Country artist Adam Mac will no longer perform at the Logan County Tobacco & Heritage Festival after questions emerged about his sexuality.
“The last 24 hours have been a bit of a whirlwind,” Mac, 33, said in a Thursday, September 21, TikTok video. “As some of you may know, the Chamber of Commerce for Russellville, Kentucky, where I’m from, announced earlier this week that I would be headlining the annual Tobacco Festival.”
Mac claimed that he received a phone call on Wednesday, September 20, from one of the festival organizers who serves on the event board. “She explained to me that there were some board members and some people in town who had some questions about what kind of performance I would be putting on at the Tobacco Festival,” he alleged. “[They] wanted to ensure that I would not be promoting homosexuality or sexuality in a family-friendly environment.”
Mac, who publicly came out as gay after moving to Nashville at 22, confessed that he was unsure what attendees were “expecting” from his performance — aside from putting “on a hell of a show like we [usually] do.” (Mac’s set was initially scheduled to close out the fall festival on October 14.)
“It was made aware to me that there were people in the town that were very upset that they would have a gay person headline the festival,” he said. “To know that there are people who are angry that they asked me to come and perform in a town that I was raised in for 21 years of my life. And sure, they have the right to not listen to my music. … But what’s happening now is they are protesting, they’re showing up at the Chamber, they made comments online and to the Chamber that they will be holding protests at the show, which is just so disheartening.”
Mac wore Maren Morris’ “Lunatic Country Music Person” merch in the video, which she released last year in response to a Fox News diss about her LGBTQ+ allyship. He debated what was “the right thing to do” about his festival appearance.
“A part of me feels like it would be letting down the people that need to see me most there in that space and the people that were so excited for me to come home and put on a show,” he added. “It also feels like [if I don’t perform, then] I’m caving and letting those people win, which is not something I like to do.”
Mac ultimately decided that the “best way forward” was to cancel the show and allow organizers to book a less “controversial” act in his place. “I’m really sad about it,” he concluded. “I’m working on trying to figure out a way to do something else to make it right. I really, really wanted to be there.”
Logan County Tobacco & Heritage Festival organizers have not publicly addressed Mac’s claims nor revealed the replacement headliner for their “grand finale concert” next month.
Mac also shared his cancellation statement via Instagram, where he was met with support from several fellow country stars.
“You are loved. I’m sorry this happened but glad you’re sharing it here,” Morris, 33, replied, to which Mac sent back a tree and a fire emoji in an apparent nod to her new EP, The Bridge, about burning down the male-dominated industry.
Kelsea Ballerini also chimed in, writing, “This is heartbreaking and so disappointing. I’m really sorry. You’ve got your army in these comments 🤍.”
Mac later gushed that he was overcome with emotion after seeing his “fav ally queens” show up in his corner.
