Barely spending a decade in country music, Morgan Wallen wasted no time proving himself a top name in the genre. Releasing three studio albums during his time on stage, the singer watched as One Thing at a Time not only topped the Billboard 200 but did it for 19 consecutive weeks. And he continues to entertain both on and off the stage with songs like “Last Night”, “Waste on You”, and “Whiskey Glasses.” Although gaining a sizable fanbase, Wallen caused a storm of backlash in 2021 when a video surfaced of him using a racial slur. And with it only being three years since the incident, Darius Rucker believes it is time to move on.
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Appearing on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Rucker shared his thoughts on Wallen and the massive success he’s had in country music. Although many still remember the video and racial slur, Rucker insisted, “I think Morgan’s become a better person since that. I’ve known Morgan a long time. Since all that happened Morgan’s tried to really better himself and become a better person.” Rucker went on to explain how the music industry continues to chastise Wallen. “He’s still not out for CMAs and ACMs. They can say what they want, but the fact that Morgan Wallen is not up for Entertainer of the Year and those things is crazy. No one’s selling more tickets than Morgan.”
Morgan Wallen Promised To Do Better
Back in 2021, a camera caught Wallen unloading a list of profanities that included using the N-word. With the video making its way online, the singer quickly released a statement, reading, “I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back. There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better.”
At the time, Rucker seemed shocked by the news, telling People in the 90s podcast, “I know Morgan, and I like Morgan. It’s one of those things where you know that all over the country, there’s a lot of people who use that word just flippantly.” He concluded, “And even if they say they don’t mean it in a derogatory way, you just don’t use it. You don’t say it. It’s shocking how prevalent it is. Racism still lives. It lives strong in some people and it’s sad. It should be getting better and it’s getting worse.”
Continuing to move forward, Wallen is currently on the One Night At A Time tour, which features the singer alongside stars like Ernest, Hardy, Parker McCollum, and Bailey Zimmerman.
(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Stagecoach)
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