Morgan Wallen announced that he is calling off his entire summer touring schedule, including a series of guest appearances planned for Luke Bryan arena shows, and appearances at festival performances. The decision comes in the wake of controversy that began earlier this year when the singer was recorded outside his home uttering a racial slur.
“I’ve found this time away to be very valuable to me in many ways, but I feel like I need a little more of it — therefore I will not be performing tour dates this summer,” Wallen wrote fans in a lengthy Twitter post (see full letter below). “It means I won’t be playing festivals or the Luke Bryan tour dates.”
Some fans replied to Wallen’s announcment with dismay, railing against “cancel culture” for costing the popular singer his summer dates, or lamenting that they had purchased festival tickets with seeing him speciflcally in mind. In part of his letter, he expressed hope that fans with tickets to these events would still attend despite his backing out.
Wallen’s announcment follows the February incident that threw him into controversy and cost him his recording contract with Big Loud Records as well as his removal from radio rotations at several high profile chains.
Specific dates and timing for when he intends to return to performing has not yet been announced.
Full Morgan Wallen Letter to Fans
Hey guys…
First of all I just want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me during this time. I have felt a lot of love lately from many individuals I have met and from so many people I haven’t gotten to know yet. I know my corner hasn’t been the most popular one to stand in recently, but many of you did anyway.
So many things have happened since I’ve had the opportunity to talk to my fans. I haven’t even had a chance to share my feelings on what has happened with my music and the Dangerous album, and it’s important that I do that first to y’all.
When I made the music, it was important to me that I wrote songs that were authentic, and some of them even let you in on my story. Before the music came out, I was proud of it. I felt fulfilled. As a musician, that is the best feeling in the world, being happy with your music before fans even hear it. If you feel that way, then you can live with the reaction, I guess.
Then to release this project and watch y’all make a country album go 10 consecutive weeks #1 all genre, is literally unheard of. That’s never happened before from what I’m told. I didn’t even know that record existed to be honest. It wasn’t what I set out to accomplish, but your response has meant so much to me. I just want you know how much that means to me, and it always will.
I would have been proud of this album had it not done any of those things, but it did. I’m so aware that it was you who have bought it and played it as much as you have, so I truly feel I share this honor with you. I will always feel the need to show that gratitude, so thank you. I’ve read stories of what some of these songs mean to some of you, and truth be told that’s the best accolade there is. I had to write some of these songs to get them off my heart, so to see them landing in yours makes me feel connected to y’all. A feeling we all long for deep down.
2020… man what a tough year for so many. For me, my tough year carried into 2021. I’ve made some mistakes, I’m figuring those out, and I apologized because I was truly sorry and have been making my amends.
I wanted to let you guys know that I’ve taken a couple of months away and feel like I’ve really worked on myself. I’m proud of the work I’ve put in, and in many ways thankful to have had the time to do it. I’ve needed this time off. I moved to Nashville at 22. I never really gave myself the chance to survey the man I became during that time. I can already see the difference between the 22-year-old me and 27-year-old me. I hope there’s a big difference between the 27-year-old me and the 32-year-old me one day. I will always strive to be better. Not only has this time revealed to me the ways in which I want to improve, but it’s also reminded me that I am still very proud of who I am and the man I am becoming.
I’ve found this time to be very valuable to me in many ways, but I feel like I need a little more of it — therefore, I will not be performing tour dates this summer. It means I won’t be playing festivals or the Luke Bryan tour dates. But it’s important to me personally, if you can, still go to these shows — support country music. Country music is back and that’s a beautiful thing.
I’m back in Nashville getting back in the swing of things and you guys can rest assured that I am looking forward to giving you guys what you deserve, especially all you’ve done for me. My story is far from over, and getting back out to see y’all is all I can think about. So just know you’ll be seeing me sooner than later.
Love ya,
Morgan
