With songs like “Worst Way” and “Jesus Saves,” Riley Green is carving out his place in country music. Soon, the 36-year-old former Division 1 FCS quarterback will begin criss-crossing the nation on his headlining Damn Country Music Tour. While he’s built quite the fandom with his own material, Green never passes up an opportunity to honor the country legends who came before him. Watch him pay tribute to the King of Country Music in this throwback video.
Riley Green Pays Tribute to Legendary Songwriter With George Strait Cover
Last October, Riley Green joined artists like Zach Top and Justin Moore onstage in his home state of Alabama for the Songs and Stories of Dean Dillon tribute concert. The singer-songwriter has penned a wealth of country music hits throughout his nearly 50-year career, including Keith Whitley’s “Miami, My Amy” and “Get My Drink On” by Toby Keith.
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The bulk of Dillon’s songs, however, went to George Strait, including the 1986 hit “Ocean Front Property.” The title track of Strait’s seventh album, “Ocean Front Property” topped charts in both the U.S. and Canada.
Strumming along on his guitar, Green sang the words of a man trying to convince his woman (and himself) that her leaving wouldn’t utterly devastate him: And now if you’ll buy that / I’ve got some ocean front property in Arizona / From my front porch, you can see the sea / I’ve got some ocean front property in Arizona / If you’ll buy that, I’ll throw the Golden Gate in free.
On social media, one listener declared Green’s performance “almost as good as King George.” Another added that, “Everything he sings sounds amazing.”
[RELATED: “What a Song”: Watch Riley Green Perform Epic Rendition of Beloved Shania Twain Classic]
Green Extends His Headlining Tour
If you haven’t yet secured your tickets for Riley Green’s Damn Country Music Tour, you’re in luck. Ahead of the Thursday (May 1) kickoff date in Athens, Georgia, the “Don’t Mind If I Do” crooner is already adding extra dates to the U.S. leg of the tour.
Earlier this week, Green announced a handful of shows in November with Jamey Johnson, Drake White, and Hannah McFarland as supporting acts. The new dates include stops in Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois’, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.
Featured image by Jason Davis/Getty Images for SiriusXM
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