Shawn Ryan Show – Episode #232: John Rich (Big & Rich) – Country Star Performs Unreleased Song LIVE
Release Date: Sept 2, 2025
Host: Shawn Ryan | Guest: John Rich

Episode Overview

This episode features John Rich, multi-platinum country singer-songwriter (Big & Rich), entrepreneur, and outspoken advocate for American values. In an uncommonly candid and personal interview, Rich sits down with Shawn Ryan to discuss his small-town Texas upbringing, his rise, fall, and reinvention in country music, deep faith, creative process, political activism, the culture war in Nashville, and his mission-driven life after fame. Rich also debuts his unreleased, hard-hitting song “The Righteous Hunter” live in the studio, delivering one of the show's most powerful moments to date.

Table of Contents

1. Rich’s Reputation for Outspokenness and Integrity
2. Early Life: Texas Roots, Family, and Hard Work
3. Faith, Adversity, and Spiritual Growth
4. Rise in the Music Industry – From Lone Star to Big & Rich
5. Songwriting: Method, Hits, and Impact
6. Going Against the Nashville Grain
7. Success, Failure, and Reinvention
8. Marriage, Fatherhood, and Changing Priorities
9. Standing Up for Others: TVA Controversy & Advocacy
10. Solo Work & Activism: From “Revelation” to “The Righteous Hunter”
11. Live Performance: “The Righteous Hunter” (Unreleased Song)
12. Faith, The State of America, and Final Reflections

1. Rich’s Reputation for Outspokenness and Integrity [00:07 – 03:12]

• Shawn Ryan explains why he respects John Rich: “You stand by your values and beliefs, and you do not waver for anything. I appreciate that. A lot of people appreciate you stepping up.” [00:41]
• John Rich shares the costs and necessity of honesty in a conformist entertainment industry:

  “Saying something you know will upset your handlers…will it affect your bank account? Yes. Will it affect your opportunities? Yes. But you sleep better at night. I like to set an example for my two sons…when you get out in this world, you don’t back up if you know it’s the truth.” [01:42]

2. Early Life: Texas Roots, Family, and Hard Work [16:55 – 23:58]

• Born in West Tennessee, moved to the Texas panhandle at age four; raised among tough, hard-working relatives.
• “It’s where actual cowboys live...My great uncles had those lines in their faces so deep you could plant tomatoes.” [17:51]
• Rich describes chores, gardening, slopping hogs, oil rigs: “Manual labor…there’s a sense of accomplishment in splitting wood or mowing the grass. I think people, especially young people, miss that these days.” [18:37]
• Instills manual labor in his own sons: ‘They help me split wood. We do mulch ourselves. The land’s alive and you own it. You need to know every inch’ [19:38]
• Dad worked multiple jobs to provide: preacher, night watchman, slopped hogs, guitar lessons, car salesman.

  “You watched your dad work that hard...but no plates hit the floor.” [25:24]

3. Faith, Adversity, and Spiritual Growth [33:43 – 57:55]

• Saved at age 8 during a house church:

  “My dad was knocking on the table...‘If you open the door, I’ll come in.’ I remember walking down at eight years old.” [41:07]

• Rocky, distanced relationship with mother—“granny Rich was my mother figure. I married someone the opposite of my mom. It hardened me, made me not afraid to engage or confront when needed.” [31:24]
• Reckoning with addiction and recklessness (“He knocked out my teeth–public humiliation, lost deals, being fired…then used success as a hammer to beat the crap out of people. I used my own hurt as a weapon.” [46:47])
• Explains how he felt God “vacate” him at a low point, and how years of contrition led to spiritual renewal:

  “It was like being abandoned in the Arctic Circle. No more protection, no more patience…until finally after weeks of apologizing and searching, one morning the lights came back on.” [49:20; 53:50]

• Discusses gambling addiction at its height and abrupt end:

  “$62,000 in cash from a blackjack table in Tunica...I realized this is the most disrespectful thing I could do with what God has given me. I bought a truck with the cash—the truck reminds me where I came from.” [55:28]

4. Rise in the Music Industry – From Lone Star to Big & Rich [61:08 – 124:08]

Lone Star & Nashville

• Moved to Tennessee at 15, discovered proximity to country music:

  “Lightbulb moment—every country music hero was 30 miles away.” [61:08]

• Formed Lone Star after talent shows and Opryland gig (“I took a vocal scholarship at Belmont but dropped out to play ratty bars across North America.” [86:56])
• Landed RCA/BNA record deal at age 20—which also gave him invaluable songwriting experience with Nashville’s elite. First #1: “Come Crying to Me” [93:16].
• Early financial success spent on buying a house for his grandparents (“Pap Rich, WWII vet, lived there till he died—taught me about the WWII generation.” [105:03])
• Left Lone Star after internal conflict (“threw a punch at the lead singer, got fired, lost everything overnight”).

