NRA
Country's list of partnered artists once included everyone from Luke Bryan (Former Buck Commander) and Blake Shelton to Thomas Rhett and Florida
Georgia Line. Before it vanished last week, the list featured 37 artists.
After
an update on March 16, 2018 the list of talent currently partnered with or
connected to NRA Country -- the initiative anchored on the cultural ties
between the NRA and country music -- is absent, and no mention of any
affiliated artists can be found save for the "Events" section
offering details for scheduled performances. None of the artists Rolling Stone
reached out to had been made aware of the change, which eliminated NRA
Country's "Featured Artist" distinction entirely from the current
site design and signaled a shift in the campaign's messaging. See Billboard Article
 |
| NRA Country LOGO |
Most
of these artists' names appeared on the website after agreeing to one-off cross-promotions in which the
artists received free marketing and publicity from the NRA in exchange for the
NRA's continued ability to promote their association with a growing list of
prominent country music celebrities.
"NRA
Country did a great job at marketing themselves as being about gun
safety," says an industry veteran. "A lot of artists signed up
without really thinking about how actions have consequences."
Over
the past five years, many of NRA Country's most prominent artists have
disappeared from the website during similar periods of heightened scrutiny.
In
the spring of 2013, a few months after the Sandy
Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, Blake
Shelton and Luke "Huntin’ Fishin’ Lovin Everyday" Bryan's name disappeared from the
organization's website.
Hundreds
of thousands of students and their parents (over 850K) descended on the U.S.
capital on Saturday (March 24) to protest gun reform and safety in the wake of
the Florida shooting incident and demanded gun control in the nationwide March for Our Lives movement.
Remember
Parkland! Remember Sutherland Springs! Remember Las Vegas! Remember Orlando!
Remember Charleston! Remember Sandy Hook! Remember Virginia Tech! Remember
Columbine!
ICYMI: today we took to the streets of Washington, DC to demand that we end gun violence and mass shootings in our schools and communities. This is just the beginning https://t.co/f0sYVWeA51— March For Our Lives (@AMarch4OurLives) 24 March 2018
The Beatles’ Paul McCartney joins #MarchForOurLives in memory of John Lennon. "One of my best friends was killed in gun violence." pic.twitter.com/ulu24LWRcB— Aidin Vaziri (@MusicSF) 24 March 2018
NRA COUNTRY Recent times:
"Guns & Roses" artist Drew Baldridge was chosen as NRA Country’s Featured Artist for Oct 2017, See promo Video:
Gretchen Wilson was NRA Country’s
Featured Artist for June 2017 (See Blog).
Aaron Watson was NRA Country's
Featured Artist in March 2017 (See Blog)
Country
To Country 2018 Festival artist and rising country star Luke Combs was NRA Country’s Featured Artist for November 2016. “I am so proud to be named an NRA Country
artist,” said Combs in a press release. “I love
what they stand for especially supporting our troops. I will always be there to do anything I can
to help the men and women who serve this great nation. I am Luke Combs and I am NRA Country.”
http://eepurl.com/coZxOD
SMO was chosen as NRA
Country’s Featured Artist in July 2016 (See Blog)
Nobody can accuse Brantley Gilbert of being anti-gun rights, but in an article about country music's relationship with gun culture, the singer revealed the surprising reason he refused to officially partner with NRA Country. Gilbert is one of country music's loudest voices when it comes to gun ownership and the importance of supporting the Second Amendment.
He even has a massive, all-encompassing back tattoo of the Second Amendment, featuring two large pistols aimed downward, followed by the text of the amendment. Even the UKs Country King and Radio 2 presenter Bob Harris (OBE) jokingly spoke of visiting Gilbert's tattooist following Brantley's 2nd appearance at the C2C Festival in London.
In
May 2016 world-class country vocalist Brett
Eldredge made waves at The Belvedere at Waterfront Park in Louisville,
Kentucky with special guest Jana Kramer
for the NRA COUNTRY JAM, (See Blog) presented by historic
firearm manufacturer Colt’s
Manufacturing Company LLC. Prior NRA Country Jam performers included
country stars Hank Williams, Jr., Colt Ford, Craig Morgan, Eli Young Band,
Jerrod Niemann, Joe Nichols, Kevin Fowler
and Trace Adkins.
