Riley Green Dedicates Poignant ‘I Wish Grandpas Never Died’ Performance To Late Grandfathers

Riley Green took to the stage at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium to deliver a performance of his touching single, “I…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

September 16, 2020

Riley Green; Photo by Brent Harrington/CBS

Riley Green took to the stage at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium to deliver a performance of his touching single, “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” during the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards.

The newly crowned ACM New Male Artist of the Year dedicated his performance to his late grandfathers.

Written by Green with posthumous writing credits given to his two grandfathers, Lendon Bonds and Buford Green, “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” is featured on the Alabama native’s debut album Different ‘Round Here. The rising star also dedicated his ACM Award to his late grandfathers.

“When we had to come off the road back in March, I wasn’t sure what the rest of 2020 would look like,” he said when receiving the trophy at the Grand Ole Opry. “So much has happened in the world since then, and I’m really excited to have a moment to play music again. My grandfathers’ love for country music is what led me to this moment, and I have to dedicate this award to them. Thank you to everyone who believes in my music enough to let this boy from Alabama get to share his songs like this.”

I wish… @RileyGreen's performance never ended. The #ACMawards are live now on @CBS and @CBSAllAccess pic.twitter.com/9guvYz5vDb

— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) September 17, 2020

Riley Green’s new EP, If It Wasn’t For Trucks, is available now.

The 55th Academy of Country Music Awards also featured performances from Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi, Blake Shelton with Gwen Stefani, Taylor Swift, Tenille Townes, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban with P!nk, Morgan Wallen and Trisha Yearwood.

The 2020 ACM Awards took place in Music City for the first time ever. The three-hour show took place at three iconic venues: Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe.

Hosted by Keith Urban, the star-studded event aired on Wednesday, September 16 (live 8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on CBS Television Network and streamed live and on-demand on CBS All Access.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.