Introduction:
Riley Green Missed Early Chance to Open for Travis Tritt—Because of Social Media
Riley Green has become one of country music’s fastest-rising stars, but his road to success wasn’t as smooth as it might seem today. In fact, one of his earliest lessons in the modern music business came when he lost a major career opportunity to open for country legend Travis Tritt—all because of his social media presence, or lack thereof.
During a candid conversation on The Pat McAfee Show, Green recalled how close he came to landing that coveted spot. “I had a buddy that worked with Sam Hunt call me, because he knew I did music,” Green said. “And he told me, ‘Man, we got an offer to go open for Travis Tritt. We can’t do it. I’m gonna put your name in the hat.’”
For a young artist trying to build a name, it sounded like the perfect break. But the excitement didn’t last long. “He called me back and said, ‘Man, you don’t have enough followers on Facebook,’” Green shared, still sounding amused by the memory. At the time, Green barely used social media at all. “I was like, ‘I don’t even really have Facebook. What’s that got to do with anything?’ Then I realized social media was a big part of it.”
It was a wake-up call that changed how he approached his budding career. Today, Green boasts more than 750,000 followers on Facebook alone, and he admits that understanding the digital side of the industry was crucial. “That’s when I got all that going,” he said, recognizing that fan engagement online can make or break opportunities.
Green’s path to Nashville fame was anything but conventional. Long before topping charts, he spent years working construction and playing small gigs around his hometown of Jacksonville, Alabama. “I was playing a Mexican restaurant every week for about $150 a night,” he told Southern Living’s Biscuits & Jam podcast. “I did that for about eight years, just as a side hustle.”
Everything shifted after a show at Birmingham’s Iron City venue, where he drew an unexpected crowd of over 1,200 people. “I had no clue anybody knew who I was in Birmingham,” he said. “It was an eye-opening moment that I might have a chance to have a career in music.”
Though Green never did open for Travis Tritt, the lost opportunity became a pivotal lesson. Today, with a devoted fan base and a string of hits, he’s proof that even a missed gig can spark the drive to succeed—and that in modern country music, followers can matter almost as much as the songs themselves.