Luke Combs is one of the biggest names in country music in recent years, garnering AMA, CMA, and Grammy nominations. So his past or present associations with these hateful symbols and his disavowal of them now carries some weight. The music video in question is from 2015, with so-called "country rapper" Ryan Upchurch. Upchurch, as he's also known, doesn't seem to share Combs regret though, as his website rednecknationstrong.com still carries such merch as Confederate T-shirts, guns, a whole slew of stuff for Trump, Election Fraud, and many "Fuck Biden" pieces of paraphernalia. Oh well, one redneck at a time, I guess.
Source: CNN
Luke Combs has issued an apology for past use of the Confederate flag in his performances.
Followers on social media pointed out that when the country star appeared in the music video for Ryan Upchurch's "Can I Get a Outlaw" in 2015, he was in front of a Confederate flag. He was also using an acoustic guitar that had a Confederate flag sticker on it.
"As I've grown in my time as an artist, and as the world has changed drastically in the last five to seven years, I am now aware how painful that image can be," Combs said Wednesday. "I would never want to be associated with something that brings so much hurt to someone else."
His remarks were made during a conversation with singer Maren Morris and moderator Ann Powers on "accountability and the future of country music" for the annual Country Radio Seminar. The three also discussed country-music star Morgan Wallen's use of a racial slur.
'Cause we don't need
Another pretty boy, singing pretty songs
We country boys, doing country outlaw
We need another Haggard, or Johnny Cash
Somebody chewing tobacco, and whipping ass
I need a preacher, I need a savior
How about y'all?
Can I get an outlaw?
Any @lukecombs fans out there? Anybody care that he has multiple pics with confederate flags on his guitar and in his press photos? Why is this not a topic of discussion? We all knew he couldn’t write a song and Walmart was his fashion designer but guess what? He’s racist too. pic.twitter.com/vvolPR2CDw
— Jeremy Ivey (@JeremyBlainIvey) February 2, 2021