As
an NRA Country Featured Artist, Hank
Williams, Jr. joined some of country music’s biggest acts including Florida
Georgia Line, Lee Brice, Frankie Ballard, Love and Theft, Easton Corbin, Eric
Paslay, Craig Morgan, Chase Rice, The Swon Brothers, Jon Pardi, Montgomery
Gentry, Blackberry Smoke (NRA
Country Featured Artist Sept 2015), LOCASH and many more in teaming up to
celebrate their support of our brave men and women in uniform, appreciation for
the great outdoors, and love of family. -
Accomplished
singer/songwriter and proud US Navy SEAL, Pete
Scobell, was chosen as NRA Country’s Featured Artist for July 2015.
Every year since 1972, country music fans have made a pilgrimage to Nashville, Tennessee, for the Country Music Association's 4-Day CMA Music Festival. In 2017 with 11 stages and at the epicentre of country music, at the corner of Broadway and 4th Avenue in Nashville, hung an NRA Country banner looming over all.
In
April 2017 the now shuttered Webster
Public Relations announced the signing of NRA Country to its roster for publicity representation. “I am
pleased to announce a partnership with NRA Country,” said the firm’s former
disgraced president and Nashville publicist, Kirt Webster. “Many of our artists
have had long-standing relations with NRA Country, and I look forward to representing
their brand and bringing information about them to the masses.”
NRA
Country put on different events that promoted their partnership with the format
– NRA’s Country Jam: Story Behind The
Song was one of those. Singer-songwriters that participated included newly
Grand Ole Opry inductee Chris Janson
(“Buy Me A Boat”), Josh Thompson
(“Way Out Here”), Lindsay Ell
(“Worth The Wait”), and songwriter Cary
Barlowe (Lady Antebellum’s “American Honey”). See Press release
In
October 2015 NRA Country excitedly partnered with Bass Pro Shops to bring live
music to the 10-day World’s Hunting & Waterfowl Festival from Bass Pro
Shops at the Pyramid in downtown Memphis,
Tennessee.
The event, which ran October 16th through the 25th, offered family
entertainment, outdoors seminars and sales on outdoors merchandise. Country
music duo Big & Rich brought their high energy and hit-packed show to the
NRA Country Stage for a free outdoor concert sponsored by Raymond James. Other
artists lined up to entertain festival attendees included: Mo Pitney (10/20), Tim
Dugger (10/21), Liz Moriodo and Matt Stillwell (10/22). - http://eepurl.com/bBMyZP
Rachele Lynae, Doug McCormick, Jacob Powell, Josh Thompson, Logan Brill, Josh Dorr, Aaron Goodvin, Ricky Gunn, Cheryl LuQuire, Morgan Mills, Todd O'Neill, Sarah Ross, Keni Thomas, Emerald Blue, Bucky Covington, Jacob Davis, Tim Dugger, JJ Lawhorn, Chancie Neal, Abbi Scott, Andy Velo, Crawford County, Phoenix Drive, Radio Romance, Zach Dyer, Matt Jordan & Levi Riggs.
Photo (L) NRA Country Girl Morgan Mills
Facebook Photo: 'On Location' host Morgan Mills! #CountryGirl #NRACountry
UK
crowd favourite singer/songwriter Drake
White was chosen as NRA Country’s
Featured Artist for October 2015. "The knowledge, confidence and
responsibility that comes with being an accomplished hunter has no doubt armed
me with the character that this world requires to be called a man,” said White.
“I am Drake White and I am NRA Country.”
Others
who have landed Featured Artist spots or associations with NRA Country include:
Lucas Hoge, Lee Brice, Tara Thompson,
Craig Morgan, Craig Campbell, William
Michael Morgan, Jerrod Niemann, Ronnie Dunn, Hank Williams Jnr. (Artist of the Month; Jan 2016), Chuck
Wicks, LoCash, Heidi Newfield (NRA Country Artist of
the Month Oct 2012 Countrys Chatter
NRA Feature | www.rttnews.com), Jon Pardi, Frankie Ballard,
Colt Ford, Justin Moore (Artist of the Month Feb 2016), Thomas Rhett, Kevin Fowler,
Tyler Farr, Tate Stevens (The X Factor winner in 2012), Love and Theft and TV personality Storme Warren.
 |
| Justin Moore - Photo Credit: Big Machine Records |
Sunny Sweeney Former
NRA Country Artist? www.nracountry.com/sunny-sweeney
Before the CMA Awards Nov 2017 ceremony, the CMA threatened to remove journalists asking about the Las Vegas shooting. Despite a reversal, it raised questions about the industry’s close connections with the NRA
Read
More: www.theguardian.com
Outside of NRA Country, which began in 2010, gun culture has been inextricable from country music from its inception and continues to figure prominently in many acts’ material. Miranda Lambert sang about getting “the first buck of the season".
