himself.
Riley was born into songwriting and performing; spending days and nights with his grandfather, Bufford Green. “My PawPaw opened a music hall in 2003, where he’d always say music goes from ‘The Bar Room to The Pulpit and Back’ each Friday Night. My Granddaddy Buford taught me a love for the sound of old traditional country, bluegrass, and southern gospel music,” explains Riley. The youngster performed at the Golden Saw Music Hall, singing songs like “Wreck on the Highway” and “Precious Jewel” by Roy Acuff with his grandfather and other men of his generation. “My Best Friend” was written as a tribute to his Granddaddy Bufford and the influence he had on Riley’s life & music. “Line in the Water” was inspired by fishing trips with his other grandfather, Granddaddy Lendon, who left a mark on the southern boy by showing him how to truly relax and enjoy the southern lifestyle.
Outside of music, Riley always found time for athletics. Riley, a three sport athlete in high school and a walk-on quarterback at Jacksonville State University understands the importance that comes from playing sports and being part of a team.
Many of Riley’s next generation of songs reflect on the experiences of a young southern man trying to find his place in the world. With a mixture of outlaw-rebellion and respect for tradition, Riley combined these values to create his own style. “’A Little Hank’ and ‘Almost’ reflect the battle of values and what my grandfather referred to as ‘the fine line between Saturday night and Sunday morning,’” he explains. Green’s latest EP titled “County Line” which was released earlier this year and reached #14 on the iTunes Country Chart. He has also been recognized by BuzzFeed and Whiskey Riff as an up-and-comer to keep an eye on.
At the end of the day, Riley Green is still that Alabama boy grounded in the values instilled by generations of southern gentlemen. The outdoors man (who is more than likely to address you by Sir or Mam) remains true to himself whether he’s headlining his annual homecoming show (Back 40 Bash) in front of thousands of fans or tending his deer plots as his golden Labrador (Sadie) follows close behind. This is only the beginning for the next country music star from Dixie! For more information on Riley Green visit www.rileygreenmusic.com .