This Miranda Lambert and Evan Felker Business
WARNING: Some Language
Yes, we’re going here. And hopefully now that all the celebrity gossip bullshit has been exhausted, we can clear the decks and be adults about it. Because despite the very obvious personal nature of this story and the underlying given that it’s none of our damn business who is banging who, there are some very real musical implications to this situation, and some very important points to make about how this story broke, or most importantly, how it didn’t break, for so long.
Go ahead and see the headline, and then navigate to the comments section and scream about what garbage it is this subject is being broached in the first place. But you’ll be glossing over the fact that this outlet, along with many of your other favorite outlets and journalists in the Texas music scene and beyond, sat on their hands for two weeks or more when they had this full story detailed and verified and didn’t say a peep, knowing all the while that US Weekly, TMZ, or some other celebrity gossip rag would abscond with the millions of clicks this news would generate that barring some massive, jarring death, will end up being the the biggest traffic-generating story in all of country music in 2018.
We sat on our hands not just because the story didn’t fit in the realm of “music” coverage, or because of the potential backlash it would cause by certain fans that would scream, “Mind your own business!” (but would click anyway). It’s because Even Felker was not just the member of a “Neo-folk music group” as US Weekly portrayed. He is and was a very private individual who never asked, nor deserves to be under the microscope of the salacious media for stuff that doesn’t affect anyone aside from the people close to him in his personal life.
And by the way, what the hell does “Neo-folk music group” even mean? This just underscores how the personal lives of these artists are dealt with as “content” and “product” by publishers who are often perfectly ignorant of who these people actually are.
If you’re a true country music fan, you don’t need any qualifiers to know who Evan Felker is. You don’t even need to be told he’s the frontman of the Turnpike Troubadours. This dude’s been soundtracking your life for the past decade. His songs sit as time stamps on some of the most important moments you’ve ever experienced, and they always will, regardless of how he gets dragged by the celebrity press, or dick kicked by Gwen Stefani Stans on social media.
“Neo-folk music group”? You can seriously fuck off with that. The Turnpike Troubadours are arguably the greatest country music band of the twenty teens, and it’s only because most country media is too busy sniffing its own farts in echo chambers and/or prattling to the mainstream industry that the Turnpike Troubadours and Evan Felker have been so criminally underrated for so long.
Ultimately this is a personal matter, but there are significant musical implications to this Evan Felker and Miranda Lambert story that do make it very relevant to music media. This could be huge for the Turnpike Troubadours. Yes, the same was surmised for Anderson East, and if any such benefits materialized, the effects were marginal. Undoubtedly Anderson received a boost in name recognition, which I’m sure translated into some more sales, streams, and bigger tour purses. But what East does is frankly outside of the country sphere, and only was relevant to what Miranda does by the proxy of “Americana.” And not to knock his music whatsoever, but what someone like Anderson East does will always be a niche thing, barring some crazy resurgence of interest in throwback blue-eyed R&B like we saw happen with the swing craze in the late 90’s.
Meanwhile the Turnpike Troubadours are the greatest living country band on the planet at the moment, yet nobody’s heard of them. They’re the first band you turn to when you want to show your pop country-listening buddy the power and potential of independent country music. Evan Felker and The Turnpike Troubadours are the reigning Saving Country Music Artist of the Year. The only reason it’s not self-evident to pop culture that Evan Felker is one of the greatest songwriters of our time is because so few people have heard of him in the grand scheme. And Miranda Lambert was helping with that problem even before whatever relationship may or may not exist right now was even on the radar.
That’s one of the reasons that in the last two years Miranda Lambert has become an incredibly important player in the attempt to save country music, and one of the reasons Saving Country Music has made a concerted effort to highlight those ongoing efforts, like taking the Turnpike Troubadours out on tour. And if you second guess that at all, just check the mantle of Jack Ingram, which now has a fresh ACM trophy sitting on it thanks to Miranda, not to mention the dozens of other songwriters she’s cutting songs with, or taking out on tour, or showing up to support live while most mainstream artists sit back in their mansions and media enclaves.
Saving Country Music was accused of both being horifically uninformed, and for fulling knowing of the relationship and trolling on April 9th when a story was posted on how Miranda Lambert had shown up to Floore’s Country Store in central Texas to take in a show featuring Tyler Childers and the Turnpike Troubadours. Tyler Childers is the artist Miranda Lambert posted about on Instagram, so that’s where the focus of the story went. Also important to note, Saving Country Music was supposed to be at that event to cover it. Because that’s what Saving Country Music does—it covers events for the Turnpike Troubadours. But credentials got 86’d last minute.
Despite the accusations that swirled, yours truly was completely in the dark about any relationship between Miranda Lambert and Evan Felker at that time. But that sure changed quickly as within an hour, links to public notices of divorces in Oklahoma, and even private text messages from Even Felker’s (soon to be) ex-wife’s phone landed in my inbox completely unsolicited.
And yet I sat on that info, as others did. Because fuck that shit. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to post something and openly struggled with the decision, and not just because it would have paid off six months of mortgage payments, and probably would have been the biggest story posted on this site in years. And everyone, including the people who will chirp about how even this long and winding dissertation is exploitative and opportunist, would have clicked, and clicked again.
