Comedic country singer Wheeler Walker Jr. blasted popular country artists last week, including Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean, in profanity-laced tweets before he deleted his Twitter page earlier this week.
Back on Jan. 16, Walker began tweeting “F–” and tagging Aldean, Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Thomas Rhett, Midland, Brett Young, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney and Dan and Shay in individual tweets.
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Walker, the professional name of actor and comedian Ben Hoffman, started the parade of tweets with his opinion on the state of country music.
“Country music is dead and f– gone. Anyone who tries to make real country music in 2019 needs to have their head examined,” Walker wrote.
He continued, “Number 1 on the charts? Dan and Shay. They shouldn’t be breathing, much lass making music. Not sure what they’re making, but it sure as f– ain’t country music. Putin, please drop a bomb on the CMA’s and get it f– over with already. I will not be making another country record. Waste of f– time.”
After that last tweet about quitting country music, Whiskey Riff took Walker at his word, reporting that the musician was quitting the business. Walker later retweeted that message, adding “Fake news. F– you [Whiskey Riff].”
While it is hard to tell if Walker was serious with his long list of “F–” tweets to country stars, he has been open about his distaste for modern country music. However, he still opened for Kid Rock last year.
“…Because I play real country music, I’m not going to get played on country radio,” Walker told The News & Observer in August. “I’m an independent artist, so I don’t have the giant machine behind me to get my music onto country radio, but I have yet to hear one good argument as to why I should clean up my songs. Sometimes an agent or manager will bring up releasing one of my songs cleaned up for radio, just to see what it could do commercially, but I really haven’t heard a good plan on what a clean song could really help me do.”
However, Walker said he is not interested in “saving” country music. He accepted opening for Kid Rock because it gave him the opportunity to play in big venues. He has not played with other mainstream artists since his profanity-laced music would not be appropriate for family-friendly shows.
“First of all, I don’t give a (expletive) about saving country music; I’m doing the best I can,” Walker said. “In that aspect, I look at all of these great country artists selling out huge venues that I’d love to play with, but they’re all family friendly.”
Walker, who released his third album WWIII in November, deleted his Twitter profile earlier this week after he sparked outrage with his response to the viral video of a Kentucky high school student and a Native American veteran.
“I know I have fans in Paris Hills, Ky. If you know this little s–, punch him in the nuts and send me the video of it and I’ll send you all my albums on vinyl, autographed,” Walker wrote, along with a screenshot of student Nick Sandmann.
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