It’s not out of the ordinary for a musical artist to have issues with his voice, but when you’re the hottest singer in country music and you cancel your show for vocal issues just minutes before it’s time to take the stage, the move is bound to generate controversy.
Superstar Morgan Wallen had booked two nights at Vaught Hemingway Stadium on the campus of the University of Mississippi. Saturday night’s concert was a success, with thousands in attendance for the first concert ever held at the football stadium.
On Sunday, Wallen’s opening acts had already performed when the video board at the stadium flashed a message: “Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, Morgan has lost his voice and is unable to perform tonight. Therefore, tonight’s show has been canceled. Please make your way safely to the stadium exits. Refunds for tonight’s event will be available at point of purchase.”
Wallen’s vocal issues have forced him to cancel three dates later this week and this weekend in Michigan, Illinois, and Nebraska. The singer-songwriter apologized to fans and announced new dates for some shows in a story on his Instagram account.
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“Y’all know how important my fans are to me, so I feel horrible about this news,” Wallen posted. “There’s nothing more I want to do than be on stage playing for you guys. But as of today, I’m on doctor-ordered vocal rest and we have to reschedule this week’s shows. I appreciate and understand everything you do to get to my shows, so it would be unfair of me to put on a show that I know will not be 100%. I’m doing everything I can to speed up the process of getting to that 100% mark.”
Wallen recently set a Billboard Hot 100 chart record when all 36 tracks from his new album One Thing at a Time hit the charts in the same week, and he’s riding high on his immense popularity — despite the forces of cancel culture attempting to silence him in 2021. But canceling a show at literally the last minute didn’t sit well with fans, and one fan filed a lawsuit against Wallen “on behalf of all affected patrons who incurred expenses in connection with Wallen’s failure to perform.” She has since dropped her suit, but she reportedly intends to file a new one.
Wallen also tripped and fell onstage Thursday night at his show in Louisville, Ky. He immediately jumped up, made a face, and laughed about the incident, blaming the fog effects on the stage that interfered with his ability to see.
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