Morgan Wallen faces 3 felony counts related to an alleged chair-throwing incident
Morgan Wallen fans braved the rain at Ole Miss as the country star returned to the stage for his first performance since his arrest in Nashville nearly two weeks ago.
Fans donned ponchos amid a torrential downpour as they poured into Watt-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi, Saturday night for the 30-year-old singer’s concert.
Ahead of the show, inclement weather was forecast for the area over the weekend. Despite online speculation that the show might be canceled, Morgan’s concert, the latest stop on his One Night at a Time world tour, went ahead as scheduled.
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Wallen’s performance followed opening acts by Bailey Zimmerman, Lauren Watkins, and Nate Smith.
The event also marks a return to Ole Miss after last year’s accident, when Wallen abruptly canceled his performance just minutes before he was due to take the stage after the opening acts had already finished. The stadium had fun with the event, displaying a message on the Jumbotron before Wallen took the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, luckily Morgan has a full voice and can perform tonight. So, he’s ready to run this s— back and make things right…,” the message said. “There’s no reason to head for the exits in the next couple of hours because Morgan and the boys are going to rock the face of Oxford!!!”
After the concert began, Wallen continued to poke fun at his recent circumstances, telling a story about how his bullying got him kicked off his high school baseball team before playing the song “’98 Braves.”
“I have this set up behind me here, these flags are from my high school. And it represents something,” he told the audience. “I had a coach I played baseball with, his name was Coach Davidson. When I was a junior in high school, I almost got kicked off the team. I was a bully then. I’m still a bully. A little bully now,” he admitted, trying to stifle a laugh.
“But coach… he never gave up on me, and there are a lot of people who never gave up on me – some of them are in this building tonight… including you… I just wanted to shout out that part of my life.”
Wallen also performed his unreleased song “Lies Lies Lies,” which he debuted in March as part of his digital series “Abbey Road Studios.”
On Friday, Wallen remained silent on his arrest when X previously took to Twitter to condemn his actions while assuring fans that his One Night at a Time tour would go ahead as planned.
“It didn’t feel right to publicly check until I made amends with some people,” Wallen wrote on social media. “I’ve been in touch with Nashville law enforcement, my family, and the good people at Chief. I’m not proud of my behavior and I take responsibility.
I didn't feel right publicly checking in until I made amends with some folks. I’ve touched base with Nashville law enforcement, my family, and the good people at Chief’s. I'm not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility.
— morgan wallen (@MorganWallen) April 20, 2024
“I have the utmost respect for the officers who work every day to keep us all safe. As for my visit, nothing will change.”
On April 7, Wallen, 30, was charged by the Metro Nashville Police Department with three felony counts after he threw himself off the roof of the six-story Chief’s Bar, landing on Broadway near two police officers.
“On Sunday at 10:53 p.m., Morgan Wallen was arrested in downtown Nashville for reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. He is fully cooperating with authorities,” Wallen’s attorney, Warrick Robinson, told US Newzs Digital.
Country artist Morgan Wallen, 30, was booked early today on 3 cts of felony reckless endangerment and 1 ct of misdemeanor disorderly conduct for throwing a chair from the rooftop of Chief's Bar Sun night. The chair landed on Broadway, close to 2 MNPD officers. His bond: $15,250. pic.twitter.com/6gRZKI3pWl
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) April 8, 2024
Almost a year ago, on April 23, 2023, Wallen caused a stir after abruptly canceling a two-night sold-out second show in Oxford, Mississippi.
“I started to lose my voice after last night’s performance, so I rested all day, talking to my doctor and trying to improve with my vocal exercises,” he explained in an Instagram story. “I thought I could get on stage and it would kill me to deliver it so close to show time, but my voice is shot and I can’t sing.”
After the cancellation, a fan sued Wallen on behalf of ticket buyers and sought damages for a possible class-action lawsuit. The suit was voluntarily dismissed the next day.
A viral TikTok clip featuring a security guard who worked at the venue suggested Wallen cancel the show because he was too drunk to perform. He said Wallen’s cancellation due to vocal issues was “bulk—” and that an ambulance was needed to take the “Chasin’ You” singer away. But Big Loud CEO Seth England denied the intoxication claims in a social media post.
“An employee hired by BEST Crowd Management made false claims regarding Morgan Wallen’s concert last night and we do not stand behind the details in his statement. Please see Morgan’s social media pages for details.”
England additionally wrote, “Thank you @bestcrowdmanagement for correcting your employee, making up a whole story that is nowhere close to the truth. Every detail is a lie. Some people may laugh at what they say just for a reaction… Don’t believe everything you read.”
Despite last year’s troubles and an alleged chair-throwing incident in Nashville, Wallen’s Ole Miss stop on his “One Night at a Time” tour is still in full swing.
Before Saturday’s performance, Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter told US Newzs Digital, “We’re aware of the situation, but we haven’t had any changes yet. We’re watching everything very closely.”
Wallen recently kicked off his “One Night at a Time” tour in Indianapolis on April 4, and he’ll be performing across the country with Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith, and Lauren Watkins opening.
Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, and Jon Pardee are just a few of the country stars set to join Wallen on tour this summer.