The main frustration was that you just knew that when this story eventually broke, it would be written by people who don’t know anything about Evan Felker, or Miranda Lambert for that matter, or country music, and don’t have the insight into personalities to understand why such news could be callous and caustic, or incredibly important. If someone was going to break it, better that it be someone who doesn’t think the Turnpike Troubadours are a “Neo-folk music group.” And still, myself and others sat on our hands in hopes the story would get squashed in the womb, and meanwhile we’re now getting railed against for supposedly protecting infidelity that we for sure would exploit if it was some vilified pop country personality.
There’s no sugar coating it. None of our damn business or not, from a personal standpoint, yes, how all this went down looks bad for both Evan Felker and Miranda Lambert. If you want someone to defend this behavior, you’ve come to the wrong place. But that still doesn’t make it fair to put these people’s personal lives on trial in the court of public opinion when many of the facts are still unknown, such as if Evan Felker and his wife were already on the outs. And surprise surprise, the personal lives of musicians are just as messy as the rest of ours. Those who haven’t had a friend, or a family member, if not themselves be a party to similar behavior, feel free to cast the first stone.
And this truth wouldn’t be any different if this was some big, polarizing pop country star, unless that pop country star had been out there in the press portraying themselves as a beacon of virtue, similar to how Jason Aldean was doing in the press right before he was caught necking with his current wife Brittany Kerr in a California hot spot while he was married to another woman. But Miranda has never made herself out to be the prim and proper housewife. In fact she’s done the opposite in both her own material, and the songs of the Pistol Annies. Miranda’s kept her character persona in the public eye via her care of orphaned animals. And as for Evan Felker, we’ve never known enough about the guy to say he was being publicly disingenuous with us.
But one of the reasons messy personal situations always seem to swirl around musicians is because for a large part, musicians are messy people, at least most of the ones who are any good. Find a boring person, and they probably make a bad musician. Anyone paying close attention to the Turnpike Troubadours over the years knew about Felker’s battles with alcohol, which at times have played out on stage. And that’s right, Saving Country Music—who’s being accused of “sheltering” Felker now—was the one who had to deliver the ugly news.
When covering Evan Felker at a festival in Florida in February, I said of him, “Evan Felker is the everyman poet of our time. He possesses the ability to make his stories feel like all of ours, and somehow give those stories the same feelings we all feel during the momentous events in our lives. Incredibly insightful, just enough troubled to make him real, and plucked right out of the Heartland with an authenticity impossible not to love, he embodies everything you want from the frontman of your favorite band.”
The same virtues and gifts that make an artist like Evan Felker be able to offer incredible insight into life and make his stories seem like all of ours are the same burdens that often make every day a struggle for equilibrium in ways most of us cannot comprehend, and are unfair to judge. This is in no way a defense of indefensible behavior. But nobody will have to live deeper with the choices Evan Felker has made in his personal life than Evan Felker. The same goes for Miranda. Sure, maybe if Felker was out there selling his wedding photos to People Magazine, it would be perfectly fair to now use his personal life as gossip content. But all Evan Felker has ever wanted to do is write songs and share them with people. He’s terrible at selling his persona, and that’s why he continues to be so beloved by many fans, even through this current turmoil. He is real.
And the same goes for Miranda Lambert, and it shouldn’t be any different simply because she is a women. A few days ago, it was the 5th Anniversary of the death of George Jones. The Possum spent much of his life philandering and face down drunk, throwing shows or not showing up at all. He stole Tammy Wynette from her then husband by flipping over the dinner table as an invited guest. But today we cite all of these character flaws as if they’re redeeming qualities and chits of authenticity for George Jones. We’re proud of them as country fans. Again, nobody’s letting Miranda Lambert off the hook. If she made time with a man in a committed relationship, that was wrong. But that doesn’t give us a reason to hate her music, or gloss over all the times she was right, including the times she championed the music of Evan Felker, or Jack Ingram, or Ashley Monroe, Angaleena Presley, and others.
Perhaps the Evan Felker and Miranda thing will be nothing more than a passing fling and fizzle momentarily. Perhaps Felker will end up on the arm of Miranda on the CMA Awards red carpet, or walking down an aisle, and it will finally result in the Turnpike Troubadours receiving their due and the two will waltz into the Country Music Hall of Fame hand in hand.
Either way, it is the duty of all of us, as fans and journalists, to always take into consideration the personal implications of what we choose to say or do, and take stock of the necessity of it when it interfaces with the personal lives of artists, and the implications those actions might have. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a struggle to know what to do with the Miranda Lambert and Evan Felker story, seeing how it is ultimately not our business, but being frustrated by the way it’s being portrayed in celebrity gossip, and the misnomers swirling in the air about Evan, and the Turnpike Troubadours. I struggle with posting this now, fully knowing it will be called click bait and opportunistic even before people click on it.
Ultimately, artists give greatly of their personal lives to entertain us. The least we can do is not use their personal lives as our entertainment.
DarthChase
April 30, 2018 @ 8:11 am
If this was a Male artist sleeping with their female opening act….
Lisa Malone
April 30, 2018 @ 11:12 am
Name 1 Male artist that ruined 4 marriages like Miranda Lambert did. Go ahead, I Dare You….
Trigger
April 30, 2018 @ 11:21 am
You need to get boned up on your music history. The Country Music Hall of Fame is full of men who ruined multiple marriages, including Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, George Jones, and onward and upward.
KGD
April 30, 2018 @ 11:44 am
True story. Everybody romanticizes Johnny and June, but weren’t they BOTH married when they hooked up?
