The Nashville Metro Council has rejected plans for a glowing sign to be placed at Morgan Wallen’s new bar due to his past use of a racial slur and recent criminal charges. The sign was proposed to hang over a public sidewalk, similar to signs at neighboring bars, but was voted down 30-3 by councilmembers. During the debate, councilmembers criticized Wallen’s actions as harmful and hateful, stating that he has received multiple second chances.
Councilmember Delishia Porterfield, who is Black, expressed her opposition to the billboard, citing Wallen’s behavior of throwing chairs off balconies and using racial slurs. Councilmember Jacob Kupin, who presented the proposal, acknowledged Wallen’s controversial behavior but praised the third-party organization managing the business for their efforts to make downtown Nashville safer. The Associated Press reached out to Wallen’s publicist and TC Restaurant Group for comment on the council vote, but they have not yet responded.
Wallen’s criminal case, in which he is facing three felony counts of reckless endangerment and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct for throwing a chair off a rooftop near police officers, has been postponed until August 15. In a statement, Wallen accepted responsibility for his actions and expressed regret for his behavior, mentioning efforts to make amends and cooperate with law enforcement. Despite the controversy surrounding Wallen, his album “One Thing at a Time” was a commercial success, spending 16 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 in 2023.
In 2021, Wallen was suspended indefinitely from his label after a video surfaced of him using a racial slur. Despite this, he continued to have chart-topping hits and a dedicated fan base. Kid Rock’s bar, located near Wallen’s new establishment, was also the subject of a sign controversy in 2019. Some councilmembers criticized the design featuring a giant guitar with a base shaped like a woman’s buttocks, but ultimately approved it. The decision to reject the sign for Wallen’s bar highlights the ongoing debate surrounding public figures’ controversial behavior and their business ventures.
