Mark Chesnutt Defends Sammy Kershaw: ‘The CMA Doesn’t Care About Us Old 90s Guys Anymore’
“Anything but country music gets the performance spots on the show.”
Mark Chesnutt, Sammy Kershaw; Photos Provided
Mark Chesnutt is speaking out in support of fellow ’90s country star Sammy Kershaw after Kershaw claimed the Country Music Association (CMA) denied his request to walk the red carpet at the upcoming 60th Annual CMA Awards.
Chesnutt, who rose to fame around the same time as Kershaw in the 1990s, shared a lengthy statement on Facebook criticizing the CMA and its treatment of veteran country artists.
“So Sammy Kershaw won’t be allowed to walk the red carpet at the the big CMA Awards. Well that’s about right. The CMA doesn’t care about us old 90s guys any more. It’s a shame they don’t respect the stars that dominated the charts in the past thirty years or before that but they sure roll out the welcome mat for pop stars and Hollywood movie stars and even hip hop artists,” he wrote. “Anything but country music gets the performance spots on the show.”
Chesnutt went on to compare the country music industry’s approach to honoring its history with that of rock ‘n’ roll, arguing that the genre should show more appreciation for the artists who helped shape it.
“Rock n Roll honors its history and respects its legends while country music industry executives seem to ignore its rich history and its legends,” he added. “Thank God there’s still a lot of people that love traditional country music. They keep coming to our shows and showing their love and respect for the music we’ve made for nearly forty years now and we’ll keep working for them and not for those who don’t matter to US!”
At the time of publication, Chesnutt’s Facebook post had been live for just about 40 minutes and had already received more than 10,000 likes and over 1,300 comments.
Chesnutt isn’t the only country artist coming to Kershaw’s defense.
Riley Green, Carly Pearce, Drew Baldridge, Meghan Patrick, and others shared their thoughts on Kershaw’s Instagram post.
“If you haven’t earned the right to be there then nobody has… disappointing to say the least,” Green wrote.
“Many of us wouldn’t be here without artists like you,” Pearce pointed out.
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Sammy Kershaw began his country music career in 1991 with the release of his debut album, Don’t Go Near the Water. He quickly made a name for himself with a string of hits, including “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “I Can’t Reach Her Anymore,” “National Working Woman’s Holiday” and “Love of My Life.”
A GRAMMY-nominated, multi-platinum-selling artist, Kershaw has earned six Gold and five Platinum albums, with millions of records sold worldwide.
In his post, Kershaw shared how deeply the situation affected him, admitting, “I’m pretty sad about it.”
He also pointed to his decades-long career, chart success and history with the CMA as reasons he believes he should have been given the opportunity to walk the red carpet with his wife.
“After more than 50 years in this business, many millions of records and singles streamed and sold, more than two dozen Billboard charted hits, a CMA Horizon Award nomination, being a lifetime CMA member, that they presented to me in 1992, and being asked to donate my time to play CMA Fest, I would hope I’ve earned the opportunity to walk the red carpet alongside my wife, as we’ve done before.”
The CMA has yet to publicly respond to Kershaw’s claims.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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