Gerald
April 30, 2018 @ 3:08 pm
Johnny Cash didn’t just hook up, he also shot a man in Reno and we still celebrate his music!
Amy
April 30, 2018 @ 1:03 pm
Amen Trigger! Really on every point!!
Taylor
April 30, 2018 @ 1:15 pm
Genuine question: How do you count 4? Blake’s first marriage, her marriage to Blake, and Evan’s marriage (all allegedly, we don’t know the real timeline of any of it). I’m probably just out of the loop, but what was the 4th marriage?
Ava
April 30, 2018 @ 1:38 pm
She also ruined her ex married tour manager Ryan s marriage.
JennyD
May 23, 2018 @ 5:05 pm
Please name the 4 marriages she allegedly ruined. Go ahead.
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 2:01 pm
Sigh. The structural power differentials between men and women make these kinds of comparisons absurd and irrelevant. (Why isn’t there a White Entertainment Network? Because that’s what all the other channels already are.)
Clint
April 30, 2018 @ 3:53 pm
She is the boss…so she has the power.
Karina
April 30, 2018 @ 9:51 pm
You’re exactly right, which is what makes this seemingly a case of sexual harassment with Miranda as the aggressor. It’s an imbalance of power. In the most recent People article covering this situation, a source said that Evan Felker was uncomfortable with the nature of the texts that Miranda was sending him at first, but he didn’t speak up because he knew that writing and touring with Miranda could be a boon to his career (and probably conversely he worried that offending her could have the opposite effect.) Miranda seems to me to be a predator.
CountryKnight
October 20, 2021 @ 7:24 pm
You are right.
That is why men are always getting screwed in family court. Women have all the power in today’s society when it comes to family and sexual relations.
Fat Freddy's Cat
April 30, 2018 @ 8:19 am
I guess it’s bad of me, but I was completely unaware of this story. I’m not going to bother looking it up either. As you say, how is it my business?
BK
April 30, 2018 @ 8:21 am
Only thing I can comment on this is………well said Trigger.
CountryKnight
April 30, 2018 @ 8:24 am
My only caveat would be that when things are flying high, many artists (like Miranda Lambert) have no issue sharing private details. Just look at all the Blake-Miranda happy times articles. But times become hard, they circle the wagons and ask for privacy. You can’t have it both ways.
At the end of the day, I really don’t care. Just as long as the Turnpike Troubadours’ music doesn’t suffer.
Trigger
April 30, 2018 @ 8:33 am
This is a very important point to make. Rita Ballou of KOKE makes this point often. If you sell your wedding photos to People Magazine like Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton did, don’t then turn around and expect your requests for privacy to be honored with the divorce.
My only caveat in this instance would be that Evan Felker never entered into that world. He’s not active on social media. He not broadcasting his personal life and using it as a way to market his music. In many ways he’s the exact opposite.
Rachel Robinson
April 30, 2018 @ 8:37 am
Sure, he’s a historically private person, but surely he is smart enough to realize what happens when you involve yourself, scandalously I might add with someone as famous as Miranda. That’s why I’m having a hard time feeling sorry for him.
mary
April 30, 2018 @ 11:09 am
Maybe Felker realized his marriage was a mistake from the get go…His ex is behaving childishly and poorly, he needs to man up and stop avoiding her…Miranda will be the focus of haters and the gossip columns no matter what she does or whom she dates..Blake’s people did a very effective hit job on her three years ago…Yet I still have a clear memory of Saint Gwen draping herself all over him on the Voice, while both were still married. They are all losers at love, but at least Miranda has talent, as does Felker..
Sam
April 30, 2018 @ 10:07 pm
No. No. Not going to let you state that. Shelton anf Stefani did not get together when they were married. He divorced in 7/2015. She was separated and divorce proceedings started in Oct. They dated at the same time as Miranda and East. THIS has nothing to do with Evan and her. And that young woman has every right to be hurt. Yes it’s their personal life. But don’t play the heartbreak card for 3 fracking years and not own your shit. Trigger you came make all the excuses you want. But she played the victim at others expenses.
Kat
May 2, 2018 @ 10:19 am
His ex is behaving poorly? I don’t blame her after being ghosted by her own husband for nearly 2 months! I’ve read remarks from fans about Evan’s drunken performances which show zero respect for the fans. Miranda is a fake with her “broken heart” remarks and we all get that including the poor children of R. Westbrook. Trigger always defends ML because he hates
Blake so much he has no ability to be fair or honest when it comes to him. I feel for Evan’s wife and I pray for her and yes, even for Evan to get a grip on his drinking issues.
Trigger
May 2, 2018 @ 10:33 am
Oh save it Kat. Take some time to understand what a “Stan” is, and how it’s an unhealthy state of mind. The only reason you know Evan Felker has had drinking problems in the past is because I reported on it. The idea that Felker has “zero respect” for his fans is ridiculous. And if I hate Blake so much, why did I praise his last record so much, calling it one of the best in the mainstream in 2018?
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/the-best-of-mainstream-country-music-in-2017/
Find a healthier hobby.
Kat
May 2, 2018 @ 10:36 am
Call the former Mrs. Westbrook and get her take on ML. Or go look at some of AE’s recent shade. B&G both had serial-cheating exes. I’m glad they are happy together and thank you Sam for your comment.
JennyD
May 23, 2018 @ 5:10 pm
I have no idea what happened between Westbrook and ML but you do realize that he and his wife are still together and the whole family was at a soccer game together a few weeks ago.
