Shaboozey has spoken out after he gave fellow country singer Megan Moroney a side-eye during the American Music Awards (AMAs), a moment that caught many people’s attention.
During the Memorial Day broadcast, Shaboozey, known for his song “A Bar Song,” presented the award for favorite country duo or group with Megan Moroney, who is famous for “Tennessee Orange.” He told the live audience and viewers at home that country music has always played an important role in the history of the AMAs.
Shaboozey reminded the crowd that in the first year of the show, the favorite male country artist award went to Charley Pride. Pride was a pioneering Black country singer who passed away from COVID-19 in 2020.
Megan Moroney then read from the teleprompter, saying that the favorite female artist that year was Lynn Anderson. She added that the award for favorite country group went to the Carter Family, who she claimed “basically invented country music.” It was at that moment that Shaboozey gave a side-eye reaction.
On May 27, Shaboozey addressed the comment on X (formerly Twitter). He encouraged fans to “Google Lesley Riddle, Steve Tartar, Harry Gay, Defoe Bailey, and The Carter Family.” He explained that the true history of country music is rich and powerful and cannot be erased.
He wrote, “The real history of country music is about people coming together despite their differences and embracing the things that make us alike.” Shaboozey, who is Black, highlighted this to remind people of country music’s diverse roots.
This moment highlighted the ongoing complex relationship between country music and race in America. Nashville has become divided in recent years. The industry is now facing hard questions about its treatment of racial issues. These issues have affected the careers of stars like Morgan Wallen, Maren Morris, Beyoncé, and Jason Aldean.
The Carter Family Did Not Invent Country Music
Though the Carter Family is considered foundational to country music, they did not invent the genre. Many historians trace the roots of country music back to the banjo, a West African instrument. It was brought to the Americas by enslaved Black Africans in the 17th century.
For over three centuries, African musical traditions blended with English, German, Latin, and Scotch-Irish folk music. This mix eventually formed what people now call traditional country music.
Lesley Riddle, a Black musician from the Appalachian region, taught many of the best songs to A.P. Carter, “Mother” Maybelle Carter, and Sara Carter of the Carter Family. Riddle once said he acted as A.P. Carter’s “tape recorder,” helping preserve and pass down songs.
By 1974, the year referenced during the AMAs, the Carter Family was already two generations into its legacy. After A.P. Carter died in 1960, Maybelle Carter and the Carter Sisters continued performing under the Carter Family name. Lesley Riddle had stopped playing music in the 1940s, as there was no viable music career for him at the time.
Don Flemons, a Black author and ethnomusicologist, told The Tennessean in 2019 that Riddle never pursued a career in music but was an important figure in preserving songs. Later, folklorist Mike Seeger recorded Riddle’s stories and songs before his death in 1980, which helped revive his music in the 1960s.
Country Music Faces Racial Reckoning
Nashville has struggled with racial issues for years. In November 2020, Maren Morris accepted the biggest Country Music Association (CMA) award of her career. She dedicated her female artist of the year win to Black women who have helped shape country music, naming artists such as Rhiannon Giddens, Yola, Linda Martell, Rissi Palmer, Mickey Guyton, and Brittney Spencer.
Morris said, “There are so many amazing Black women that pioneer and continue to pioneer this genre. I hope you know that we see you.”
In February 2021, Morris criticized fellow country star Morgan Wallen after a video surfaced showing him using a racist slur. In summer 2023, Jason Aldean released “Try That in a Small Town,” which stirred controversy. Its video included protest footage and was pulled from Country Music Television (CMT) after accusations of sending a racially charged message.
Later that year, Morris said she was stepping away from traditional country music due to the ongoing conflicts within the genre. She told the Los Angeles Times she felt distant from country music and needed to take a break despite her deep roots in the genre.
Beyoncé’s experience also reignited discussions about race in country music. In November, she received the most Grammy nominations but was snubbed at the CMAs. Her country-inspired album, “Cowboy Carter,” was nominated for 11 Grammys but did not receive any CMA nods. Meanwhile, Morgan Wallen received the most CMA nominations.
Eight years earlier, Beyoncé faced a cold reception at the 2016 CMAs while performing with The Chicks.
Beyoncé said in 2024 that early criticism pushed her to challenge herself and blend different genres in her music. One of the biggest collaborators on “Cowboy Carter,” which won Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammys, was Shaboozey.
Related Topics
