An alumnus of “America’s Got Talent” was kicked off of a tour after he posed in a Facebook post wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.
Benton Blount, a singer, was performing with his band as the opening act on the current concert tour of Billy Gibbons, a guitarist for ZZ Top.
But Blount found out he was booted from the tour after he posted the photo of himself online wearing the red “MAGA” hat, holding a Chick-Fil-A sandwich and drink, and wearing an “I Voted” sticker. The popular Chick-Fil-A fast food chain is owned by conservative Christians and does not open on Sundays.
My friend Benton Blount was banned from Facebook for 24hours for posting this “so called” CONTROVERSIAL photo on…
تم النشر بواسطة Jill White في الأربعاء، ٧ نوفمبر ٢٠١٨
In the caption, he wrote: “Someone reading this just got offended multiple times. My work here is done! #Vote.”
In another Facebook post, Blount said he soon got the news that he was no longer welcome to perform the opening gig.
“I was banned from Facebook (for 24 hours) and now I’ve just been banned from my opening spot on the Billy Gibbons tour. But suppression of Conservative opinion doesn’t happen and it doesn’t effect your career,” the singer posted.
In a Facebook Live video, Blount said that he was disappointed he was kicked off the tour.
I was banned from Facebook (for 24 hours) and now I’ve just been banned from my opening spot on the Billy Gibbons tour. But suppression of Conservative opinion doesn’t happen and it doesn’t effect your career!
تم النشر بواسطة Benton Blount في الأربعاء، ٧ نوفمبر ٢٠١٨
“Just had to break the news to my guys, who took off work, took off trips that they had, basically put their life on hold so they could come be a part of this tour,” he said.
“We were basically doing this for free,” he continued. “For the opportunity to travel around the country, to open for a great guy, a great musician. I have no idea where the actual pull came from. It doesn’t make any sense to me, and I can’t imagine being somebody that jaded that you wore a hat with an opinion that you didn’t like, and as a result, you didn’t really care about their career, their families, or anything that they committed to.”
“You proved a point. I don’t know if it’s the one you’re trying to get across,” he added.
The musician told Greenville News that he had completed four out of seven gigs for Gibbons, and he was informed only after driving from Greenville to Atlanta for a Nov. 7 show that his band would no longer be on the bill.
He hasn’t spoken with Gibbons since he made the post, he added. Gibbons’ management company didn’t respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
Blount is not the first person to receive backlash for wearing a MAGA hat. Other people have been bullied, fired, and verbally abused.