  “My name went from ‘of Lone Star’ back to just ‘John Rich.’ The phone stopped ringing...Dog meat.” [110:35]

Big & Rich

• Wrote over 600 songs during the downturn: “In the downtime, you make your bones…control what you can control.” [111:39]
• Creative partnership with Big Kenny emerged from Nashville’s “Music Mafia” underdog collective. “I had the structure, he had the crazy X factor—put ‘em together and it multiplies, not adds.” [116:32]
• Music Mafia broke genre barriers, grew from a regular Tuesday bar night to a nationwide phenomenon, launching careers for Gretchen Wilson, and others—eventually brought in Kid Rock, Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow [118:04].
• “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” resisted by record label but broke out due to crowd response:

  “They said it was the dumbest song they’d ever heard...now it’s our biggest.” [102:21]

• Warner Bros. signed them after seeing the impact:

  "Horse of a Different Color" sold millions—“hockey stick from there.” [123:50]

5. Songwriting: Method, Hits, and Impact [95:21 – 99:40]

• Takes pride in ‘snapshot songwriting’ (“describe what’s in the frame, take the listener inside…so clear you can see it in your head”), and ‘voyeur songwriting’ (“write from someone else’s perspective”) [95:29]
• Helped launch Gretchen Wilson’s career by writing “Redneck Woman” from her story:

  “Instead of sanding off your rough edges, put a magnifying glass on ‘em. If you got enough guts to say it—there’s 30, 40 million women out there that’ll go, ‘that’s our girl.’” [100:06]

• Advice to aspiring artists:

  “Never compare yourself to your current peers. Compare to the greatest of all time—Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Tom Petty. If not, there’s nothing left to strive for.” [64:05]

6. Going Against the Nashville Grain [03:19 – 08:48, 143:01 – 151:03]

• Rich describes country music execs being replaced by outsiders—told him who he could interview with or what topics he was allowed to discuss ([04:19] “We own you. Do as I say, not as I do.”)
• Cites double standards for right-leaning artists: "Liberal artists can say whatever…If you even dip your pinky toe in, they come after you. It’s sad." [08:48]
• Culture radically changed with top-down “woke” industry takeover:

  “You’d see drag queens on the CMT awards. Country music is supposed to be family, not this.” [143:08]

• The audience eventually revolted (“CMT Awards used to be huge—one year after that, streaming only, now it’s gone”) [144:28]
• Discusses how his independently released protest songs (“Revelation”, "Progress") hit #1 on all-genre charts without mainstream radio or label support: “Record labels didn’t even call. I don’t need them. Music is my weapon of choice.” [147:06; 157:49]

7. Success, Failure, and Reinvention [110:05 – 113:09]

• After expulsion from Lone Star, Rich spent years as an outsider, facing “dog meat” status in the industry and personal lows, but wrote obsessively, prepared for a return.
• Candid about treatment of others ("I used my success as a hammer. I was just dishing out what I’d taken as a kid. But I eventually turned from that—now I use it to help people.")

8. Marriage, Fatherhood, and Changing Priorities [129:06 – 137:14]

• Rich met his wife during Lone Star years, waited years to propose until he felt he had control over his own future (“When my hand was on the industry’s throat—and not the other way around—we got married.”) [129:31]
• Credits wife for being the “counterbalance” that kept him out of destructive patterns and for their stable, nearly two-decade marriage [129:13].
• On fatherhood and priorities:

  “You have one shot to be a good dad, good husband. Your profession must become secondary." [134:48] “You're never free until you can say no.” [Larry Gatlin quote, 134:48]

• Decision to cut touring workload “by two-thirds” for family (“We moved from ‘success’ to ‘significance’. Now, that’s when you become a dangerous animal.”) [134:48]

9. Standing Up for Others: TVA Controversy & Advocacy [222:22 – 246:09]

• The Issue:
  Rich becomes instrumental in fighting the Tennessee Valley Authority’s attempt to forcibly seize rural farmland for a major methane plant via aggressive “imminent domain, but done brutal”. [222:36]
• He documents and publicizes elderly neighbors being confronted by armed TVA agents, posts viral interviews—including capture of 88-year-old Mrs. Nicholson saying, “You think you own something, you don’t own nothing.” [227:34]
• Leverages his platform to lobby politicians and officials directly, including the Secretary of Agriculture and eventually President Trump:

  “I told the TVA exec, you’ve got two weeks to get out, or I’m going to write a song and millions will be singing ‘TVA’ next to ‘devil’ for decades." [231:57]

• The public exposure works; TVA abandons the project. Rich debuts song “Devil in the TVA” inspired by the incident.
• Quote:

  “If I don’t stand up, it ain’t going to happen. The neighbors are screaming, but they have no platform.” [237:40]

10. Solo Work & Activism: From “Revelation” to “The Righteous Hunter” [146:56 – 193:46]

• Solo releases like “Earth to God”, “Progress,” and “Revelation” became huge grassroots chart-toppers, directly fueling shifts in listener expectations and mainstream pushback.
• Expresses a deep sense of mission about confronting child exploitation and cultural evil (“Music is my weapon of choice. What I can say in a song…that’s mine.”) [157:49]
• Describes seeing “the other side” among Hollywood and music insiders:

