Wallen canceled show due to vocal issues
A Mississippi woman is suing Morgan Wallen over a last minute sold out concert that was canceled Sunday (Apr 23rd) night in Oxford. The suit comes after the country star displayed a video message stating he had lost his voice and couldn’t perform, minutes before he was set to take the stage at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on his One Night at a Time Tour. Openers Bailey Zimmerman, Hardy and Ernest had already performed when the message appeared on the stage screens and Instagram.
“After last night’s show I started losing my voice so I spent the day resting up, talking to my doctor and working through my vocal exercises trying to get better,” the message reads. “I really thought I’d be able to take the stage and it kills me to deliver this so close to showtime, but my voice is shot and I am unable to sing. All tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. I am so sorry, I promise you guys I tried everything I could.”
Brandi Burcham is taking Wallen to court in what she hopes will turn into a class action complaint for “all persons in the United States” who purchased tickets to the show and “were not provided a refund and reimbursed for incurred expenses as a result of the cancellation, including transportation, lodging, food, merchandise sales, transaction fees, and other such expenses.” In her complaint, Burcham accuses the country star of “wanton and reckless misconduct” and for not receiving a refund at the time of filing.
The complaint also states that “the Class is comprised of more than 30,000 members geographically dispersed throughout the United States” with the names and addresses “available from records available to Wallen and the University of Mississippi, and class members may be notified of the pendency of this action by recognized, court-approved notice dissemination methods.”
The action involves common questions including whether Wallen had breached his contract; whether he’s required to give a refund and reimburse all related expenses as a result of the cancelation, rather than ticket prices only; and whether members of the suit are entitled to damages, costs, or attorneys’ fees as well as compensatory damages.
Wallen has not publicly spoken about the suit. He has postponed three more shows this week due to his vocal issues. Wallen was set to perform in Grand Rapids, WI; Moline, IL; and Lincoln, NE this weekend, but has been ordered to go on vocal rest to fully recover.
“Y’all know how important my fans are to me, so I feel horrible about this news,” he shares on social media. “There’s nothing more I want to do than be on stage playing for you guys. But as of today, I’m on doctor-ordered vocal rest and we have to reschedule this week’s shows. I appreciate and understand everything you do to get to my shows, so it would be unfair of me to put on a show that I know will not be 100%. I’m doing everything I can to speed up the process of getting to that 100% mark.”
The Grand Rapids date has been rescheduled for June 27th, Moline for September 8th and Lincoln for September 9th. All tickets will be honored for the new dates with fans unable to attend to receive refunds at their original point of purchase.
It’s unclear if the canceled Oxford show will be rescheduled.
