“Struggling Country Singer”: The Time Sturgill Simpson Busked Outside the CMA Awards With His Grammy

Sturgill Simpson or Johnny Blue Skies, arguably gave the CMA Awards one of its most all-time reputable moments back in 2017. The best part is that Simpson wasn’t even in the building and by no means was applauding the institution for their work in country music. Matter of fact, he did just the opposite, and for a particular type of country music fan, the moment remains a cathartic scene as Simpson touched on what most were already thinking.

There are a lot of superlatives and adjectives one could attach to Simpson. However, neither he nor his followers seemingly like to pigeonhole his talents and persona into a robust box. So, in a general sense, the man is unapologetically himself. And he gave the world a refreshing dose of this genuine manner when he busked outside the 2017 CMA Awards.

Sturgill Simpson & His Grammy Award

Earlier that year, Simpson had won a Grammy for Best Country Album of The Year thanks to his album, A Sailor’s Guide To Earth. However, despite his Grammy win, Simpson and his album were not nominated for a single CMA. To say the least, that is surprising and to some, possibly even criminal. The nominees for CMA Album of The Year in 2017 were Jason Isbell, Lady A, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, and Little Big Town.

Given this snub, Simpson being Simpson was not going to go quietly or make it about himself. So, he took to Broadway with his guitar, his Grammy, and two signs that read the following: “I don’t take requests but I take questions about anything you want to talk about…because fascism sucks” and “‘Struggling Country Singer’”…Anything helps. All donations go to the ACLU. God Bless America.”

It is unclear as to what exactly Simpson was trying to get at with some of the signs’ language. Though, given the time frame in which this transpired, one could surmise what current events the comments pertained to. What he did make very clear was his absence from the awards show. He said to bystanders that evening, “Finally made it, guys, big show” and “They were all out of seats, I couldn’t get a ticket. So I thought I’d come down here and play some country music, since we’re celebrating it this evening in Nashville, Tennessee,” per Variety.

It’s moments such as this one that separates Simpson from other artists. It also creates the dichotomy between what makes a musician a performer versus what makes them an artist. Surely, after listening to Simpson’s music and reading this story, you can guess which category he fits into. To this day, the moment is a breath of fresh air for a certain demographic of country music fans.

Photo by Steve Jennings/FilmMagic