{"id":48579,"date":"2026-01-08T13:15:32","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T18:15:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=48579"},"modified":"2026-01-08T13:15:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T18:15:32","slug":"country-singer-riley-green-says-fame-is-not-reality-compared-to-farm-life-in-alabama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/01\/country-singer-riley-green-says-fame-is-not-reality-compared-to-farm-life-in-alabama.html","title":{"rendered":"Country Singer Riley Green Says Fame is ‘Not Reality’ Compared to Farm Life in Alabama"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Debby Wong \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Country music star Riley Green may be experiencing the thrill of sold-out shows and major awards, but he says the true version of his life doesn\u2019t happen on stage \u2014 it happens back home in Alabama.<\/p>\n

Fresh off a career-high year that included three wins at the CMA Awards, Green admitted that even his biggest professional achievements don\u2019t compare to the quiet rhythm of rural living. Speaking on the \u201cLike a Farmer\u201d podcast, he said the spotlight feels more like work than \u201creal life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have to remind myself too much,\u201d Green said when asked how he stays grounded. \u201cHaving my place back in Alabama is all I need. When I go back there \u2026 life just moves slower.\u201d<\/p>\n

To Green, that slower pace is what keeps him humble. He contrasted the simplicity of being home with the loud energy of the music industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeeping in mind that what we do for a living is not reality,\u201d he explained. \u201cPeople chanting your name before you go on stage is not real life \u2026 going and doing late-night television, all that stuff, it\u2019s cool \u2026 but it\u2019s building for a brand.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cMe in real life, I\u2019d rather be on my bulldozer on a farm, or hunting somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Jacksonville, Alabama native also shared that his family helps keep him grounded. He laughed while recalling how his uncle has his own unique way of measuring success.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I came home, he\u2019d tell me that the waitress at the local Waffle House had a daughter who was a fan of mine,\u201d Green said. \u201cThat was his measure of my success. It didn\u2019t matter that I was on a late-night show the week before, I won three CMAs or whatever. And that\u2019s very humbling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Green also talked about the growing fascination \u2014 even internationally \u2014 with rural American culture and country music. \u201cI\u2019ve seen that period of growth be over a long period of time, but it\u2019s really happened quick in the last few years,\u201d he said. Now he\u2019s performing in places like Europe and Australia where country music hasn\u2019t always been embraced. \u201cI just think people are really loving the down-home country lifestyle that we grew up on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking back on the year, Green said he was grateful for slow and steady growth rather than overnight fame.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if I would have had any type of success similar to this when I was in my early 20s, it\u2019d have been ugly,\u201d he admitted. Now at 37, he feels more mature and capable of keeping things in perspective. \u201cI was really fortunate that my success was really gradual.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked about his personal highlight of 2025, fans might expect another career milestone. But Green\u2019s answer was much more down-to-earth. After thinking for a moment, he replied, \u201cDeer with my bow in Kansas, maybe?\u201d He added, \u201cI can always go back to a hunt in my mind and there\u2019s nothing else that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Green, the perks of fame are fun \u2014 but life on the farm is where he feels most himself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Country music star Riley Green may be experiencing the thrill of sold-out shows and major awards, but he says the true version of his life doesn\u2019t happen on stage \u2014 it happens back home in Alabama. Fresh off a career-high year that included three wins at the CMA Awards, Green admitted that even his biggest…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":48582,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"\nCountry Singer Riley Green Says Fame is 'Not Reality' Compared to Farm Life in Alabama<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Country singer Riley Green says his real life is farming and hunting at home in Alabama, not the fame and celebrity perks of his music career.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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