Morgan Wallen’s This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen is set to open in Nashville over Memorial Day weekend. However, you won’t be seeing the singer’s name on the outside of the building, thanks to a decision from Nashville’s Metro Council.
According to WZTV, the city council collectively voted to reject a 20-foot sign advertising the singer’s bar on the side of the building on Tuesday (May 21).
“I don’t want to see a billboard up with the name of a person who’s throwing chairs off of balconies and who is saying racial slurs,” at-large Council member Delishia Porterfield states (quote via the Tennessean).
Wallen was arrested after allegedly throwing a chair off the roof of Eric Church‘s Chief’s bar in downtown Nashville on April 7. He faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from that incident, which is part of a long pattern of legal and personal trouble for the singer.
Morgan previously faced arrest on May 23, 2020, after he was kicked out of Kid Rock‘s bar in downtown Nashville for reportedly kicking glass items inside the establishment. Prosecutors later dropped charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct.
In February of 2021, Wallen was caught on camera using the N-word, which he later admitted happened at the tail end of a 72-hour drinking bender. That resulted in widespread condemnation and career consequences for Wallen.
According to the Tennessean, Nashville’s council voted 30-3 to deny the installation of Wallen’s new bar sign. Whenever a sign is situated over a public right of way — in this case, the sidewalk — the council has to vote to approve or deny.
“He gives all of us a bad name,” says Metro Council member Jordan Huffman. “His comments are hateful, his actions are harmful and he don’t belong in this town as far as I’m concerned. I’m tired of this city bending over to just make anybody happy that makes a comment that they want to. We continue to go down this road.”
Morgan Wallen’s bar is located at 107 Fourth Avenue North, adjacent to the Ryman Auditorium.
Wallen turned to social media weeks after his most recent arrest to accept responsibility for his actions:
Wallen is next set to appear in court in Nashville on Aug. 15. He faces three Class E felony charges of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon and one count for disorderly conduct, a Class C misdemeanor.
