On May 22nd, The Tennessean reported shocking news that Morgan Wallen probably won’t be happy about. Elected officials in Nashville blocked a massive sign from being erected over Morgan’s new bar in Music City. Even more unbelievable, the Nashville city council threw major shade at “the bad boy of country music.”
Morgan’s branded bar will open during the busy Memorial Day weekend in a popular tourist area on Broadway known as ‘Nashville’s Honky Tonk Highway.’ A branded bar means that Morgan is licensing his name and, in this case, his music to the establishment for marketing purposes. TC Restaurant Group is the company that is “developing and managing the bar,” according to the Tennessean.
Morgan’s bar is called Morgan Wallen’s This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen. It’s a take on “This Bar,” Morgan’s huge country hit from 2019.
The bar’s prime location is 107 Fourth Avenue North, a high-traffic area near Ryman Auditorium. It covers six stories with six bars, including a rooftop party zone and live music on three stages throughout the building.
TC Restaurant Group had presented plans to the Nashville council to erect a gigantic 20-foot neon sign over the bar advertising “Morgan Wallen’s This Bar.” The Nashville council didn’t just say no. They rejected the plans by a shocking margin.
Morgan Gives East Tennessee “A Bad Name”
The Tennessean reported that Nashville councilors voted 30-3 to deny a sign being erected over Morgan’s bar. And some of the dozens of councilors who rejected Morgan had a few choice words for him.
Jordan Huffman is Nashville’s District 14 Council member. He told the council he comes from the same area as Morgan.
Jordan said, “Mr. Wallen is a fellow East Tennessean. He gives all of us a bad name.”
But Jordan didn’t stop there. He thinks Morgan’s “comments are hateful” and “his actions are harmful.”
Antoinette Lee represents District 33 in Nashville. She voted no because she thinks it might “help folks who are doing these harmful actions” to “think twice.”
Nashville council member Brenda Gadd represents District 24. She sounds like she’s lost faith in Morgan as someone who can think twice about their actions, describing him as “someone who continues to get second chances.” Unfortunately, Morgan has yet to prove he’s learned from his mistakes.
“At-Home” Council member Delishia Porterfield said, “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.” Delishia was referring to two reckless incidents that have tarnished Morgan’s status as a country superstar. Most recently, on April 7th, he was arrested on Broadway after he tossed a chair off the rooftop of the newly opened Chief’s bar, owned by his buddy, Eric Church.
US Weekly reported on the racial slurs uttered by Morgan that got him temporarily canceled by country music in 2021. However, it was TMZ who really got into the shocking backstory of what Morgan did late on a Sunday night in February.
Morgan’s Behavior Has Caused Significant Controversy
According to TMZ’s sources, Morgan and his friends had returned to Morgan’s house after a “rowdy night” out. Morgan appeared to be visibly intoxicated. Sources reported that “he hurled the n-word and other profanities” as he walked up his driveway.
Shockingly, the fallout might not even have happened if Morgan kept it quiet. As TMZ reported, Morgan’s neighbors got mad at how “extremely loud” Morgan was late at night. One neighbor was so enraged that they “began recording the antics,” which became the shocking video that got Morgan into a heap of trouble with his record label.
Morgan’s recent chair-throwing scandal went worldwide. The Independent reported on April 8th that Morgan was “charged with three felony counts and one misdemeanor,” but the real truth about this incident is worse.
The pedestrian traffic on Broadway is generally packed anytime the bars and honky tonks are open. That chair that Morgan threw could have seriously or even fatally injured someone below.
According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, two of its officers were stationed on Broadway. They reported that the chair Morgan tossed off the roof “landed just a few feet” from them.
Law enforcement quickly investigated after the chair crashed on the street. Witnesses and staff at Chief’s identified Morgan as the person responsible. Metro Nashville PD also confirmed that officers had “reviewed the bar’s security footage” and witnessed for themselves Morgan “lunging and then throwing the object over the roof.”
Arrest documents showed that Morgan had to post a $15,250 bond. Metro Nashville PD did not release him until 3:30 a.m. on Monday, April 8th.
A Few Council Members Stood by Morgan
While 30 Nashville council members refused to excuse Morgan for his actions, who were the three members who voted in favor of allowing the bar to erect a sign with Morgan’s name?
The Tennessean reported that Jacob Kupin was one of the council members willing to green-light “the sign’s installation.” However, Jacob claimed during the council meeting that he wasn’t willing to let Morgan “just slide through quietly.”
RELATED: Will Morgan Wallen Go to Jail?
Jacob said it struck him that “We’re putting up a sign with someone’s name on it who has not been a good actor downtown.” But Jacob considered that Morgan had “made efforts to apologize and to make amends.”
Since Jacob represents the downtown area on the Nashville city council, he claimed that he “voted in favor” because he was more concerned about the effect on TC Restaurant Group. Jacob explained that TC “has been really a good partner in everything going on downtown.” He thought it was unfair that TC gets “penalized for what happened.”
Jacob also went on the record saying how important it is to “remind those watching at home, the public, whether you’re a celebrity or someone coming to our town… that downtown needs to be a safe place.”
Morgan Has Attempted to Make Amends
Morgan claimed he wanted to make amends after his “drunken racial slur” three years ago. He said he did that by making substantial financial donations to significant African American organizations.
But Rolling Stone published a shocking report in September 2021 alleging that it was “unclear if Wallen actually donated” anything. They accused Morgan of breaking his vow and that the money Morgan was supposed to have donated “seems largely M.I.A.”
USA Today reporter Melissa Ruggieri investigated Rolling Stone’s allegations. On September 22, 2021, she confirmed that Morgan had completed “his $500K pledge to Black groups” with a final $100,000 donation to the “National Museum of African American Music” in Nashville.
Melissa spoke with Seth England, who is Morgan’s manager. She also confirmed “through written records” that Morgan had, in fact, “distributed the funds as promised.”
USA Today also spoke to Tuwisha Rogers-Simpson, VP of brand and partnerships at the National Museum of African American Music. She told them that the museum had received Morgan’s donation on behalf of his foundation.
Tuwisha apparently had the chance to meet Morgan, and she had nothing but good things to say about him. She told USA Today that Morgan had toured the museum with her. She was able to “share our mission with Morgan as he was eager to learn more in a sincere effort to grow.”
Morgan Recently Apologized for His Behavior
But has Morgan really grown enough? He has had plenty of “second chances,” especially when it comes to over-drinking and pulling crazy stunts.
The Tennessean reported another time that Morgan was arrested on Broadway. Several years ago, Morgan was charged with “public intoxication and disorderly conduct” after he began “kicking glass items” in Kid Rock’s honky tonk and then “verbally fighting with passerby” when he got kicked out of Kid Rock’s bar.
RELATED: Morgan Wallen Breaks Silence Following Arrest
Morgan did offer an apology for the chair-throwing incident on social media last month. He wrote on X, “I’m not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility.”
Morgan also claimed that he didn’t “feel right” with making a public confession until he “made amends with some folks.” He said he’d “touched base with Nashville law enforcement,” his family, “and the good people at Chief’s.”
But was Morgan trying to get off the hook for the chair-throwing incident? On May 2nd, People.com reported that Morgan would not be in court “for the hearing on his April arrest,” although People claimed to “know why.”
Morgan’s attorney, Worrick Robinson, stated that the court had “formally waived” Morgan’s appearance on May 3rd and that Worrick could attend on Morgan’s behalf. On August 15th, Morgan will appear in a Nashville courtroom to face his most recent charges.
