Controversial moments always seem to happen during (or in the wake of) live performances, and the country music genre is no exception. Let’s look at five controversial live performances in country history that ruffled more than a few feathers in the last couple of decades.
1. Sturgill Simpson Protests at the CMAs, 2017
This performance didn’t happen within the doors of Bridgestone Arena during the 2017 CMAs. However, Sturgill Simpson did perform (or busk) outside of the arena, and he said a few controversial things while on the street. Between playing songs to passersby, Simpson answered questions from people on the street and live-streamed the whole thing on Facebook.
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A few notable moments from the spectacle involved Simpson condemning mainstream country music and calling Donald Trump a fascist. The donations received from the livestream were donated to the ACLU.
[Buy Tickets To See Sturgill Simpson Live]
2. Rascal Flatts Get Caught Lip-Syncing, 2014
If you witnessed this live, we hope you survived the cringe. Rascal Flatts attempted to perform their song “Rewind” at the ACM Awards in 2015. It was incredibly obvious that the band was lip-syncing, and angry fans took to social media to condemn them.
Band member Gary LeVox said it was unavoidable, as the Las Vegas air was so dry that he couldn’t sing properly. They would either have to lip-sync or cancel the performance entirely. To this day, the band looks back at the incident with a sense of humor.
3. Waylon Jennings Walks Out on Tom Snyder, 1998
This incident was technically not a “performance”, but it’s still worth including on our list of controversial live country performances. In retrospect, it’s kind of hilarious. At the time, it was seen as repugnant behavior on the part of Waylon Jennings.
Jennings was going to appear on The Late Late Show With Tom Snyder back in 1998. The outlaw country star was hanging out backstage and everything. However, a segment with Dr. Laura was running a bit long, and Jennings simply didn’t feel like waiting around to appear on the show. He got up, got in the elevator, and left the building. Snyder said that he had never experienced anything like it before.
4. Beyonce and The Chicks Perform at the CMAs, 2016
This 2016 performance ruffled the feathers of country traditionalists. Country outfit The Chicks performed live with pop star Beyonce at the CMAs in 2016, and it was surprisingly one of the most controversial live performances of that year.
A lot of people were mad about the pop-ification of country music and were not happy to see Beyonce on stage at a country music awards ceremony. Alan Jackson even got up and left. It was a killer set, though.
5. Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line Perform at the CMAs, 2018
“Meant To Be” was definitely the biggest country-pop hit of 2018. The song was popularized by Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha, so naturally the trio performed at the 2018 CMAs. Like Beyonce’s stint with The Chicks, the performance made a lot of country traditionalists angry about how much pop had wiggled its way into country music.
Photo by Rick Diamond
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