Nashville A-lister Tim McGraw recently announced plans to headline a show this summer in Hartford, Conn., called the Concert for Sandy Hook Promise. According a release from the country singer, all proceeds will benefit a nonprofit organization that carries out "a mission of protecting children from gun violence," created after the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012.
Now, McGraw (along with his openers Billy Currington and Chase Bryant) has received backlash from gun-rights advocates, especially as blog posts with the following headlines started making the rounds:
"Country Singers Tim McGraw, Billy Currington Headlining Gun Control Fundraiser"
"Tim McGraw Concert to Benefit Anti-Gun Group"
"Tim McGraw Poised to 'Dixie Chick' Himself With Gun Control Benefit Concert"
It turned into a typical social media flood, but the reaction wasn't all negative -- many also applauded the singers and jumped in to clarify that it was not an anti-gun concert. The concert benefits the community affected by the tragedy in which 20 children and six teachers were shot and killed. McGraw's fiddle player, Dean Brown, is a close friend of Mark Barden, whose 7-year-old son Daniel was killed in the attack.
"Out of this tragedy a group was formed that made a promise to honor the lives lost and turn it into a moment of transformation," McGraw said in a statement. "Sandy Hook Promise teaches that we can do something to protect our children from gun violence. I want to be a part of that promise -- as a father and as a friend."
McGraw's rep said the singer has no comment about the backlash to the concert. As angry comments streamed into McGraw's Facebook page and Twitter mentions, veteran country singer Travis Tritt initially jumped into the social media fray; though he later retweeted another link that clarified the story. The National Rifle Association also got involved.
A sample of other tweets:
"I really hope their pay check from this one show will cover all of the fans they have alienated from this concert."
"TimMcGraw--billycurrington Hope you literally break a leg at the anti gun concert. Shame on you both."
"TheTimMcGraw Do you not support the United States Constitution in its entirety? The constitution includes the Bill of Rights. All or none"
Opening acts Currington and Bryant have received some nasty comments on Twitter and Facebook. Both singers are in the lineup for McGraw's forthcoming Shotgun Rider Tour, which runs June 5 through Sept. 19 and is scheduled to stop at North Little Rock's Verizon Arena on June 5.
Hartford was previously listed as a scheduled tour stop earlier this year, although there wasn't a date announced until last week -- so it appears the concert was already on the schedule and later turned into the Sandy Hook Promise benefit.
Some also called out the "hypocrisy" of the tour name, which is the title of McGraw's latest single -- all about how he's in love with the woman riding "shotgun" in the passenger seat.
Style on 04/21/2015