One of the most controversial stories in country music this year was Beyoncé performing with the Dixie Chicks at the CMA Awards in November.
The performance sparked a lot of outrage on social media, before and after the show. Some of the chatter was blatant racism, but after separating the vile comments, it was clear that most country music fans were simply bewildered and angered that a pop superstar was taking a primetime slot during an awards show touted as a celebration of country music’s legacy over the past 50 years. Keep in mind, pop stars have been performing at country music award shows for decades, but this one irked fans more than usual.
Some country stars loved the performance, others were displeased. Alan Jackson reportedly walked out when Beyoncé took the stage. The most vocal artist was Travis Tritt, who took to Twitter to express his thoughts on the performance in the days after the show.
I want to know when the BET or SoulTrain awards are gonna ask a country artist to perform on their awards show?
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) November 4, 2016
What is so wrong with allowing pop/rap/country/R&B/soul/gospel/bluegrass/blues or rock shows celebrating their backgrounds?
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) November 5, 2016
I love honest to God country music and feel the need to stand up for it at all costs. We don't need pop or rap artists to validate us.
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) November 4, 2016
Some commenters described Tritt as a racist, to which he responded:
…Never thought I would ever be labeled as a racist.
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) November 5, 2016
I've worked with Charlie Pride, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Patti Labelle, Randy Jackson, Sam Moore, Ray Charles, Isaac Hayes (cont.)
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) November 5, 2016
There are more tweets in the series, but those capture the heart of the story. In a recent interview with Nash Country Daily, the country star elaborated on his post-CMA Awards comments, which drew a lot of media attention when they were first posted.
“It wasn’t so much about just Beyoncé,” said Tritt. “This is a complaint that I’ve heard for a long time, actually for decades. Back in the ’90s, it was Elton John or Sting or whoever. Every year the CMA television producers feel a need to bring in acts from other genres, and it’s always done to boost ratings. I understand the concept behind that but at the same time I’ve always found it a little bit insulting— from the standpoint of being a country music artist—because this is a format that I’ve been a part of since the very beginning in my career. It’s a format that I have seen grow a tremendous amount in the 27 years that I’ve been doing this.”
“As part of the Class of ’89—Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Clint Black and myself—we saw country music album sales increase by millions over what they had ever been before. We saw an ability by all country music artists to put more fannies in concert seats than we’d ever seen before. We sold a ton of product, drew in millions and millions of fans that had never listened to country music before. I think during that period of time we’ve certainly become strong enough to stand on our own two feet without the help from outside sources. I’ve been complaining about this for years, and it’s funny to me that it took complaining about this year’s performance, before anybody paid any attention to it.”
I’m inclined to agree with Tritt. There’s a big enough audience for country music to stand on its own without all the crossover business. There are plenty of beloved country artists who are ignored by the country award shows. Put the spotlight on them. Show the world authentic country music. It will sell.
The biggest reason why fans were so angered by this performance was because country music, like the nation right now, is divided. A lot of fans feel left behind by mainstream country music because it is trying to sound less like country music to expand its market reach. Beyoncé at the CMA’s added insult to injury, and the producers should have seen that coming.
On the surface, the award shows are vapid entertainment, so we shouldn’t invest too much thought into them. Yet, in many ways, the CMA Awards mean a lot to dedicated fans of country music, the nominated artists, and the up-and-comers. I recently spoke with country singer Bradley Walker, who described watching the CMAs on TV when he was a kid like it was a national holiday. All of his country heroes were there the screen, and it gave him something to look up to as an aspiring artist. He doesn’t watch the shows anymore.
I admit, I enjoyed Beyoncé’s performance, as well as Justin Timberlake’s duet with Chris Stapleton last year, but do they belong as a centerpiece at a celebration of the year’s best in country music? I don’t think so. Some say they represent the genre expanding its borders and evolving as an art form, but let’s call a spade a spade; they’re just a grab for television ratings.
The post Travis Tritt Opens up About His Post-CMA Awards Beyoncé Comments appeared first on Wide Open Country.