Garth Brooks has come under fire from some fans after the country singer said he would serve Bud Light despite the beer brand’s continued boycott.
Brooks, 61, said his new bar, Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk, will sell “every brand of beer” as it prepares to open soon in Nashville’s South Broadway District.
In an interview with Billboard published last week, The Dance singer said he wanted it to be “a place where you feel safe” and where “there are manners and people like each other.”
But since his comments, some of his fans have hit back, claiming they would “throw his records away” and “never attend one of his concerts again.”
Bud Light and its parent company Anheuser-Busch have been targeted by conservatives for months over their partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
In an interview with Billboard published last week, Brooks said he wanted his bar to be “a place where you feel safe.” Pictured: Brooks performs at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, on May 11, 2023
Dylan Mulvaney drinks a Bud Light in a video posted to the influencer’s Instagram on April 1
Brooks, 61, said his new bar, Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk, will sell “every brand of beer”
“I know this sounds corny,” said the father of three Billboard. “I want it to be the Chick-fil-A of honky-tonks… I want it to be a place where you feel safe, I want it to be a place where you feel there are ways and people like each other.’
He continued, “And yes, we’re going to serve every brand of beer. We are ordinary. It’s not our decision to make. Our thing is this, if you [are let] in this house, love one another.
“If you’re an asshole, there’s plenty of other places on Lower Broadway.”
Brooks was referring to the downtown artist-owned bars, including John Rich’s Redneck Riviera and Kid Rock’s Big A** Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse that have pulled Bud Light from their establishments due to its partnership with Mulvaney.
Fiery reactions poured online in response to Brooks’ comments.
Robert Cornicelli, who lost a Republican primary to New York Rep. Andrew Garbarino, said he would stop listening to the country star’s music.
“Country music star @garthbrooks has no tolerance for Bud Light boycotts, calls them “a**holes” and promises to serve the beer brand at his new Nashville bar,” Cornicelli tweeted.
“Now I’m removing every Garth Brooks song from my collection. NEVER AGAIN GARTH!’
Controversial: The choice came after Rich, 49, and Kid Rock, 52, both pulled Bud Light from their respective bars, following backlash from customers over the largest brewery’s disastrous partnership with Mulvaney
Bud Light was accused of alienating their traditional customer base by partnering with Mulvaney, which led many conservatives to boycott the brand
Garth Brooks performs onstage during the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater on March 14, 2019 in Los Angeles
Another account calling itself “HunterMAGA” said, “Patriots, I threw away my Garth Brooks music collection.
“And I will never attend one of his concerts again. #PatriotsAssemble.’
More accounts claimed they were throwing out the country singer’s music.
“My trash can is full…,” said one tweet. “I threw away everything that had Garth Brooks’s name on it.”
Another wrote, “You can take your “safe place” with your Bud Light and slide in. I’m not going there – never.
“You have not understood the situation. This is not about sexual orientation at all. This is a boycott of the socialist democrats.’
Another tweeter commented, “I was a huge fan of yours in the early 1990s, before you fell into the trap of being a star…,” before adding, “It was always about your fans. Now we’re “a******s” for boycotting Budweiser? Welcome to the boycott.
Country singer John Rich weighed in on Brooks’ comments. He told Fox news on Friday: ‘Garth Brooks has always been the guy who said ‘everyone comes to my show’.
“It’s something we love about Garth. You know, he makes his music for everyone. And that’s really what music is all about. You make your music for everyone. Beer is also for everyone.
“If Garth serves Bud Light in his bar, that’s fine. Garth can. Garth may find out that not many people are going to order it. And ultimately, you need to put things in your establishment that people are going to buy if you’re going to run a successful business. So maybe he’ll find out.’
Country singer John Rich weighed in on Brooks’ comments. He told Fox News on Friday, “Garth Brooks has always been the guy who said, ‘everyone comes to my show.'” Pictured: John Rich watches as Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin of Virginia speaks at a concert for his campaign on Oct. 27, 2021
Others praised Brooks for his comments and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Rep. Eric Swalwell said he’s ‘100 [percent] agree with @garthbrooks… love each other and don’t be an asshole… words to live by!’
A second tweet read: “Garth Brooks saying outright that transphobia will not be tolerated in the bar he is opening in Nashville is not surprising.
He has been an ally of LGBTQ people since the early 1990s. We know Garth is behind us.’
A third supporter said: “Garth has been a civil rights advocate for decades. Don’t be fooled as a giant of country music.
“Remember “We Can Be Free”…he wrote that civil rights song after the LA riots…Brooks was dropped from the Super Bowl in ’93 because they said the song and his views were too controversial. Garth has been an ally. This is not new.’
Brooks’ 1992 song We Can Be Free was hailed as a civil rights anthem against homophobia and racism.
Bug Light initially saw sales plummet in early April after 26-year-old Mulvaney appeared on a beer can to celebrate her 365th day as a girl — a TikTok series that made her popular.
Mulvaney posted a video of herself breaking open a Bud Light on her Instagram page on April 1.
She showed off the personalized can with her face on it – one of the many business freebies she gets and promotes to her millions of followers.
Bud Light was accused of chasing away their traditional customer base by partnering with Mulvaney, which led many conservatives to boycott the brand.
Bud Light’s CEO for North America, Brendan Whitworth, said on April 14, “It was never our intention to be part of a discussion that divides people. It’s our job to bring people together over a beer.’
Whitworth also said he would continue to focus on “building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage.”
Bud Light’s parent company said last month it will triple its marketing spending in the US this summer to boost ailing sales.