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 11:32 am
Come on now. Evan made his own bed when he CHOSE to cheat with Miranda. He’s a grown man and knew exactly what would happen.
This sudden let’s protect their privacy at all cost angle is very hypocritical. Miranda has used her private life for promtion her entire album cycle. At the ACMs she was still going on about her broken heart while she was screwing a married man.
The truth is Miranda just doesn’t give a shit. She was flaunting the affair on instagram with her I do whatever I want post. Good music will probably come out of this mess but neither Miranda or Evan need defending. The only reason their affair was kept under wraps is because they’re liked. If it was another couple they would’ve been given the Aldean treatment.
Trigger
April 30, 2018 @ 1:26 pm
I haven’t seen anyone say, “Let’s protect their privacy at all costs.” When I chose not to run this story originally, it wasn’t just to protect the privacy of Evan Felker and Miranda Lambert. The main person I was concerned about protecting was Staci Felker. I received a screenshot from her personal cellphone of a private text conversation from two separate people. And if I received it, I’m sure it was being passed around the internet like wild.
I’m not defending the actions of Evan Felker or Miranda Lambert. But to attack me over their actions seems a little harsh. I did the best I could to navigate a very difficult situation.
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 2:12 pm
If you got a screenshot from it came from Staci. Its pretry clear that she wants her story out since scumbag Evan is trying ti screw her financially. From the discussion I saw with Rita there was no concern for her it was more about Miranda and Evan. This whole article is basically a leave Evan alone. Meme reference.
I completely understand divorcing an artist’s personal life from their work. We would miss out on some great art if we only liked people with squeaky clean personal lives.
For me however this situation is more about the continued manipulation as far as Miranda is concerned. Proclaims herself a proponent of women, is the other woman, multiple times. Makes a career out of burning down a cheaters house, is the cheater. Sells her personal life to the media and on social media. Give her privacy!
Seeing Lee Ann Womack who’s not even a fan of Blake showing her support by liking his tweet is maybe a sign that women in Nashville especially ones who know Miranda well like Lee Ann, are just as tired of seeing Miranda’s fake ass propped up by the powers that be.
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 4:32 pm
It’s pretty clear from watching them post-divorce that BS was the tabloid whore. Miranda wrote about her struggles with all the attention from her relationship with Blake on “Priscilla” while she was still with Blake.
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 5:25 pm
Blake’s a tabloid whore. What do you call a woman who lies a cheats. Just a whore?
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 5:37 pm
TxMusic: I’m sorry for whatever happened to you. You’re taking the actions of a total stranger way too hard for it not to be personal. (Unless you just really enjoy the vile hobby of calling women “whores.” You wouldn’t be the first.)
Get some therapy. Learn to forgive. Or, maybe just be kinder to yourself. It might help you be kinder to others.
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 6:03 pm
The irony is delicious.
Rachel Robinson
April 30, 2018 @ 8:25 am
This is a great article, and honestly I’ve been waiting for it. I have loved, admired, and patronized Turnpike for a long time, so it feels shameful that this is how they are getting headlines. Ultimately, I’m just really hoping she doesn’t Yoko Ono my favorite band. I feel bad for the other guys in the band more so than Evan to be honest. And his wife of course, she certainly didn’t ask to be thrown in the headlines as such. I’ll keep on listening to Turnpike and keep on going to shows and hope this blows over before all of the drooling pop country fans latch on to them and try to ruin them for the rest of us!
Kristen
April 30, 2018 @ 8:48 am
I agree with you and I felt sorry for his wife until she went on this social media tiraid and it made me seem like she wasn’t hurt at all. Sometimes silence is the best thing. I mean she goes and follows Blake , Gwen and now anderson and post on blakes dumb comment after she liked it that we need to talk with a smiley face. Cmon!! But as trigger said it’s none of my business just strange..
Rachel Robinson
April 30, 2018 @ 8:59 am
I missed all that, I’m just thinking to myself if I was living happily in unknown obscurity and then the next day I’m on the news because my husband has cheated on me with someone famous, I’m probably going to show my rear end a little bit too.
Brian
April 30, 2018 @ 9:08 am
That is very unfair to her, she was the one done wrong and some people react very differently. In the end, she was the one done wrong here and no one else. There are times in life when people can act out how they want and for her this is one of those times.
Hayley
April 30, 2018 @ 10:16 am
As immature as that may seem, I completely understand her need to interject in that way. I’ve experienced the gut punch of infidelity and sometimes petty is the only defense you can use.
Lilly
April 30, 2018 @ 10:19 am
I am fairly sure she went on this SM tirade, after as Trigger said, messaging him in his inbox, because IF this is a real affair turned relationship, you can bet Miranda’s PR will be on trying to make this look like Evan was already separated and she didn’t make a move on him. Miranda’s PR versus a civilain officeworker from OKC, you already know who is going to lose that.
Dave
May 2, 2018 @ 10:31 am
“Officeworker?” Try professional accountant with a masters degree. You are right about ML’s pr machine though. They will spin, spin, spin. I don’t think it was your intent, but “officeworker” seemed a bit marginalizing, though technically true.
Amanda
May 2, 2018 @ 8:25 am
I think it’s a lot to judge his wife. She was betrayed in the worst and her personal business made public through no fault of her own. And there’s already people trying to lay blame anywhere but with Evan and Miranda. People who have been hurt sometimes don’t think clearly or make good choices. He deserves much worse than to be dragged on social media. He got off pretty easy, honestly.
