Morgan Wallen Quietly Replaced By Jon Pardi at Upcoming Country Music Festival

Morgan Wallen is living up to his promise to take some time away from the spotlight after coming under fire…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

October 14, 2020

Morgan Wallen; Photo by John Shearer

Morgan Wallen is living up to his promise to take some time away from the spotlight after coming under fire for his maskless weekend of partying in Alabama.

After being removed from his Saturday Night Live debut performance, the rising superstar has bowed out of the upcoming Charleston Country Music Fest, taking place Oct. 30-31.

According to a social media post from the festival, Wallen has been replaced by Jon Pardi on the lineup.

The upcoming socially distanced event will also feature Riley Green, HARDY, Mitchell Tenpenny, Ashland Craft and Tyler Braden.

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A post shared by Charleston Country Music Fest (@charlestoncmf)

The news comes after Wallen shared a heartfelt video apology on Instagram after he came under fire for partying maskless at various bars near the University of Alabama on the weekend of October 3. In his video message, the “More Than My Hometown” singer shared plans to use this as an opportunity to better himself.

“You know, I think I’ve lost myself a little bit,” he admitted. “I’ve tried to find joy in the wrong places, and, I don’t know, it’s left me with less joy. So I’m going to go try to work on that. I’m gonna take a step back from the spotlight for a little while and go work on myself.”

2020 has been quite an eventful year for Wallen. In June, he was arrested in Nashville for disorderly conduct, and in July, he surprised fans with the news that he is a father after welcoming a son with his ex-girlfriend, Katie Smith.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.