Showing his support with a classic 90’s country cover.
Many in country music have been rightfully outraged following the news last week that Sammy Kershaw, the ’90s star behind smash hits like “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “Queen of My Double Wide Trailer,” “Vidalia” and more, revealed that the CMA Awards had denied his request to walk the red carpet at this year’s upcoming ceremony.
In a statement shared to his social media, the ’90s country icon expressed his disappointment at being turned away, especially in a year when the CMAs have announced their intention to honor ’90s country:
“Well, I just found out some disappointing news and it really hurts me. I have to share my disappointment with the CMA as they have denied my request to walk the red carpet for a few minutes at this year’s CMA Awards, and I have to say I’m pretty sad about it.
My wife, Mendy, and I don’t get to attend these events very often, due to touring and schedule conflicts. After adjusting my touring schedule, booking our flights and hotels, she was really looking forward to us sharing a special evening together celebrating country music. Then, to find out I was denied the red carpet two weeks before the show, after being strung along for several months and expecting we would be attending, WTF?”
Later in the statement, Kershaw called the decision from the CMAs “extremely hurtful, embarrassing and very disappointing”
“I love country music, but never in a million years would I think that a successful country music entertainer (and I’m not the only one) would not be able to walk the red carpet. It’s extremely hurtful, embarrassing and very disappointing. I guess the next time I attend the CMA’s, it will be in tribute after I’m gone, if I’m lucky.”
Instead of honoring an icon that was nominated by the association in the past and scored ten Top 10 hits throughout his career, his spot will more than likely go to “zero talent” influencers (as Megan Patrick put it), celebrities with no ties to the genre and others who are undoubtedly less deserving than the “Queen of My Double Wide Trailer” singer… they should honestly be really embarrassed.
And this afternoon, the Country Music Association issued a pretty sorry statement addressing the controversy surrounding artists being denied red carpet access ahead of next week’s CMA Awards, and it’s safe to say a lot of people aren’t impressed, including country artist Jake Owen, who called the CMA out after they released this message about unspecified “criteria” for for determining who gets to walk the red carpet:
That’s the best they could do? It’s such a shame…
And one of today’s modern stars, who was deeply influenced by 90’s country and Kershaw specifically, Riley Green, was one of the first to speak out in defense of him. He left this comment on Kershaw’s Instagram post:
“If you haven’t earned the right to be there then nobody has… disappointing to say the least.”
Amen to that…
As one of country’s most prominent mainstream stars right now, it’s cool to see Riley speak out.
Over the weekend, Riley also shared a cover of Kershaw’s 1992 song “Yard Sale,” which was written by Larry Bastian and Dewayne Blackwell. Kershaw included it as the third single from his album Don’t Go Near the Water, and it peaked at # 17 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
Riley has often shared covers of various 90’s country covers on his social media, and I feel like he needs to do a full-on 90’s country covers album one day… they fit his style so well, and it’s clear in his own music how much that era has influenced him as an artist, too.
Even more than the 90s sound, no one does a heartbreaker like Riley in this current crop of mainstream stars, which only makes this cover that much more perfect.
Riley is clearly on team Kershaw, as he should be, and I can only hope he finds a way to support Sammy at the CMA Awards, which will air on Wednesday, November 18th.
It’s SUCH an underrated heater…