According to the Congressional Research Service, as of 2009 there were roughly twice as many guns per capita in the United States as there were in 1968: with more than 300 million guns in all.
The mass shooting in Las Vegas on Oct 1, 2017 between 10:05 and 10:15 p.m. PDT was officially deemed the deadliest in American history, but tragic events like this one have become all too common. At this point, according to Vox, there are more guns than people in the United States, an overwhelming statistic for those hoping to curb gun violence with new regulations.
In
2015, The Washington Post estimated the number of firearms nationwide at 357 million. That's already a
staggering figure, but it becomes even more so when compared with the country's
population, which at that time was 317 million.
That
gives Americans the highest rate of per capita firearm ownership in the
world, with about one gun for every American. But that's rather misleading
with just 3% of American adults who own a collective 133 million firearms (around 37%).
When
the shooting began, at the Route 91
Harvest music festival country singer Jason
Aldean was giving the closing performance. Born in Macon, Ga., Aldean has
always had a passion for country music. Easily recognizable name in the Country
Music world, when he's not selling out stadium shows and breaking attendance
records, he could be found hanging out with the Buck Commander crew. As an official Buckman, Jason shared his zeal
for hunting and the outdoors through the Buck Commander videos and TV show.
See More www.buckcommander.com
See More www.buckcommander.com
Taylor Swift gets political for March For Our Lives Rally
Meanwhile
former country superstar Taylor Swift
offered up her support to the students planning to march in Washington, D.C. on
Saturday (24Mar18), insisting no kid should have to go to school in "fear
of gun violence".
The
singer, who is coming the UK in May & June (4 Dates; Swansea [BBC Music's Biggest Weekend],
Manchester, Dublin & London), made her rare
political statement via Instagram on Friday (March 23),
revealing she had made a big donation to the March For Our Lives movement,
which was launched after the Parkland high school massacre in Florida last month
(Feb18).
Sharing
the March For Our Lives logo on Instagram, Swift wrote: "No one should
have to go to school in fear of gun violence. Or to a nightclub. Or to a
concert. Or to a movie theater. Or to their place of worship.
"I've
made a donation to show my support for the students, for the March For Our
Lives campaign, for everyone affected by these tragedies, and to support gun
reform.
"I'm
so moved by the Parkland High School students, faculty, by all families and
friends of victims who have spoken out, trying to prevent this from happening
again."
Hundreds
of thousands of students and their parents are expected to descend on the U.S.
capital on Saturday to protest gun reform and safety in the wake of the Florida
shooting incident.
Taylor's
pal Selena Gomez also backed the
campaign online, writing: "Protect kids, not guns!
#MarchForOurLives."
About
March For Our Lives is a movement
dedicated to student-led activism
around ending gun violence and the
epidemic of mass shootings in our schools today. On March 24, 2018 we took to
the streets to demand that our safety become a priority.
General Information
The
March For Our Lives Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization. Donations to the
March For Our Lives Action Fund will cover all expenses associated with the
march taking place in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, March 24th. The funds will
also be used to fight for comprehensive gun safety legislation at the local,
state, and federal level, and will also include voter education, ballot
initiatives, and lobbying state legislatures and Congress to protect America’s
kids.
WEBSITE:
https://marchforourlives.com/
FACEBOOK:
www.facebook.com/marchforourlives
TWITTER:
https://twitter.com/AMarch4OurLives
In
Contrast the NRA Posted:
Contrary to what the #MSM is pushing, many American high schoolers do not blame school shootings on guns and don't argue the answer is tighter restrictions on everyone's #2A rights. #DefendTheSecond #NRA https://t.co/ijLdFm6ZOI— NRA (@NRA) 23 March 2018
The idea is to shift public opinion to such a point that something once socially acceptable – owning a gun – is now socially unacceptable. #2A #NRA https://t.co/zGO7NHn66t— NRA (@NRA) 23 March 2018
Digital Music News (Dated Feb 27, 2017) 37 Country Artists Who Still Actively
Endorse the NRA
As
part of the NRA’s community outreach efforts, the organization sponsors and
supports a significant group of country artists. The demographic match makes sense, and
artists need the money.
Accordingly,
on the NRA website, a total of 37 country artists are/ were publicly listed as
NRA advocates.
Here
are the 37 country artists that publicly endorse the NRA and receive funding
from the group.
The
group of artists that were proudly listed on the organization’s site (before deletion), many posed with guns and NRA hats.
