Is Toby Keith “Too Political” To Perform Country Music?
In Naperville, Illinois, festival organizers are feeling pressure to drop Toby Keith from their lineup. Some people feel that the singer is now “too political.”
His offense? He performed for Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Keith is nowhere near a political activist such as the Dixie Chicks. He didn’t even really stand behind anyone during the election. However, since he did play at the inauguration, voices are now rising against Keith–just as they are against Trump.
Toby Keith “does not apologize for performing for our country or military.”
The June 30th event, which is a festival and Ribfest, also heard the news that Keith’s lyrics were too inappropriate. The protestors didn’t say which lyrics, but it’s not like these songs are new, so this sounds like a bogus excuse.
“In the current political climate, it seemed overtly polarizing and political,” said Naperville resident Amy Kakkuri. Similarly, the Ribfest Facebook page said no artists were “booked based on their political beliefs or actions,” which wouldn’t be true if they dropped Keith.
Before the election, however, Keith didn’t really stand up for Trump…
Country Singer Didn’t Have Trump Allegiance Before Election
Back in August, Toby Keith said, “This election, I don’t think it makes a difference. I can’t believe there’s 300 million Americans in this country, and we’ve got these two as our final two. It’s absolutely crazy.”
Despite Keith’s quote prior to the election, once Donald Trump was voted in by the American people, he stood behind his President and his country. This is something we all should do, despite who lives within the White House.
Toby Keith, of course, isn’t the only celebrity to find himself on one side or the other. Luckily, the committee decided not to cancel Keith despite these protests.