Nashville City Council Rejects Sign for Morgan Wallen’s New Bar
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A city council in Nashville has reportedly rejected a request for a sign to be installed at Morgan Wallen’s new bar. The council cited Wallen’s past controversies, including his use of a racial slur and his recent arrest for disorderly conduct, as reasons for the rejection.
Morgan Wallen’s Bar Sign Rejected by City Council
The country star is opening a new business called Morgan Wallen’s This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen. According to NBC News, a resolution was introduced Tuesday at a meeting of the Nashville Metropolitan Council to authorize the bar’s ownership group to hang a large neon sign at the venue.
However, the resolution failed, as only three council members voted yes while 30 voted no and four abstained. Council member Jacob Kupin shared that the resolution came to him around the time Wallen was arrested in April for throwing a chair off the roof of Eric Church’s Nashville bar.
If they approved the resolution, Kupin said the city would be “putting up a sign with someone’s name on it who has not, you know, been a good actor downtown.” Still, he acknowledged Wallen’s apology and asked his colleagues to support the motion, so as not to punish the bar’s operators for the singer’s behavior.
However, Kupin added that he “also felt like I could not let this individual just slide through quietly” due to “the things he has said and done.” That includes Wallen’s recorded use of a racial slur, which came to light in 2021.
SEE ALSO: MORGAN WALLEN ARRESTED FOR THROWING CHAIR AT NASHVILLE BAR
Council Members Point to Wallen’s Use of the N-Word
In 2021, video was released in which Wallen could be heard using the N-word. In response, the singer’s music was temporarily removed from several stations and online playlists, and his record label suspended his contract indefinitely.
According to NBC News, at-large council member Delishia Porterfield mentioned this incident when voting no on the proposed sign. She cited earlier legislation “saying that we wanted to make sure that Nashville was a supportive place for everyone.”
“So I don’t want to see a billboard up with the name of a person who’s throwing chairs off of balconies and who is saying racial slurs and using the N-word,” Porterfield said of her decision.
Council member Brenda Gadd, who also voted no, said that Wallen “continues to get second chances.” Jordan Huffman said Wallen gives Nashville a “bad name,” adding that he doesn’t “belong in this town, as far as I’m concerned.”
