NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) 鈥� Nashville councilmembers have rejected plans for a glowing sign to be erected at Morgan Wallen's new bar along the city's neon-lit strip of honky tonks, citing his use of a racial slur that caused controversy in 2021 and recent criminal charges accusing the country star of near two police officers.
The Nashville Metro Council voted 30-3 Tuesday evening against the proposed sign at Morgan Wallen's This Bar & Tennessee Kitchen, which is set to open this weekend. The sign would have hung over a public sidewalk, similar to those at many neighboring bars. Such a sign requires local government approval and usually isn't a controversial process.
During debate, councilmembers called Wallen's comments hateful and his actions harmful. They also said the performer has received multiple second chances.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to see a billboard up with the name of a person who is throwing chairs off of balconies and who is saying racial slurs,鈥� said Councilmember Delishia Porterfield, who is Black.
Councilmember Jacob Kupin presented the proposal, but said he 鈥渢hought long and hard鈥� about what to do because of Wallen's behavior. He said the third-party organization managing the business, TC Restaurant Group, has been 鈥渞eally, a good partner鈥� and has worked to make downtown Nashville safer.
The Associated Press reached out to Wallen's publicist and TC Restaurant Group seeking comment on the council vote.
鈥淭he fact that someone鈥檚 name is going up on a bar doesn鈥檛 mean that we condone all the behavior, but again I appreciate the efforts to make amends, the positive response, and again, the operator themselves I don鈥檛 think should be penalized for what happened,鈥� Kupin said.
An initial hearing in Wallen's criminal case was postponed until Aug. 15. According to an arrest affidavit, the chair that Wallen is accused of throwing off the roof of the six-story Chief鈥檚 bar on April 7 landed about a yard (meter) from two police officers. Witnesses told officers they saw Wallen pick up a chair, throw it off the roof and laugh about it.
He is facing three felony counts of reckless endangerment and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.
he said he accepted 鈥渞esponsibility鈥� and was 鈥渘ot proud鈥� of his behavior. The statement mentioned making 鈥渁mends鈥� and touching base with law enforcement.
Wallen's 鈥淥ne Thing at a Time鈥� album spent 16 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 in 2023 and was the most-consumed album in the U.S. last year. Top 10 hits from the album included 鈥淟ast Night,鈥� 鈥淵ou Proof鈥� and 鈥淭hinkin鈥� Bout Me.鈥�
In 2021, Wallen was suspended indefinitely from his label after video surfaced of him shouting a racial slur, which he would later .
Kid Rock's bar, not far from Wallen's new establishment, was the site of . Ahead of a 2019 vote, some councilmembers bemoaned the design featuring a giant guitar in which the base of the instrument is intentionally shaped like a woman鈥檚 buttocks. Ultimately, they approved it.
Jonathan Mattise, The Associated Press
