Darius Rucker thinks it's time fans and critics forgive Morgan Whalen for using a racial slur. In an interview with Rolling rocksaid the Hootie and the Blowfish singer and solo star Three years after Wallen was caught on video repeatedly using the N-word, the 31-year-old “Last Night” singer is a different man.
“I think Morgan has become a better person since then,” Rucker said RS. “I've known Morgan for a long time. Since all that happened, Morgan tried to really improve himself and become a better person and see the world a lot better, it was better.”
In a February 2021 video, Wallen was caught yelling the N-word and other slurs while walking home with some friends. At the time, Wallen apologized, saying TMZ, “I'm ashamed and sorry. I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back. There are never any excuses for using this type of language. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better.”
Although Wallen's career eventually continued apace, the immediate fallout included his music being briefly pulled from streaming and radio, a suspension from his label, and being removed from his booking agent, as well as the Academy Country Music who deemed him ineligible for the 56th annual awards.
By the end of that year, however, Wallen's catalog had amassed more than $8 million in revenue as US sales soared, breaking a string of records in Advertising sign chart, he hit the road again and I watched his radio airplay redouble. Of Dangerous The album won album of the Year at the 2022 ACM Awards and Wallen collected 11 trophies at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards
Despite the recovery, Rucker said RS that he feels Wallen still lives under the cloud of his racist incident. “You know, it is not excusable. It's not out for CMAs and ACMs yet,” Rucker said. “They can say what they want, but the fact that Morgan Wallen isn't entertainer of the year and stuff like that is crazy. Nobody sells more tickets than Morgan.”
Despite the cold shoulder Rucker said Wallen continues to get, the singer has continued to score hits, including the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit “I Had Some Help” with Post Malone. The singer once again courted controversy recently, however, again apologizing to fans in April after he was arrested for allegedly throwing a chair off the roof of a Nashville bar. Wallen was arrested and briefly jailed on April 8 after police said he threw a chair from the sixth-floor ceiling of Eric Church's then-new bar Chief's, landing just feet away from two Metro Nashville police officers. Wallen was arrested and charged with three felony counts of reckless endangerment and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.
He later posted a tweet apologizing for the incident, revealing that he had reached out to Nashville police, his family and the Chief's crew to make amends. “I am not proud of my behavior and I accept responsibility…. I have the utmost respect for the officers who work every day to keep us all safe,” he said at the time.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/country/darius-rucker-time-forgive-morgan-wallen-n-word-1235724209/
