One of the nominees for the 2024 Country Music Awards is country music icon Morgan Wallen. Click here to learn more about Morgan.
For many years, Morgan Wallen has been one of the country music industry’s fastest-rising stars. The 30-year-old singer of “Last Night” has risen up the charts and achieved global success despite some controversy along the way. His single “Last Night” peaked at number one on the Hot 100 chart, while his albums Dangerous: The Double Album and One Thing at a Time both reached the top of the Billboard charts.
Despite being a country singer by trade, Morgan has worked with many rappers. He has collaborated with Lil Durk, Drake, and Post Malone on a number of songs, including this year’s “I Had Some Help,” which is nominated for a 2024 Country Music Award.
His debut album didn’t reach the top of the charts for two years.
On April 27, 2018, his debut studio album, If I Know Me, was released. FGL was featured on the album’s second track, “Up Down,” and he had previously served as the opening act for the renowned country duet Florida Georgia Line during their 2017 tour. Released in the summer of 2018, Morgan’s third single, “Whiskey Glasses,” was a slow-burning hit that became one of the year’s biggest singles and peaked at number one on the country radio airplay charts in June 2019. In August 2020, 114 weeks after its debut, “If I Know Me” eventually peaked at number one on the Billboard Country Album list.
Morgan was removed from a “SNL” episode in 2020 for violating the COVID-19 quarantine.
Morgan was spotted in multiple TikTok videos partying hard in Tuscaloosa, Alabama after the University of Alabama football game the previous Saturday, while breaking stringent quarantine regulations put in place by SNL due to COVID-19. Morgan was shown in the recordings taking shots, kissing female admirers, and not wearing a mask while at a pub and house party.
In an Instagram video posted from his hotel room in New York on October 7, the 27-year-old said, “I got a call from the show that I will no longer be able to play,” as he prepared for his Saturday performance. And I am aware that this is due to COVID protocols. Although Morgan’s coronavirus test was negative, he acknowledged that his behavior the previous weekend was “pretty short sighted, and they’ve obviously affected by long term goals and my dreams.”
Morgan made his Saturday Night Live appearance as the musical guest two months after he was initially scheduled to play. In an earlier apology, the singer said that his maskless parties and lack of social separation had put the cast and crew “in jeopardy.” He promised to “work” on himself and accept responsibility. On the episode hosted by Jason Bateman, Morgan sang two of his classics, “7 Summers” and “Still Goin’ Down.” A sketch mocking his partying controversy also featured him.
Morgan competed on “The Voice.”
The singer made an appearance during the sixth season of the music competition in 2014. The country musician, who was born in Tennessee, was surprisingly not on Team Blake Shelton. Prior to his elimination in the playoffs, he was on Coach Usher’s team and then Team Adam Levine.
Morgan is a father.
In July, he and his ex-fiance Katie Smith had a son, Indie Wilder. On July 1, Morgan posted a picture of himself holding his young son on Instagram with the caption, “Little Wilder, I’m a changed man.” My perspective on mine has changed. I am happy that it is no longer just me. In many respects, this year has been the worst of my life, but that is not how I will remember it. You are.
When Morgan was heard using a racial slur, he became embroiled in even more controversy.
The vocalist of “Wasted on You” was overheard using the epithet as he made his way to his Tennessee residence. Morgan and his friends can be seen making a lot of noise when they arrive at the residence about midnight in a video that TMZ was able to obtain. One of the neighbors went outside and started filming the event.
Morgan can be heard requesting that someone keep an eye on one of the other men in their group. “Take care of this p-ass n*,” the country singer says, among other expletives. He apologized in a long video on February 10, 2021, for some of his remarks. He said that he was “nervous” while filming the Instagram clip and clarified, “The video you saw of me was me on hour 72 of 72 of a bender and that’s not something I’m proud of either.” “I disappointed a lot of people.That doesn’t sit well with me.He continued, “I also accepted some invitations to have some real and honest conversations from some incredible Black organizations, executives, and leaders.” “Our words and deeds count, and I just want to urge everyone watching to take note of my blunders. I didn’t do anything to minimize what I did. It counts,” he said.
He also issued an apology in a statement a few days before to the video, saying, “I’m embarrassed and sorry,” on February 5, 2021. “I wish I could take back the offensive and improper racial term I used. There are never justifications for using language like this. I wish to express my heartfelt regret for using the word. I swear to perform better.
