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John Rich believes that a few common denominators bring people together.
Just before his rousing CMA Fest performance, the Big & Rich singer told Fox News Digital exclusively that his Redneck Riviera whiskey brand and Nashville bar stand for something — and he’s confident that a growing population does too.
The “Save a Horse” singer pulled Bud Light from his Nashville bar in April amid controversy over a Budweiser marketing campaign featuring transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney. He said the brew used to be his biggest seller, but with the new ads, Rich couldn’t get customers to buy Bud Light.
“I think people are finally fed up with waking culture being thrown right in their face like a megaphone every time they turn around,” he said. “You know, at the end of a hard day’s work you want a cold beer. That’s like your reward for working hard all day. The last thing a man or woman wants is culture thrown right in their face . They just don’t want that.”
He added: “So they rejected it, rejected it wholeheartedly, and we moved on to other beers.”
JOHN RICH REACTS TO GARTH BROOKS’ DECISION TO SELL ‘EVERY BEER BRAND’ Amid BUD LIGHT DRAMA
John Rich toasted his Redneck Riviera whiskey amid Bud Light drama. (Jason Kempin)
Instead of throwing the beer away, he let his customers “decide” what to do.
“Well, five or six days go by and my general manager calls me and says, ‘Well, we’ve sold zero Bud Lights in total,'” Rich recalled. “I said, ‘Well, how much Bud Light are we on down there?’ He said, ‘118 chests and 8 barrels. What do you want me to do with it?'”
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Rich’s manager said customers wouldn’t “touch” the Bud Light after the failed ad campaign.
“The last thing a man or woman wants is culture thrown right in their face. They just don’t want that.”
“I said, ‘Well, call the distributor and have them pick it up.’ So it’s the first time in history that a beer truck takes beer from a bar instead of delivering it to a bar.”
Rich said he hasn’t lost a penny since he took Bud Light out of his bar, which opened in 2018.
John Rich says Bud Light has turned beer into a “political social issue”. (Jason Kempin)
“I think the majority of people, whether left, right or not, care about their families,” he said. “I think they respect our military. I think they love and value and cherish their freedom.”
He added, “I think most people don’t like what they see happening in the country. That’s supported by polls that 82% of Americans think we’re headed in the wrong direction right now. 82% of Americans disagree about what kind of ice cream they like, but they agree that they don’t like what’s going on in the country right now.”
The country star wasn’t surprised by Bud Light’s drop in sales, but questioned why the company would release a product that would “make people choose sides.”
“I think one of the coolest things about a good, cold beer is you can stand in a bar, and you’re drinking a Bud Light and the guy down the bar — who looks nothing like you and you’re pretty sure you would disagree on everything – drink a Bud Light too,” he said. “There’s a commonality that happens at the bar.”
He said: “They’ve made it a politico-social issue of what beer you drink, and I think that’s a sad statement about our country right now. But hey, it’s their money. It’s their brand. They can market it however they want. , but Americans have responded in a very strong way.”
Rich has no problem selling his Redneck Riviera whiskey, which he says flies out of the store with a marketing plan to back it up.
“While other brands decide to market their products the way they want, it’s very simple for me,” he said. “Redneck Riviera is about God, family, country. We celebrate hard work, we celebrate patriotism.
“We are celebrating what makes our country the greatest country that has ever existed in the history of the Earth. We are the only country that has ever told its citizens that they have a God-given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of to be lucky.”
Rich listened to his customers, who had no interest in buying Bud Light after the marketing drama. (Jason Kempin)
Big & Rich are known for their songs ‘Save a Horse’ and ‘Run Away with You’. (David Becker)
Rich said there was a “nice word” to describe those rights.
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“Inalienable. Inalienable rights, meaning those rights are not given to you by the government,” he said. “They were given to you when you were born and they cannot be taken away by anyone. And we celebrate that in this country.”
When asked about Garth Brooks’ decision to sell Bud Light in his own Nashville bar, the “That’s Why I Pray” musician said it’s all up to him.
“We are the only country that has ever told its citizens that they have a God-given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
“Garth Brooks has always been the guy who said, ‘everyone comes to my show,'” Rich told Fox News Digital. “It’s something we love about Garth. You know, he makes his music for everyone. And that’s really what music is about. You make your music for everyone. Beer is for everyone, too.”
“If Garth serves Bud Light in his bar, that’s fine. Garth can do that. Garth might find out that not many people are going to order it,” he explained. “And at the end of the day, you have to put things in your establishment that people are going to buy if you’re going to run a successful business. So maybe he’ll figure that out.”
According to Rich, Brooks is likely aiming to bring a divided country back together.
Garth Brooks recently admitted that he would carry any kind of beer in his new Nashville bar. (Suzanne Cordeiro)
“I think he probably sees the pain and division that’s going on in the country and wants to try and do something about it,” the musician told Fox News Digital. “If I know Garth at all, and I know him a little bit, that’s probably the impetus behind a statement like that. So, good for him. I wish him well.’
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Brooks and Rich are just two of the musicians who took sides in the Bud Light controversy after beer giant sent transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney a personalized pack of beer with the influencer’s likeness as part of an ad for the March Madness campaign. company competition.
“If Garth serves Bud Light in his bar, that’s fine. Garth can. Garth may find out that not many people are going to order it.’
Brooks’ Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk is still under construction in downtown Nashville. Once it opens, “every brand of beer” will be available, according to the country music crooner.
“I want it to be a place where you feel safe. I want it to be a place where you feel like there are manners and people like each other. And yes, we’re going to serve every brand of beer. We’re just It’s not our decision to make,” Brooks told Billboard. “Our thing is this: if you[are]allowed into this house, love each other. If you’re an asshole, there are plenty of other places on Lower Broadway.”
Rich said Garth Brooks is free to sell any beer in his own bar. (Jeffrey Mayer)
Rich wasn’t just in town to talk whiskey or beer, though. He shared fond memories of CMA Fest from years ago.
“We called it Fanfare from the very beginning because it was all about the fans, and it still is,” he said. “So many country music fans, I think, the only genre in the world that has a specific event just for the fans of the music – of country music.”
He remembered saving money as a teenager to make it to the festival.
“I bought a ticket to Fanfare to see the Judds – Wynonna and Naomi. I actually got in a line and went through a line for the stage,” said Rich.
“I grabbed some shots of the ladies singing, and it was the biggest thrill I’d ever had in my life, because I got so close to some of my heroes in country music. So we get to do this every year, come to Redneck Riviera, sing for the fans, meet everyone, shake hands, take pictures. It’s an incredible thing.”
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Lauryn Overhultz of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
Tracy Wright is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to [email protected].
