Riley Green Religion

What religion is Riley Green?

Johnathan Riley Green is an American country music singer and songwriter who was raised in a Christian household and identifies as a Christian.

Riley Green has been signed to Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment since 2018. He has released three studio albums: Different ‘Round Here (2019), Ain’t My Last Rodeo (2023), and Don’t Mind If I Do (2024), with his debut and third albums both certified Gold by the RIAA, the latter peaking at number seven on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. His biggest singles include the number-one double-platinum “There Was This Girl,” the triple-platinum “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” and a chart-topping collaboration with Thomas Rhett, “Half Of Me.” His triple-platinum smash “Worst Way” became his sixth career number one and made him the first country artist since Taylor Swift to achieve back-to-back solo-written number-one singles on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, with “Worst Way” and “Don’t Mind If I Do” both peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Early life

Johnathan Riley Green was born on October 18, 1988, in Jacksonville, Alabama. He is the youngest of three children. Before pursuing music full-time, Green was an athlete. He played as a Division I FCS quarterback for the Jacksonville State University Gamecocks and worked in residential construction framing houses before pursuing commercial music. He learned music from his grandfather, Buford Green, who ran a music venue, and it was there that Green first absorbed the sounds and spirit of live country music, sharing the stage with older men whose musical values were rooted in George Jones, Merle Haggard, Roy Acuff, and Hank Williams. Prior to securing a major recording contract, Green built a regional audience across the Southeastern United States through independent EP releases, including a self-titled EP in 2013 and Outlaws Like Us in 2017, and he also appeared on the CMT reality television competition series Redneck Island in 2014 and 2016.

Career

Green signed with Big Machine Label Group in 2018 and released his debut single “There Was This Girl,” which reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in April 2019 and is certified 2x Platinum. His debut full-length studio album, Different ‘Round Here, was released in September 2019 and featured the RIAA Platinum-certified track “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” which helped him secure the ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year in 2020. He spent the years between albums releasing EPs, including If It Wasn’t for Trucks (2020) and Behind the Bar (2021), while racking up notable features on Dustin Lynch’s “Huntin’ Land,” Thomas Rhett’s “Half of Me,” and Ella Langley’s “You Look Like You Love Me,” the last of which won Musical Event of the Year at the 2024 CMA Awards. His second studio album, Ain’t My Last Rodeo, arrived in 2023 and featured a new version of his debut’s title track as a duet with Luke Combs.

In 2024, Green experienced major commercial success with his third studio album, Don’t Mind If I Do. The album became his highest-charting project to date, peaking at number seven on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 25 on the Billboard 200, and is certified gold. The title track duet with Ella Langley and his solo-penned single “Worst Way” both topped the Billboard Country Airplay charts, contributing to his selection as the NSAI Songwriter-Artist of the Year. A deluxe edition followed in August 2025, alongside the five-song EP Midtown Sessions.

Green expanded into television acting in early 2026, making his debut as Garrett, a former Navy SEAL, on the CBS drama series Marshals. His single “My Way” debuted alongside the role, followed by a duet with Carly Pearce, “If I Don’t Leave, I’m Gonna Stay.” In May 2026, Green was nominated for Best Male Country Artist at the 2026 American Music Awards. Green’s fourth studio album, That’s Just Me, is set for release on September 18, 2026, which is supported by the promotional single “Think As You Drunk.” He is also set to debut as a coach on the thirtieth season of NBC’s The Voice later in 2026.

Personal life

Green resides on a 680-acre property in Pleasant Valley, outside Jacksonville, Alabama, where he raises animals and fishes a stocked lake. Green has faced persistent rumors of a romance with Ella Langley following their two chart-topping duets, which he has denied.

In October 2019, Green removed “Bury Me in Dixie” from all streaming platforms following backlash over a lyric referencing Confederate general Robert E. Lee. He issued a public statement denying racial intent, describing the lyric as an expression of Southern heritage and pride, and later released a live version of the song retaining the controversial line. Around the same time, a lyric in “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” originally “I wish country music still got played on country radio,” was changed to “I wish George Jones still got played on country radio” ahead of wider radio release.