Despite being "canceled" by internet patrons and critics due to his racial slur scandal last year, Morgan Wallen's career still appears to be flourishing. More recently, he had a surprise show, but fans are now rallying against the historic venue where he performed.
Over the weekend, Morgan Wallen surprised his fans when he performed at the Grand Ole Opry, a weekly country stage located in Nashville, Tennessee.
According to ABC15, the country singer performed the song "Flower Shops" along with his Big Loud co-label member ERNEST.
Surprise! @MorganWallen joins @ernest615 to perform their new duet “Flower Shops” 🎶 pic.twitter.com/3UzRyC5gHd
— Grand Ole Opry (@opry) January 9, 2022
After his show, many critics call out the historic venue after the impression that the Opry is giving the embattled singer their blessing despite his scandal.
Per the Tennessean, the venue was bombarded with negative tweets, and many users pointed out a particular tweet in which the historic stage stood up against racism.
"Racism is real. It is unacceptable. And it has no place at the grand ole Opry," they wrote.
"Morgan Wallen performing at the Grand Ole Opry is disappointing but hardly surprising," one user wrote.
The user then explained the dark history of the venue, writing, "The Opry has only ever had two black members in its 100+ yr history. STOP expecting these institutions built on racism & exclusion to show up for black artists when they literally never have."
"I have always respected The Grand Old Opry but not when you choose racists over promoting diverse artists. Very disappointed," another fan wrote.
At the time of this writing, the Grand Ole Opry has not publicly commented on the matter.
Morgan Wallen's Controversy
A year ago, Morgan Wallen was spotted heading home after a night out with his pals. The singer, who appears to be drunk, was filmed by bystanders and was heard using the "N-word" racial slur.
The country star later apologized for the incident, saying he was embarrassed by the situation.
After the video went viral, Wallen faced a series of backlash, like being banned from attending the 2021 Billboard Music Awards despite winning the "top country award."
Radio stations around the United States also barred the singer's song from their airwaves.
The CMA Awards also banned him from attending and performing on their show last November.
The Country Music Association CEO Sarah Trahern said in a statement that they would not be honoring Wallen from the awards show. Still, they considered his collaborative works with other singers.
"Honoring him as an individual this year is not right, and he will not be allowed on the red carpet, on our stage, or be celebrated in any way," the CEO said.
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