“I Can’t Do This Anymore”: Country Singer Confirms Retirement Following Final Album and Tour

While a comedian and actor, Benjamin Hoffman sought to establish himself as a country singer. Although many might know the Hoffman name, they know of the singer Wheeler Walker Jr., who happened to be the same person. Embracing his alter ego, Walker climbed the charts thanks to his debut country music album, Redneck Sh*t. He followed that album with Ol’ Wheeler, WW III, Sex Drugs & Country Music. After spending over a decade in the genre, Walker recently announced that 2027 will mark the end of his career. 

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With the music industry practically changing overnight with the surge of AI, Walker hoped to ride into the sunset before the technology completely took over. But not wanting to leave fans without a parting gift, Walker announced his last album, Pullin’ Out, will hit streaming platforms on September 25. 

In support of his new album, Walker will be hitting the road for one last trip. Calling it the Pullin’ Out: The Farewell Tour, the country singer will take the stage on October 15 for a string of shows in Austin, Boston, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Canada. But when it came to his final performance, he saved it for none other than the Ryman Auditorium. 

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Wheeler Walker Jr. Tired Of AI And People Named Chase

For fans looking to take part in the celebration, tickets for the Pullin’ Out: The Farewell Tour will go on sale starting Friday, June 12, at 10:00 a.m. His final performance is scheduled for May 15, 2027. 

As for Walker, he wasn’t letting rumors cloud his final tour. Making his opinion known, the singer insisted, “I can’t do this anymore. Every song in Nashville is written by twelve idiots named Chase about trucks they don’t own and farms they never worked on.” 

If the influx of people named Chase in Nashville wasn’t enough for Walker to pack his bags, he added, “I really don’t wanna be around when country music becomes fully AI, which sadly will be better than most of the crap they’re putting out now.” 

Unlike other artists who continue to warn about the dangers of AI, Walker appeared more concerned with what he sees as the current state of country music. And the singer made it clear that if country music’s future belongs to artificial intelligence, he’d rather bow out on his own terms.  

(Photo by Harmony Gerber/Getty Images)