Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson React After CMAs Fail to Honor Billy Joe Shaver, Jerry Jeff Walker, & John Prine
The CMA Awards messed this one up. Last night they fittingly honored greats including Charley Pride, Joe Diffie, and Charlie Daniels; for some reason, though, they totally ignored the passing of John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Billy Joe Shaver. All of whom died this year, we lost Walker and Shaver just last month.
But don't worry, their lapse did not go unnoticed by Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, and Amanda Shires, all of whom let it be known they were very upset with the Country Music Association for neglecting these men.
While Sturgill put them on blast last night posting a video to Instagram. "Don’t get it twisted," he says, "wouldn’t be caught dead at this tacky ass glitter and botox cake & cock pony show even if my chair had a morphine drip. I just wanted to see if they would say his name but nope. No time for Buddha...and I promise you they were asked to include him so a “nope, no time” decision was made by somebody... on Veterans Day no less."
Husband and wife power couple, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, are taking it one step further. Tonight Isbell tweeted that they will be returning their CMA membership cards.
Jerry Jeff Walker died October 23rd, he had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017. He was 78. Billy Joe Shaver died October 28th in Waco, Texas, after suffering a stroke. He was 81. John Prine died at the age of 73, he was among the first famous people we lost to complications of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. He died Monday, April 6th.
Each a legend, and each deserving of, at the very least, a mention by the Country Music Association on what they bill as "Country Music's Biggest Night."