Riley Green Shares the Stage With U.S. Marine for Moving Duet of “In Color” in Chicago

Riley Green turned his Windy City Smokeout set into a patriotic celebration on Sunday (July 13) when he invited a special guest, First Lieutenant Jackson Perkins of the United States Marine Corps, to perform Jamey Johnson’s “In Color” in front of thousands of fans.

The 26-year-old Marine, dressed in full uniform, joined Green at center stage while the Alabama native strummed acoustic guitar. Green took a step back as Perkins delivered the second verse with his deep baritone voice: “Oh, and this one here’s taken overseas / In the middle of hell in nineteen forty-three…” The crowd erupted as the performance unfolded, many capturing the moment on their phones.

For Perkins, the song carries deep personal meaning. “I draw a lot of personal connection to that song,” he shared afterward. “Jamey Johnson himself was a Marine, so it means a lot to me, and it connects with so many people who think of their own loved ones who served.”

Perkins, currently stationed in Washington, D.C., has long dreamed of a career in country music. He has been writing songs, performing at open mics, and working with CreatiVets, an organization that helps veterans heal through art. Meeting Green backstage gave him the chance to prove his talent. “I sang a couple lines of ‘In Color’ for him, and he just said, ‘Let’s go. Let’s play it.’”

The collaboration quickly went viral after a fan posted video of the duet on TikTok. Comments praised both Green’s humility in sharing the spotlight and Perkins’ striking vocals.

Green was part of a stacked Chicago lineup that included Jon Pardi, Kane Brown, Bailey Zimmerman, and Megan Moroney. But his duet with Perkins stood apart as a reminder of country music’s deep ties to service, sacrifice, and American pride.