They often say there is no such thing as bad press. This may be true but it does make things awfully inconvenient.
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Morgan Wallen is opening his This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen over Memorial Day weekend. The caveat? You certainly won't be seeing his name on the side of his bar.
You might read that and wonder, 'Isn't half of the appeal in going because of his name brand?' You might be right. The Nashville Metro Council didn't see it this way. They collectively voted to reject his 20 foot sign, prominently displaying Wallen's name on the side of the building.
Council member Delishia Porterfield makes a pretty blunt, effective argument for why they voted against Wallen. ""I don't want to see a billboard up with the name of a person who's throwing chairs off of balconies and who is saying racial slurs," Porterfield states.
The consensus opinion suggests that Wallen still hasn't learned his lesson from the countless incidents he gets in trouble over. The council wasn't going to allow a bad example to be prominently displayed in the city under their watch. Council member Jordan Huffman says firmly, "He gives all of us a bad name." "His comments are hateful, his actions are harmful and he don't belong in this town as far as I'm concerned. I'm tired of this city bending over to just make anybody happy that makes a comment that they want to," he continues.
The Many Controversies of Morgan Wallen
As recently as April, Wallen was arrested for allegedly throwing a chair off the roof of Chief's, Eric Church's bar in Nashville. In 2020, the police arrests the country crooner for kicking glass in Kid Rock's bar.
Lastly, Wallen still faces immense scrutiny for drunkenly saying the n-word during a 72 hour bender. This one in particular still stings his reputation, creating a serious strain between himself and anyone even remotely interested in country. Radio and awards shows are always mildly cautious about playing his music, hoping it doesn't turn away too many new fans of the genre.
Wallen certainly holds his end of the bargain in sending out indistinct apologies, carefully orchestrated apologies. He took to X to address the Chief's incident, ""I didn't feel right publicly checking in until I made amends with some folks. I've touched base with Nashville law enforcement, my family, and the good people at Chief's. I'm not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility."
Whether he likes it or not, being a public figure does hold him liable for his behavior. At the very least, he needs to hold a neutral example if he wants true support in Nashville.
