Shaboozey Went Viral For His Reaction During The American Music Awards
Shaboozey, known for his hit song “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” sparked the attention of countless fans on Monday night (May 26) when he presented an award at the American Music Awards. The AMAs were held on Monday, May 26th, at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
Hosted by Jennifer Lopez, the award show also featured performances from Blake Shelton, Lainey Wilson, Benson Boone, Alex Warren, Becky G, and Reneé Rapp. Gwen Stefani, Janet Jackson, and Rod Stewart performed medleys of their hits to honor different achievements and anniversaries. Stefani was celebrating 20 years of her debut solo album, while Stewart was being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Not only was Shaboozey up for seven awards, but he was also schedule to present an award during the live broadcast on CBS and Paramount+. He and fellow country singer Megan Moroney walked out on stage to present the award for Favorite Country Duo or group.
Shaboozey started the speech by saying, “Country music has been part of AMA history. The very first year of the show, the Favorite Male Country Artist went to the great Charley Pride.” The “Am I Okay?” singer added, “That same year, Favorite Female Artist went to Lynn Anderson, and this award [Favorite Duo or Group] went to The Carter Family, who basically invented country music.”
Shaboozey seemed to have been caught off guard with that sentence, because he seemed confused. He looked at her to the side, then back to camera, and let out a bit of a nervous or awkward laugh.
Fans Reacted To Megan’s Comment
Many fans began pointing out that while they helped make country music famous and bring it to the masses, The Carter Family did not “basically invent” country music.
The Carter Family began performing in 1927 and were country music’s first vocal group, but their success is large in part to an African American man named Lesley Riddle, a close friend of AP Carter’s. Riddle traveled around with AP collecting songs anywhere in between Tennessee and Virginia. Riddle would memorize melodies, while AP would write down the lyrics to the songs they heard in all the churches in these isolated towns. The Carter Family recorded many songs that Riddle composed or transmitted including “Cannonball Blues,” “Hello Stranger,” “I Know What It Means To Be Lonesome,” “Let the Church Roll On,” “Bear Creek Blues,” “March Winds Goin’ Blow My Blues Away” and “Lonesome For You.”
He taught a guitar technique to Maybelle Carter, who has always credited Riddle as a major influence on her style of picking. Fans seem to believe that Shaboozey was reacting to Moroney leaving out the influence that African Americans, and other races, had on the country music genre and that no one person or group can be credited for inventing it.
“This is so funny look at his facial expression and the laugh. Basically he’s telling her to stop lying girl,” one fan wrote online. Other fans tried to cut Moroney some slack because they knew she was reading off a teleprompter and had to say what the AMA writers wrote for her.
One fan wrote, “Love Shaboozey and his candid yet contained reaction. I also think folks ought to cut Megan some slack. Presenters at awards shows don’t write their own script. Their job is to read whatever it is the producers put in the teleprompter.”
Shaboozey Breaks Silence After Viral Moment
On Tuesday, May 27, Shaboozey made 3 posts on X, one of which he deleted five hours after it was posted. He first posted, “The real history of country music is about people coming together depsite their differences, and embracing and celebrating the things that make us alike.” His next post read, “When you uncover the true history of country music, you find a story so powerful that it cannot be erased..”
Finally, in a now-deleted X post, Shaboozey wrote, “Google: Lesley Riddle, Steve Tartar, Harry Gay, Defoe Bailey, and The Carter Family…”
He also commented on Moroney’s Instagram post, defending her.
“Just want to clear something up: my reaction at the AMAs had nothing to do with Megan Moroney! She’s an incredibly talented, hard-working artist who’s doing amazing things for country music and I’ve got nothing but respect for her,” he wrote. “I’ve seen some hateful comments directed at her today, and that’s not what this moment was about. Let’s not twist the message – she is amazing and someone who represents the country community in the highest light!”
