Riley Green recently dropped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and while he’s busy selling out arenas on his Damn Country Music Tour, the conversation took a funny turn back to where it all began—his very first song.
Green shared that he learned guitar from his grandfather Buford, but when it came time to write his own music, his debut attempt wasn’t exactly a country ballad. The song was called “Escalade”—and yes, it was about wanting one. “It even had a rap part in it,” he laughed, cracking up both Fallon and the audience.
That playful start might not have been Opry material, but it set the stage. Green recalled his first trip to Nashville for a writers’ round at the legendary Tootsie’s, where he realized that storytelling is what makes songs stick. From then on, he turned his focus to writing about the things closest to him—his family, his roots, and the small-town values that run through his music today.
Of course, Fallon gave him the space to shout out his Damn Country Music Tour, which has been pulling huge crowds across the country in 2025.
Looking back, it’s wild to think the guy who once rapped about Escalades is now the voice behind heartfelt hits like “I Wish Grandpas Never Died.” Riley Green’s story is proof that sometimes the funniest beginnings can lead to the most lasting songs.
