“Hey, how are you doing?”
Grrrrr.
That was the entirety of Riley Green’s first-ever interaction with Sam Elliott. No handshake. No conversation. Just a deep, unmistakable growl.
Riley shared the story this week on the Like A Farmer, and it turns out meeting the man behind The Ranch and 1883 is exactly as intimidating—and legendary—as you’d expect.
The moment happened several years ago, back when Riley was still finding his footing in the mainstream. He spotted Elliott backstage at the CMA Awards alongside Ashton Kutcher, who were there promoting their Netflix series The Ranch. Being raised with Southern manners, Riley did what came naturally and greeted Elliott with a polite, “Hey, how are you doing?”
Elliott didn’t respond with words.
“He just growled at me,” Riley recalled, laughing. “Which was awesome. We didn’t really meet, so I’ll just say Billy Bob Thornton.”
It wasn’t rude. It wasn’t aggressive. It was simply peak Sam Elliott—gravelly, stoic, and straight out of a Western. The kind of interaction you don’t forget, even if it barely qualifies as a conversation.
Fast forward to now, and the roles have shifted. At this year’s CMA Awards, Riley was the one stealing the spotlight. He and Ella Langley walked away with three trophies for their breakout duet “You Look Like You Love Me,” followed by another Country Airplay No. 1 with “Don’t Mind If I Do.” That achievement made them just the second duo—after Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani—to score multiple collaborative chart-toppers in the same era.
Riley also made history of his own, becoming the first artist since Taylor Swift to earn back-to-back Country Airplay No. 1 hits written entirely solo. Both “Worst Way” and “Don’t Mind If I Do” were penned without co-writers—just Riley and his guitar.
And he’s not done. Green has teased new music that’s even more stripped-back than his recent work—less production, more acoustic grit, and an emphasis on raw storytelling. Think front-porch honesty over studio polish.
With his Cowboy As It Gets Tour set to crisscross the country, momentum is only building.
Still, among all the awards and milestones, it’s that strange, wordless backstage moment that sticks with him most.
Getting growled at by Sam Elliott isn’t a snub.
It’s a cowboy’s stamp of approval.