The former member of Drive-By Truckers and his wife decide to return their Country Music Association memberships after the organization failed to pay tribute to John Prine at awards show.
- November 14, 2020
AceShowbiz - Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires have relinquished their Country Music Association (CMA) memberships after the organisation apparently failed to recognise the deaths of John Prine and others at the 2020 awards show.
In a statement on Twitter, Isbell insisted the "failure to mention John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Billy Joe Shaver at the CMA's" was behind the pair's decision to "return our membership cards."
Prine died in April (20) at the age of 73 after he contracted the coronavirus in March and, while late country stars Charlie Daniels, Kenny Rogers, and Joe Diffie each received tributes, Prine, along with Walker and Shaver, did not.
Fellow country music artist Greg Freeman asked Isbell if he would consider staying on in order to work on change from within the institution, explaining that, "Calling it quits might not shake things up. Using your power as an influential artist and voting member could, though."
However, Isbell was unconvinced, writing, "I feel my energy is best spent elsewhere," with officials remaining adamant in a statement to Fox News that "The CMA Awards broadcast historically does not include an In Memoriam segment."
"An In Memoriam did air in 2017 to honor the victims of the tragic shooting at Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas," they shared. "In order to recognize those we have lost each year, the CMA does include an In Memoriam tribute on our website and in our annual CMA Awards Program Guide, which was mailed to CMA members ahead of this year's broadcast."
"To note, this year's In Memoriam includes those lives lost prior to the program guide's printing deadline of October 14, 2020."
