 In 2006, he released a country CD, "Hillbilly Rockin' Man".The Rockabilly Hall of Fame reported in summer 2009 that Riley was in poor health, with stage four colon cancer.His last public performance was in June 2009 at the New Daisy Theatre on Beale Street in Memphis, when he took part in Petefest 2009, honoring the historian Pete Daniel, who had befriended Riley while helping launch the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum.