FILE – Morgan Wallen arrives at the 53rd annual CMA Awards on Nov. 13, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. The Grand Ole Opry, country music’s most historic and storied stage, is getting heavy criticism for an appearance by the country star. Wallen’s surprise performance has given many the impression that the institution has given the star its blessing and a path to reconciliation after he was caught on camera last year using a racial slur.
FILE – This April 28, 2020, photo shows the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn. The Grand Ole Opry, country music’s most historic and storied stage, is getting heavy criticism for an appearance by Morgan Wallen. The country star’s surprise performance has given many the impression that the institution has given the star its blessing and a path to reconciliation after he was caught on camera last year using a racial slur.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Morgan Wallen stepped on country music’s most historic and storied stage over the weekend, a sign that many interpreted as the Grand Ole Opry giving the troubled star its blessing and a path to reconciliation after using a racial slur on camera.
While the country star’s return to the public eye seemed inevitable, a tweet from the Opry about Wallen surprising fans at its regular Saturday broadcast show led to heavy criticism of the mostly white institution and its history as a gatekeeper.
Performers ranging from Yola, Allison Russell, Rissi Palmer, Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and the Tantrums, Joy Oladokun, Chely Wright, as well as Grammy winners Brandi Carlile and Jason Isbell, weighed in on how the Opry’s decision could have troubling consequences for artists of color in country music.
“Morgan Wallen’s thoughtless redemption tour is the nail in the coffin of me realizing these systems and this town is not really for us,” wrote Oladokun on Sunday.
Wallen was caught on camera last year using a racial slur and while some organizations banned him temporarily, he has returned to the airwaves and remained the most popular artist of 2021 across all genres. He resumed touring arenas last year and has been releasing new music, including collaborations with rapper Lil Durk, who is Black, and country artist ERNEST. Wallen made an unannounced appearance on the Opry, which has been broadcasting for nearly 100 years, to sing with ERNEST.
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