Riley Green and Ella Langley Revive Toby Keith’s ‘Who’s Your Daddy’ With Playful Duet
The pair of artists proudly played out the comedic storyline between a young woman and a sugar daddy.
Riley Green and Ella Langley perform onstage at Bridgestone Arena on July 29, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee; Photo by Photo by: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Universal Music Group
Riley Green and Ella Langley took their rendition of the comedic storyline in Toby Keith’s 2002 release, “Who’s Your Daddy” and put it on display during the star-powered NBC special, Toby Keith: American Icon.
Fans inside Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena rose out of their seats as soon as they heard the upbeat tune of the song that appears on the musical icon’s Unleashed album. With Langley in her sheer blue dress and black high-heeled boots and Green in his blue jeans, button-up long-sleeve shirt, and black cowboy hat, the pair of artists took turns portraying the narrative that hilariously tells a story about a young woman and sugar daddy.
At that time of its release, “Who’s Your Daddy” became Keith’s sixth consecutive single to top the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart (which is now named Hot Country Songs), and it peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Green flashes a smile to the audience as he strums his guitar and sings out the opening verse, causing listeners to swoon over his deep vocals.
“Here you come knockin’ on my door/ Baby, tell me what you got on your mind/ I guess those college boys all went home for the summertime/ Yeah, you’re lookin’ right, lookin’ good/ Lookin’ like a woman should so why is it so hard to find/ A place to lay your pretty little head down once in a while?”
The Alabama-born songstress joins in with her signature rasp and tambourine and dances around the stage with her duet partner. They continue to make Keith proud while belting out the clever chorus.
“Who’s your daddy? Who’s your baby?/ Who’s your buddy? Who’s your friend?/ And who’s the one guy that you come runnin’ to/ When your love-life starts tumblin’?/ I got the money if you got the honey/ Let’s cut a deal, let’s make a plan/ Who’s your daddy? Who’s your baby?/ Who’s your buddy? Who’s your man?”
This performance marked just one of many moments that made this tribute show one to remember. The two-hour special also included performances and special appearances from Jelly Roll, Trace Adkins, Priscilla Block, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Jordan Davis, Scotty Emerick, Brett Favre, Brantley Gilbert, HARDY, Tyler Hubbard, Jamey Johnson, Krystal Keith, Mac McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Leanne Morgan, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Clay Walker, and Lainey Wilson.
In addition to an array of musical performances that celebrated Keith’s incredible career as a singer/songwriter, his compassion and philanthropy was also recognized throughout the special as the event supported Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and The Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral. Families from both organizations appeared to share their stories of receiving vital care and support during their most challenging times.
Toby Keith: American Icon aired on Wednesday, August 28 at 9 pm ET/PT on NBC. The show will be available to stream the following day on Peacock.
Country music legend Toby Keith passed away on February 5, 2024, following a battle with stomach cancer. Throughout his career, he earned an impressive 32 No.1 singles and sold a whopping 40 million albums.
It’s no surprise that he is regarded as one of country music’s biggest hitmakers after earning a chart-topping hit every year for 20 consecutive years, including “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American),” “I Love This Bar,” “Beer For My Horses,” and “As Good As I Once Was.”
His many accolades include being recognized as a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, an induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (following his induction into the all-genre Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015), and earning the high honor of the Academy of Country Music’s esteemed Merle Haggard Spirit Award.
Throughout his career, the Oklahoma native received the BMI Icon Award as well as the BMI Country Songwriter of the Year award three times, and his hit single “As Good As I Once Was” was awarded BMI’s Country Song of the Year in 2006.
Toby Keith’s music has garnered more than 10 billion streams and 100 million terrestrial radio spins to date.
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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