Julia Wills
August 1, 2018 @ 12:57 pm
I am shocked beyond belief that Miranda Lambert fans are trying to make Staci the bad guy. Blake and Gwen are professionals, so they just ignore BS, but Staci doesn’t deserve the bad treatment Lambert fans are throwing at her.
elle
April 30, 2018 @ 9:35 am
‘ultimately i hope she doesn’t yoko ono my favorite band’ #truth and hilarious 😂
WIll
April 30, 2018 @ 8:40 am
Glad you wrote this. It’s smart and respectful and for most of us, it’s about two of our favorite artists, so it’d be weird not to. That said, after seeing the witch trials people on Twitter were going through for literally just MENTIONING a story that was all over the news, I can see why people would avoid it. Ain’t that the country way? Just pretend like nothing’s happening even though everyone is talking about it?
Trigger
April 30, 2018 @ 8:56 am
I believe the Pistol Annies have a few songs about that very thing.
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 1:56 pm
hush hush
dont you dare say a word
hush hush
dont you know the truth hurts
hush hush
when push comes to shove it’s best to keep it hush hush
Funk Soul Bubby
April 30, 2018 @ 9:09 am
Go to church, sing some hymns, say a prayer, gossip in the parking lot.
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 4:48 pm
And if your my mom … wash down that gossip with a shot and a cigarette 😉
Stephanie
April 30, 2018 @ 8:42 am
I am always pissed off by the double standard, that you alluded to in this article, applied to Miranda Lambert because she’s a woman.
Stephanie
April 30, 2018 @ 8:44 am
Or, really to most women in stories like these. When I hear people talk about it, the blame always seems to fall on the woman. No matter the details, or which one was actually married to someone else, it’s the woman who shoulders the bulk of the public shaming.
Renee
April 30, 2018 @ 1:41 pm
They are both equally to blame, but I don’t know who can possibly defend Miranda anymore. She is a great artist and I will continue to buy her music, but you cannot ignore that she is somewhat of a dirtball.
Ulysses McCaskill
April 30, 2018 @ 6:35 pm
Yep. Once is one thing, but if it keeps happening over and over, it’s probably time to look in the mirror.
Jack Williams
April 30, 2018 @ 8:57 am
During a four hour drive yesterday with my daughters, we were listening to what I think was an iHeartRadio country station, and a little feature came on with doting “new father” Jason Aldean talking about his infant son. Rinse and repeat, I guess.
liza
April 30, 2018 @ 11:17 am
At the end of the day, shit happens. People do bad things to each other but they move on and try to find happiness. If this happened, he’s a jerk and she’s better off without him. She’s really immature and he’s better off without her. Life goes on. Glad I don’t read tabloids. This is like a family reunion.
Jack Williams
April 30, 2018 @ 12:14 pm
My comment is about the double standard that Stephanie mentioned. I thought it was interesting how the industry was portraying him once again as a family man and I doubt they’d do the same if a woman messed up the same way that he did.
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 4:50 pm
“People do bad things to each other but they move on …”
YES.
63Guild
April 30, 2018 @ 9:34 am
I think Miranda is getting the bad look here because it’s not her first time allegedly being involved with a married man as it was rumored a similar situation happened with Blake. Add on to the fact that it’s also alleged that Miranda cheated on Shelton and now this, I think the negative press she’s received has been more about prior actions then neccesarily her gender.
Stephanie
April 30, 2018 @ 9:57 am
I do think there are some extenuating circumstances here. THings you mentioned above, the fact that most people don’t know who Evan Felker is, etc. But I still stand by my statement. I firmly believe the rhetoric would be mostly the same regardless of that stuff. But it is definitely fueled by the fact that hating Miranda seems to be a not-uncommon pastime.
Lindsey
April 30, 2018 @ 10:40 am
Yes. Her reputation (no matter what is true or not) is all hers.
The way she likes to pick some other singer every once in a while and mouth off about them to the public shows that she probably stirs more dust than she would probably ever own up to.
I still love a lot of her music.
Clint
April 30, 2018 @ 10:51 am
Sexual Harrassment except the guy said yes. She is the boss of the tour
liza
April 30, 2018 @ 12:41 pm
It’s sexual harassment if it’s unwanted. Always stupid for a boss to enter that arena, though.
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 12:53 pm
Sexual harrassment might come from another player in this messy game. The person who outed Miranda’s story to Staci Felker and friend is employed by Miranda and from how she reacted the advances were made by Miranda on her were not welcome.
Kat
May 2, 2018 @ 10:43 am
Hence, the abuse of power. Struggling artist hitching his wagon to a bigger name who has full power over his career at the moment. Do you think many women took a look at Ratface Matt Lauer & said I want that? No, no and no. They were just young women in need of a paycheck. Gross.
charly
April 30, 2018 @ 8:48 am
Miranda Lambert puts her relationships all over social media. Im a huge fan but lets face it. You cant plaster your life online when its going good and get mad when people plaster your garbage online as well. Evan knew what he was getting in to with her. Miranda speaks about empowering women. Sleeping with other people husbands isn’t empowering. Its sad and disgusting. Im from Texas not very far from where she grew up and from what I understand shes not as great of a person as we see in public.
North Woods Country
April 30, 2018 @ 8:59 am
I’m very unimpressed with Evan Felker as a person right now. I’d never have guessed he was an “OOH, shiny object!” kind of man, but here we are.