Frankie Ballard dropped out but was
quickly replaced by another country talent, Drew Baldridge.
Trace
Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Frankie Ballard, Drew Baldridge (new), Lee Brice,
The Swon Brothers, Craig Campbell, Luke Combs, Easton Corbin, Tyler Farr, Colt
Ford, Kevin Fowler, Lucas Hoge, Angie Johnson,
Aaron
Lewis, LoCash, Love and Theft, Montgomery Gentry, Justin Moore, Craig Morgan,
Heidi Newfield, Jon Pardi, Eric Paslay, Michael Ray, Chase Rice, Pete Scobell,
Granger Smith, Big SMO, Blackberry Smoke
Tate
Stevens, Sunny Sweeney, Josh Thompson, Storme Warren, Aaron Watson, Drake White,
Chuck Wicks, Hank Williams, Gretchen Wilson
ABOUT NRA COUNTRY:
NRA
Country is a celebration of American values. Respect. Honor. Freedom. It’s a
lifestyle and a bond between the country music community and hard-working
Americans everywhere.
It’s powered by pride, freedom, love of country, respect for the military, and the responsibilities of protecting the great American life. We celebrate these values with concerts and other events that benefit gun safety programs for kids, youth hunting and education programs, efforts to support our armed services, and other worthy causes. NRA Country will be involved in causes that defend our values and it will empower our artist friends who promote these values to encourage our next generation of leaders.
It’s powered by pride, freedom, love of country, respect for the military, and the responsibilities of protecting the great American life. We celebrate these values with concerts and other events that benefit gun safety programs for kids, youth hunting and education programs, efforts to support our armed services, and other worthy causes. NRA Country will be involved in causes that defend our values and it will empower our artist friends who promote these values to encourage our next generation of leaders.
Get NRA
Country Connected at www.nracountry.com and get
the latest artist info and exclusive events on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
NOTE:
The National Rifle Association (NRA) is a formidable opponent, however, when it
comes to grass-roots organizing. It has more than 4 million members who feel
passionately about gun rights. Nearly 90 percent of NRA members oppose the
banning semi-automatic weapons.
A Brief History of the
NRA
Dismayed
by the lack of marksmanship shown by their troops, Union veterans Col. William
C. Church and Gen. George Wingate formed the National Rifle Association in
1871. The primary goal of the association would be to "promote and
encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis," according to a magazine
editorial written by Church.
After
being granted a charter by the state of New York on November 17, 1871, the NRA
was founded. Civil War Gen. Ambrose Burnside, who was also the former governor
of Rhode Island and a U.S. senator, became the fledgling NRA's first president.
An
important facet of the NRA's creation was the development of a practice ground.
In 1872, with financial help from New York State, a site on Long Island, the
Creed Farm, was purchased for the purpose of building a rifle range. Named
Creedmoor, the range opened a year later, and it was there that the first
annual matches were held.
Political
opposition to the promotion of marksmanship in New York forced the NRA to find
a new home for its range. In 1892, Creedmoor was deeded back to the state and
NRA's matches moved to Sea Girt, New Jersey.
The
NRA's interest in promoting the shooting sports among America's youth began in
1903 when NRA Secretary Albert S. Jones urged the establishment of rifle clubs
at all major colleges, universities and military academies. By 1906, NRA's
youth program was in full swing with more than 200 boys competing in matches at
Sea Girt that summer. Today, youth programs are still a cornerstone of the NRA,
with more than one million youth participating in NRA shooting sports events and
affiliated programs with groups such as 4-H, the Boy Scouts of America, the
American Legion, Royal Rangers, National High School Rodeo Association and
others.
In
1990, NRA made a dramatic move to ensure that the financial support for
firearms-related activities would be available now and for future generations.
Establishing the NRA Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization,
provided a means to raise millions of dollars to fund gun safety and
educational projects of benefit to the general public. Contributions to the
Foundation are tax-deductible and benefit a variety of American constituencies
including youth, women, hunters, competitive shooters, gun collectors, law
enforcement agents and persons with physical disabilities.
While
widely recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost
defender of Second Amendment rights, the NRA has, since its inception, been the
premier firearms education organization in the world. But our successes would
not be possible without the tireless efforts and countless hours of service our
nearly five million members have given to champion Second Amendment rights and
support NRA programs. As former Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulos said,
"Let me make one small vote for the NRA. They're good citizens. They call
their congressmen. They write. They vote. They contribute. And they get what
they want over time."
Sources
Read More | Pinterest/NRAofficial