  “Most people don’t realize what they’re being invited to. They think it’s just networking, and then all manner of horrible things start happening. It’s a control mechanism—it’s how they co-opt, how they blackmail.” [171:05–172:39]

• On spiritual warfare and discernment:

  “If you’ve given your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit is repulsed by evil before your physical being even knows there’s anything to be repulsed about.” [174:42]

11. Live Performance: “The Righteous Hunter” (Unreleased Song) [190:32 – 193:46]

• For the first time anywhere, Rich performs "The Righteous Hunter," a powerful anthem directed at child predators and those who enable exploitation.
• Sample Lyrics:

  “Evil runs around this town undercover / Looking for a soul to take / But they better stay away from the righteous hunter / For hell is all they’ll pay...
  But you ain’t got a clue what a daddy will do / Better give your soul to Jesus while I get my gun.” [190:36]

• [193:46] Shawn reacts: “That is amazing. I think that’s going to be the biggest thing you’ve ever done. Congratulations.”
• Rich shares his hope to turn all proceeds from the song to charities like the Tim Tebow Foundation, supporting victims and law enforcement [214:49].

12. Faith, The State of America, and Final Reflections [197:58 – End]

• On the spiritual state of America:

  “When is God going to remind America who He is? The most blessed nation in history…look what we’ve allowed...It’s coming, Sean. It’s coming.” [181:22]

• Warns of spiritual complacency, cultural apathy, and the normalization of evil; points to a grassroots Christian revival among the young:

  “My son went to a Wednesday night—you know how many girls got baptized that night? Eight. I see it everywhere. When wickedness increases, so does the hunger for truth.” [208:24]

• Cautions Christians to read scripture for themselves (on the “Scofield Bible”, discernment, end times):

  “If you’re alive on this earth when this starts happening, and you’re a Christian, you need to be able to identify what it is you’re seeing. You need to know that’s what that is.” [266:53]

• Advice to his sons (and all young people):

  “There’s only one true answer…lean on the Word…You’ll live your life out as He wanted you to, and when you die, I get to see you again.” [271:07]

• Final words to Shawn and listeners:

  “I’m grateful God rebuilt me without all my previous attachments and put this skillset to use for significance, not just success.” [193:46; 247:40]

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “You’re never free until you can say no. And ‘no’ is a complete sentence.” - John Rich [134:48]
• “If I had a record deal, the last five songs I put out would never have been heard. For me, music is my weapon of choice.” [157:49]
• “You think you own something, you don’t own nothing. Not when the government man comes around with his bulletproof vest.” (from “Devil in the TVA”) [232:26]
• “They better give their soul to Jesus while I get my gun.” (“The Righteous Hunter”) [190:36]
• “Success to significance—that’s when you become a dangerous animal.” [134:48]
• “God says: I will use you as a battle-ax to tear down the strongholds of hell itself.” [193:46]
• “God abandoned him. Abandonment is what that felt like.” [50:53]
• “Music is more powerful than a book, better than a movie—music just goes right through you.” [143:08]

Additional Highlights

• John’s firsthand encounters with industry corruption, control, co-optation tactics, and why discernment is vital for young artists/activists. [171:05–174:42]
• Observations on the cultural backlash to “woke” country music and Hollywood, and why “the audience always gets the last say—cancellation is one thing, but when consumers walk away, that’s capitalism.” [148:01]
• Stories behind pivotal songs: “Redneck Woman”, “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy”, “Revelation”, “Earth to God”, “Progress”. [100:06, 102:21, 160:22]
• Rich as a small business owner and founder of Old Glory Bank; mission to provide financial services free from debanking and ideological discrimination. [242:34–246:09]

Conclusion

In this wide-ranging, passionate, and fearless conversation, John Rich pulls back the curtain on the realities of the entertainment business, the importance of integrity and faith, the challenges of standing alone, and the transforming impact of purpose-driven art. The moving debut of his new song “The Righteous Hunter” and his unflinching critique of cultural decay and government overreach make this a must-listen episode for anyone interested in the intersection of music, faith, and the fight for America’s soul.

Selected Timestamps for Key Segments

• Early Faith & Family: [16:55 – 33:43]
• Songwriting Insights: [95:21 – 99:40]
• Lone Star Breakup: [110:02 – 111:39]
• Music Mafia & Big & Rich Rise: [118:04 – 124:08]
• Solo Songs & Cultural Influence: [146:56 – 151:03]
• TVA Advocacy Story: [222:22 – 235:39]
• “The Righteous Hunter” Live: [190:32 – 193:46]
• Scofield Bible & End Times Discussion: [256:32 – 269:39]

For Further Reflection

For listeners seeking hope, resilience, and real talk on what it takes to live out your convictions in a hostile world, this is among the Shawn Ryan Show’s most essential, impactful episodes.