Riley Green Shares How Brad Paisley Gave Him An Opportunity He’ll Never Forget
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Riley Green will never forget the kindness Brad Paisley showed him when he was starting his country music career.
In 2019, Green got one of his first big breaks when Paisley invited him on tour as an opening act. Looking back, he credits that experience with teaching him why it’s important to make his own openers feel included.
Green recently appeared on The Zach Sang Show, where he briefly discussed building relationships with the people he works with.
As fans know, Green previously brought Ella Langley on tour with him in 2024 and 2025, and she joined him on stage every night to perform their duet, “You Look Like You Love Me.” And now, he’s on his That’s Just Me Tour, bringing out Jake Worthington and Hannah McFarland to sing alongside him, too.
It’s something Green makes a point of doing because he knows what it’s like to have the opposite happen.
“I’ve done tours where I was the opening act and didn’t speak to the headliner, you know,” he shared.
But when Green hit the road with Paisley, things changed. He recalled a moment when he truly felt like he had made it, all because Paisley liked one of his songs.
The 37-year-old remembers being backstage one day when he heard his band listening to something on a phone.
Someone was singing his song “I Wish Grandpa’s Never Died,” but he couldn’t figure out who it was. It turned out to be Paisley covering Green’s song.
Paisley’s video wasn’t the only way he helped get Green’s song noticed. He also invited him on stage during his own headlining set to sing the song with him.
“I remember what that meant to me, and the moments I got to spend with him,” Green said.
Green also gave a few other honorable mentions to other country stars who have supported him over the years.
“Dierks [Bentley] was so great, and Jason Aldean was great, and Luke Bryan was great. You remember those guys that, when they walked past the tour bus, they stopped and said hello.”
@zachsangshow @Riley Green on the importance of working with his openers on tour #} #rileygreen #ellalangley #country #zachsangshow #fyp ♬ original sound – Zach Sang Show
Catch Riley Green On Season 30 Of The Voice
Hearing how much it meant to Green when a big country star took the time to praise his music may explain why he decided to join The Voice as a coach for Season 30.
Now, he’s taking up-and-coming artists under his wing and hoping to help them make it all the way to the end.
Season 30 of The Voice is currently in the Battle Rounds. You can watch Green make his coaching debut on the singing competition every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
