Former Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider is sharing his two cents on the recent Beyoncé controversy. For those not in the know, Beyoncé recently launched two country songs “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.” A radio station garnered controversy for refusing to play the former at a fan’s request.
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Speaking with One America News Network, Schneider slammed Beyoncé for her new country music. He responded to a question by the host, “The lefties in the entertainment industry just won’t leave any area alone, right? They just have to seize control over every aspect, don’t they?”
Schneider had a crude analogy for Beyoncé and her attempt to break into country music.
“They’ve got to make their mark, just like a dog in a dog walk park,” Schneider said. “You know, every dog has to mark every tree, right? So that’s what’s going on here.” The actor positioned that Beyoncé’s attempt at country music is different from country artists like Shania Twain moving into other genres.
Schneider said he knows a bit about country music himself, saying, “I know a little something about country music.” Schneider was a bit of an outsider to the genre when he launched his music career. Famous for Dukes of Hazzard, Schneider began his music career in 1981 with a cover of Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now or Never,” which reached No. 4 on the charts. Schneider released 17 more songs on the Country Songs chart, score four No. 1s between 1981 and 1987.
John Schneider Garners Backlash from Beyoncé Fans
Schneider’s comments drew plenty of backlash from Beyoncé fans. Responding to the clip, several questioned Schneider’s logic.
One wrote, “Cross overs are not new. Paul McCartney released a country song 50 years ago (Country Dreamer and Sally G)…even the Stones had a huge country influence (Dead Flowers Far Away Eyes) so don’t understand this about Beyoncé unless it’s because she’s ….”
Another pointed that Schneider was in no place to lecture about country music. They wrote, “You can’t gatekeep genres especially ones you didn’t even create.”
Yet another said, “Imagine getting mad that a southern artist from Texas decided to go back to her roots. BTW This is not her first country song!!”
The Oklahoma-based KYKC-FM has since started playing “Texas Hold ‘Em,” explaining the snub was a misunderstanding. They didn’t realize that Beyoncé’ had created country music.
“Because we are a small station, we don’t get serviced by the big labels like bigger stations do,” Roger Harris, a general manager for South Central Oklahoma Radio Enterprise, said. “We have nothing against Beyonce…and we wish her the best in her foray into country music. We actually wish that artists WOULDN’T get boxed in to certain genres or formats. If it’s good music, it’s good music.”
[Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images]
