Riley Green has crossed a lot of items off of his bucket list. But one thing he still hopes happens, at least at some point in his career, is becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Some of his grandparents got to see him play the Grand Ole Opry, which was a validating moment for him, and is part of what fuels that dream for him.
“That was when I was famous to them,” Green tells People. “There was a lot of things that I accomplished that they didn’t really care about. But that was a big one. Playing at the Ryman was a big deal. Playing Red Rocks. Playing NFL stadiums. Headlining a major tour, and taking out people that I’m a huge fan of, like Justin Moore and Tracy Lawrence, Randy Houser, Sammy Kershaw. There are some really big moments that have happened, but I never thought any of that would happen.”
Green is already in awe that he has done so much. Still, he admits that few things would compare, at least in his mind, to becoming an Opry member.
“For me to have a list, it’s been checked several times over. I think maybe if I could ever become a member of the Opry, the Grand Ole Opry, that’d be a pretty special thing,” Green acknowledges. “That’d be something, I think — for me, my list is things that I think would mean a lot to my folks, and my grandparents. I’ve accomplished way more than I ever thought I would. My granddaddy Buford, he passed away when I was just kind of getting started. So it’s been cool that I’ve gotten to kind of take them along. My grandmother Lola Jean is still alive. She comes out every once in a while.
“So I think that what I take for granted in the blur that is a music career,” he adds, “I’m reminded how cool it is when I go home and talk to my parents and family and buddies.”
@people Famous to fans, still Riley to his family. #RileyGreen shares the moment his loved ones realized just how famous he’d gotten. Watch our video interview in the #PeopleApp, and read the full #SexiestManAlive issue instantly as a #PeopleVIP ♬ original sound – People Magazine
Riley Green Wants to Start a Family – Someday
Elsewhere in his interview with People, Green admitted that he wanted to start a family, even though that might be unrealistic right now.
“If I like my son near as much as I like my nephew Joe, I think we’ll get along great,” Green says. “But I haven’t seen Carl, my dog, in a month. I struggle to think there’s a girl that’s… I can barely make this lifestyle work.”
Add to Green’s superstar music career his role as a coach on The Voice, and Green’s free time is very, very limited.
“I was busy before I started filming The Voice. Now I’m in L.A. every day. So my lifestyle has just got to change a little bit,” Green concedes. “I think that what gets me by now, without having those things that I’m hoping for, is I get to FaceTime my nephew, and see what he’s doing, and watch him play sports, and catch up with my family. We’re all still really close. They make it bearable in a pretty hectic lifestyle right now.”