Riley Green grew up in Jacksonville, Alabama, a town of about 12,500 people, but he never really experienced the desire to escape from his small town to move to a bigger city, like some kids do. Looking back, Riley believes there were a few reasons. First, he says, “I had that big thing keeping me in town of, like, I was kind of playing quarterback in high school and then going to walk-on play quarterback at Jacksonville State was … I knew everybody in town. If I was to take a girl on a date and we went somewhere to eat, I’d talk to five people and, I mean, I guess that made me look cool or it made me feel cool anyway, so that was great.”
Jacksonville, Alabama is also where the majority of Riley’s family lives, and being close to them has always been important. “I think when I was later on in my high school, early college years I started to kind of realize that a lot of my friends didn’t have grandparents and family members like that,” says Riley, which made him appreciate his family even more.
Riley also loves being able to get out into the country with ease in his hometown because he says, “I’ve never been a city type. I like to see it, but what to do there, I don’t know. You know what I mean? That’s just not really my scene.”
Riley’s small town upbringing is reflected in his music, including his top 20 hit, “There Was This Girl.”
Riley Green – get out of a small town :43
“I had that big thing keeping me in town of, like, I was kind of playing quarterback in high school and then going to walk-on play quarterback at Jacksonville State … I knew everybody in town. If I was to take a girl on a date and we went somewhere to eat, I’d talk to five people and, I mean, I guess that made me look cool or it made me feel cool anyway. So that was great. And, I mean, the other side was I think when I was later on in my high school, early college years I started to kind of realize that a lot of my friends didn’t have grandparents and family members like that and also didn’t have somewhere when they got out of school or got out of class, especially these folks that came to Jacksonville State from far off, where they can go and get in a truck and ride out in the field somewhere. You know what I mean? I always had that. I always had some land outside town I could go use. I’ve never been a city type. I like to see it, but what to do there, I don’t know. You know what I mean? That’s just not really my scene.”