Jacob Tolliver has released his cover of Bobby Bare’s “Tequila Sheila,” and it’s exactly as wild as it sounds. The Portsmouth, Ohio-born pianist and singer goes full throttle on the Shel Silverstein-penned classic, adding mariachi trumpets to a piano-driven arrangement that tips its hat to the original while staking out its own celebratory territory. The timing is deliberate: the release lands on Bare’s birthday, April 7, connecting two Southern Ohio artists across generations in the most fitting way possible. Listen here.
Tolliver first performed the song at Bare’s 90th birthday celebration at the Basement East in Nashville, a performance that earned praise from the Bare family and immediate buzz in the room. He went straight into the studio afterward, working with legendary producer Kyle Lehning, whose credits include Randy Travis, Bobby Bare, and Waylon Jennings, to capture what he’d found in that live moment. “Bobby Bare and I both grew up in Southern Ohio, so covering ‘Tequila Sheila’ feels like honoring a shared hometown legacy,” Tolliver says. “Getting to put my own spin on it, while tipping my hat to a legend who’s become a friend, made it an absolute blast.”
Tolliver’s backstory is worth knowing. He cut his teeth in the Las Vegas production of ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ before opening on the road for Jerry Lee Lewis, and his viral “Boogie Woogie Country Man” has surpassed 1.5 million views. His original single “If The Phone Ain’t Ringing It’s Me” has been building real momentum, and both Dirt Road Country and Country Evolution named him a country artist to watch for 2026. The cover of “Tequila Sheila” arrives in the middle of an already busy year on the road, and it showcases exactly why the attention is warranted.