And we’ve known Lambert to have poor character quality for years at this point. Same with Blake. Anderson East and Staci Felker do not deserve such treatment.
Wes Krug
April 30, 2018 @ 8:59 am
I rarely say this on tabloid style articles but well done trigger. I didn’t know about this and man I could imagine some amazing duets together. This would be amazing. Now it makes sense why turnpike is tagging along to open up for some of her shows on her upcoming tour. But we all know the troubles Evan has had in the past with sobriety unless has totally changed his life around. Still Felker is a bit of a wreck as a person. On his Paste Studios concert just a while ago he seemed higher than a kite. I don’t know how smart of a decision this is on her part but only time will tell.
Sarah
April 30, 2018 @ 3:08 pm
Staci Felker is a wreck of a person? Please do explain… I thought she was an extremely successful businesswoman who was worth quite a lot more than Evan when he met her and a loving, faithful wife.
God forbid she be emotional after her husband abandoned her for $50 million.
Wes
April 30, 2018 @ 4:54 pm
I meant evan felker. For anytime mentioning evan or felker in this comment
Dennixx
April 30, 2018 @ 9:04 am
Sounds fairly messy.
Great songsters aren’t necessarily honest people.
All that aside one has to wonder if the union will produce any meaningful offspring of the musical variety.
Jake
April 30, 2018 @ 9:08 am
I’m stuck on that gwen stefani stans line, i’m not sure if they even know who miranda lambert is lol
Lilly
April 30, 2018 @ 10:23 am
If a bunch on Miranda fans, who were sold a bill of goods that Miranda and Blake were perfect, weren’t desperately wishing Blake would live a miserable life post-divorce and spend their waking hours trashing and tagging Gwen on social media, Gwen fan’s would have no clue who she was.
Lauren
April 30, 2018 @ 10:45 am
Oh, they definitely do. Go check out Miranda’s Twitter mentions.
Liam
April 30, 2018 @ 9:44 pm
Those are shefai fans…they can’t even name one no doubt song, most her og fans as far as i know dont even care about her personal life and i’m sure they dont know any country artist
JP
April 30, 2018 @ 1:52 pm
They are pop fans who are fans of the fauxmance and believe it. They don’t know Blake and Miranda’s history. They didn’t know who he was before Gwen/Voice and they believe the Hollywood PR crap that they read in the tabloids so they see Blake as a victim. They also are threatened by Blake and Miranda’s history so they lash out at Miranda. Country fans know Blake and Miranda have skeletons in the closet.
Sam
April 30, 2018 @ 2:35 pm
I think it’s pretty lame at this point three years into their relationship to still call it a fauxmance. Whatever you don’t like Blake, I’m not a big fan myself…but I just find it hard to believe a woman with three children would enter into a fake PR relationship this long. Blake really shouldn’t have stuck his foot into this drama again though.
JP
April 30, 2018 @ 4:35 pm
I like Blake and Miranda’s music and don’t really care which they are dating. The Twightlight couple had a fauxmance for 3-4 years and there have been other celeb couples who have done them. Gwen Snapchat/IG’s all her family and her kids private holidays ie. Christmas, Easter, birthdays, vacations etc so I have no trouble believing she’d be in a fauxmance when she has kids. Fans should question that, if you had just gone thru a bad divorce and were in a new relationship why would you expose it to the fans like that? She does nonstop posts of their private life… why? I say it’s to sell the fauxmance because it makes them huge dollars. Sorry but they seem fake to me.
Liam
April 30, 2018 @ 10:16 pm
You lost me on fauxmance , cleary you are/were a shelbert fan
Sam
April 30, 2018 @ 10:21 pm
Oh there know who she is. Because she has a group that send bile tweets to het and Blake every day. Oh the threats are lovely. “I hope she falls and breaks every bone in her body”. Every day. Go read their timeline. That was Gwens fans introduction to the world of country music. It was embarrassing. And of course Miranda taking pictures with those fans. Liking their tweets. Yes. They know her very well.
Liam
April 30, 2018 @ 10:25 pm
You lost me on fauxmance , cleary you are/were a shelbert fan, can’t have a logical argument with ignorance
JP
April 30, 2018 @ 11:36 pm
As I said before I like both Blake and Miranda’s music. I thought they were a cute couple, but obviously behind closed doors they had problems. Marriages end, people move on, that’s life. Just because I think they are fake you’re going to insult me? Sorry but it is not normal, even for a celeb, to share that much on social media. Gwen shares her kids Christmas Eve/Dsy, Easter, birthdays, holidays on social media and not just a pic or two she does nonstop posts. Why? Name another celeb who overexposes their kids private lives like she does. Its bizarre. I say it’s to sell the showmance, which has made both of them a lot of money. They’ve turned their relationship into a product which they are both profiting from. There are lots of fauxmances in hollyweird
Tara
April 30, 2018 @ 9:13 am
I think this will blow over just like most “scandals”. The Blake/Miranda thing went on way longer than it should have because i.m.o., they were both huge stars and they (and their fans) wouldn’t let it die. I hope you’re right and the Turnpike Troubadours music will receive the recognition it deserves. Other than that, c’mon folks this is the kind of material country music is built on. The media loves to drag stories out. (prime example Carrie Underwood’s recent face plant and reconstructive surgery.)
Fox Mulder
April 30, 2018 @ 8:21 pm
I have this conspiracy theory that Carrie Underwood got slightly bad plastic surgery so they made up the fall to cover it up.
