Sturgill Simpson, country musician, blasts ‘hegemony and fascism’ in Nashville, mocks gun owners

During an open-air performance Wednesday night in Nashville, musician Sturgill Simpson blasted the mainstream country-music industry for “hegemony and fascism” and made comments suggesting the genre’s fan base is largely anti-gay and racist.

He also seemed to blast gun-rights advocates with a crack about how “nobody needs a machine gun.”

Mr. Simpson’s remarks were made Wednesday night while the televised CMA Awards were underway in the nearby Bridgestone Arena. A fan livestreaming Mr. Simpson’s busking on Facebook had requested he deliver a mock award-acceptance speech, Variety magazine reported.

“Nobody needs a machine gun, and that’s comin’ from a guy who owns quite a few guns,” Mr. Simpson said, Variety reported.

“Gay people should have the right to be happy and live their life any way they want to and get married if they want to without fear of getting drug down the road behind a pickup truck,” he added. “Black people are probably tired of getting shot in the streets and being enslaved by the industrial prison complex. Hegemony and fascism is alive and well in Nashville, Tennessee. Thank you very much.”

While he did not explicitly suggest country music fans disagree with his sentiments, the alt-country singer further seems to have intended to tweak conservative country fans with a sign placed by guitar case pledging to donate any money he earned from busking to the ACLU.

Mr. Simpson’s sidewalk commentary was decidedly more pointed than remarks delivered inside the Bridgestone Arena Wednesday night.

Emcees Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood did poke fun at President Trump with a parody song, “Before He Tweets,” but the program was otherwise apolitical, beginning with a tribute to the slain and the wounded from the mass shooting in Las Vegas.

“The best thing we can do is acknowledge it, pay our respects, and then perform this music and use this music for what it’s best at, which is unifying and giving us joy and finding the light here,” Mr. Paisley said as he opened the CMA Awards, People magazine reported. “I think that’s really what we want to do.

“This year’s show is dedicated to all those lost and all those still healing,” he said. “We love you and we will never forget you.”