ScottG
April 30, 2018 @ 9:15 am
Gossip, cheating, sensationalism, drama. Damn, you would think we are all human beings or something.
I can’t inagine what it’s like being in the public eye, but I’ve often thought I wouldn’t care what magazines like People or shows like TMZ say, because other than the checkout line, they don’t exist to me. I couldn’t give a fuck what they say. Aggressive papparazzi though, that must suck beyond belief. Even if you sold your wedding photos.
Brian
April 30, 2018 @ 9:16 am
I agree with this article completely, however this whole thing is one of the reasons I have a slight problem with Miranda. I am not going to get into anything, but let’s not act like this is the first time Miranda has ben involved in this type of thing and you can look at the details that did emerge from the Blake and Miranda separation and it does not take a huge leap to pretty much see that most of that falls on her. Guys do this crap all the time and it is what it is. Do I think its wrong, yeah, but that is her business not mine. My problem comes that I think she is a bit of a fraud, just like at the ACM’s when she thinks everybody for sharing her heartbreak and how she gets emotional on stage. For what, you messing around on your husband and getting a divorce and now you are trying to come across as this is your heartbreak. Yes, the music is good, but she has manipulated this situation and was a fraud about it and capitalized on it.
Anne
April 30, 2018 @ 9:37 am
I agree 100% with the above. Almost every award she has accepted from 2015-present day has included a mention of her broken heart. I’m glad some light has been shown on this situation. Will it stop me from listening to her music? No, but she knows what her status and power can get her. If she wants something she gest it, even if “it’s” married. You do you Miranda but don’t expect me to feel sorry for the negative publicity you are getting.
Rachel Robinson
April 30, 2018 @ 9:38 am
Yes Lord, she needs to let the Heartbreak schtick die and shame on the people still believing it.
Kristen
April 30, 2018 @ 9:55 am
O would love to see the proof of this cheating on Blake crap. He makes himself look like he is a god when we all know he isn’t. We all make mistakes in life and you as well as I have no idea wgatcMiranda went through in that divorce. Maybe she was heartbroken and people saying she keeps bringing it up well in case you didn’t know or listened to that is what the weight of these wins was about and do let me say it was a phenomenal album so of course the song she wrote on it about heartbreak will be said when she wins for the song
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 2:20 pm
Miranda herself went on about what a great husband he was and how they had a great marriage. You can find her quote in December 2015 Cosmopolitan article.
She only jumped on the my poor broken heart wagon once she found out Blake was dating Gwen Stefani at the CMAs even though she had been dating Anderson East for several months. The broken heart angle and tears during her shows was a set up. I mean she wrote Vice the day her divorce was announced. It’s pretty much a signed confession.
Kristen
April 30, 2018 @ 6:28 pm
Who cares a crap about Blake shelton… and he shouldn’t be involved with anything about Miranda three years later. I mean doesn’t he claim to have a perfect woman and life so go live it and stay out of your exes life
Sam
April 30, 2018 @ 10:27 pm
Hey Kristen. Your angel follows him and even mimicked his IG lives last night. Want pics. She likes mean comments about him on twitter and Instagram. She wiped his name off a chalkboard in a hotel bar the first night of her concert. So give it a rest. This is about Boy #3.
Sam
April 30, 2018 @ 10:24 pm
What she went through in the divorce? East.
Stephanie
April 30, 2018 @ 10:00 am
I mean, you can bring your problems on yourself through your own terrible decisions and still be heartbroken about it. It’s not like if you screw it up yourself it doesn’t hurt anymore.
Also I can’t believe I keep commenting on this! lol!
Brian
April 30, 2018 @ 11:16 am
Lol! That is a very fair point, you can definitely have heartbreak from your own mistakes. I guess that it seems to me that she overplays it at times. It is easy to keep getting sucked back in.
Carl
April 30, 2018 @ 9:29 am
The double standards in country music are sickening. I’m was a fan of Miranda but her behind the scenes smear campaign against Blake was too much. He’s been paying the price for that misconception for years now. And I don’t even care for Blake. I love Turnpike Troubadours but they deserve better. I bet you it will be Evan Felker solo before long and the Turnpike Troubadours will be in the dust. I think Miranda seems like a person who makes life tough if it’s not going how she wants. Also, terrible for Evan’s wife.
Clyde
April 30, 2018 @ 4:22 pm
Yep…kiss the Turnpike Troubadours goodbye. I’ll bet there ain’t a single guy in that band that can’t wait for this upcoming tour to be over.
Dick Hollopeter
April 30, 2018 @ 9:31 am
George Jones was able to redeem himself for a lot of his wrongdoings, but the damage had already been done. We are all people and have faults and experience failure. But it’s hard to feel sorry for them if things don’t work out.
Tara
April 30, 2018 @ 9:34 am
Hey Trigger What about Evan’s gorgerous wife Staci Felker that was cheated on by her husband Evan and Miranda? What about Miranda cheating on Anderson East? That does not matter to you? Also Miranda has a pattern of hooking up with married men and breaking up their marriages. What do you think Blake’s Karma tweet was all about? Miranda cheated on Blake with her ex married tour manager but you know that. That wasn’t the only one either. Then ML played the” victim routine” to sell records and win awards. Gwen and Blake get trashed online by her fans for 3 years when in fact ML cheated. ML is a Homewrecker. ML just finally got exposed for it by Evan’s wife. Finally. Team Staci all the way.
Trigger
April 30, 2018 @ 9:49 am
Tara,
As I said in the article, “There’s no sugar coating it. None of our damn business or not, from a personal standpoint, yes, how all this went down looks bad for both Evan Felker and Miranda Lambert. If you want someone to defend this behavior, you’ve come to the wrong place.”
What about Evan Felker’s gorgeous wife Staci Felker? I feel sick about it. But I don’t see the need for any of us to choose “teams” in people’s personal affairs that frankly we don’t have all the facts about.
Kristen
April 30, 2018 @ 9:58 am
Amen Trigger!!
the pistolero
April 30, 2018 @ 10:26 am
What about her? What about any of this? I mean, it’s not role-model behavior by any means, but exactly how far do you go with it? For example, does my refusal to delete all the Merle Haggard music from my iTunes library constitute tacit approval of, say, his blatant pursuit of Dolly Parton while they were both married back in the mid-1970s, going so far as to write a song about he pined for her?
No, of course it doesn’t.
DJ
April 30, 2018 @ 9:35 am
Well written, Trigger.
That said; Celebrities have to know their lives are no longer private. It’s the price you pay.
KT
April 30, 2018 @ 9:35 am
“Those who haven’t had a friend, or a family member, if not themselves be a party to similar behavior, feel free to cast the first stone.”
^ Agreed. I think it’s hilarious people are so quick to talk negatively about the lives of public figures when most likely they have been involved in something similar or have a friend or family member who has. Seriously.. We never know what’s going on in anyone’s lives. Don’t be so damn quick to judge. I’ll listen to Miranda’s and Turnpike’s music regardless of who is sleeping in what bed. I could not care less.
Alabama Mama
April 30, 2018 @ 9:42 am
Miranda burned down 4 married couples homes with her famous I am “keeper of the flaming” twaat so “I do this thing I call whatever I want” no matter how many people gets hurt sociopath attitude. Again FOUR MARRIAGES that we know of that is could be much more and never got punished for any of it because she portrayed herself as the victim for years. People including trigger, SCM praised her for her bravery blah blah… Blake Shelton obviously was hoping in that tweet this time country music people will say something #KARMA will catch up to her but according to some of these replies people are morons so she will keep doing the same without any punishment whatsoever.
KT
April 30, 2018 @ 9:50 am
This was painful to decipher
mary
April 30, 2018 @ 10:22 am
DearMama, Why do you care? No one can ‘steal’ someone who doesn’t want to leave anyway..People here are Not morons, I think the term you are looking for is ‘grownups’…Most of us are willing to live and let live…Try it, maybe you can then dispose of the Maalox bottle.
Sarah
April 30, 2018 @ 3:11 pm
No she couldn’t “steal” him.
But she sure as hell bought him.
Melanie Bailey
April 30, 2018 @ 4:32 pm
Kudos. She’s trash.
Kat
May 2, 2018 @ 11:18 am
I loved Elliott Sadler’s response to Blake’s karma tweet. “I am so proud of you….you took the highest road I’ve seen taken and I love you for it.” That’s powerful when added to the other tweets from Blake’s family and KL. People who REALLY know the whole story. ML fans sent out such hateful tweets after that, they were losing their minds. Meanwhile, not a peep out of ML’s PR machine since the latest cheating scandal…
JennyD
May 23, 2018 @ 5:31 pm
Name the 4 marriages. From your allegations I take it you personally know all the players and exactly what went down in each marriage.
Thoroughbred
April 30, 2018 @ 9:42 am
The last time Evan Felker was in a neo-folk music group was when he and his second grade classmates sang Puff The Magic Dragon on the shag carpet of Ms. Clementine’s class.
Frank Willis
April 30, 2018 @ 9:53 am
We simply live in a tabloid world now. Tiger woods took it pretty hard on the chin for the same kind of shit. If your a big enough star Male or Female you will be hit in todays times.
KGD
April 30, 2018 @ 9:54 am
Good article.
I guess it’s a little different these days because artists and fans do interact more than in the past. I mean we’ve met and talked to Evan after multiple shows and my wife and her sister have had their picture made with him a couple of times, so you kind of feel like you know them better. That said, I’m a lifelong fan of the Rolling Stones and Richard Pryor so I always read articles like this and think, “And?”. I mean this is pretty thin gruel compared to those folks’ antics.
There is always some sympathy for the wronged parties, Evan’s wife in this case, but at the end of the day you knew who you married, right?
Still, you couldn’t ignore the story and you handled it as well as possible. Now hopefully we can all move on.
Tommy Bahama
April 30, 2018 @ 9:57 am
One gets the feeling Miranda is working her way through some “street cred” hit list of musicians. I mean, really. She’s so messy.
KGD
April 30, 2018 @ 11:16 am
{{googles “slide guitar lessons”}} 🙂
the pistolero
April 30, 2018 @ 9:59 am
And by the way, what the hell does “Neo-folk music group” even mean?
This is exactly what I’d like to know. I mean, from “Well she was born in the mornin’, late October, San Antone” to this very second, the Turnpike Troubadours never sounded like anything other than a straight-ahead country band to me. Has the term “country music” been that corrupted?
Stephanie
April 30, 2018 @ 10:57 am
This is perhaps the biggest point here! People don’t even know what country music is when they hear it anymore!
King Honky Of Crackershire
April 30, 2018 @ 5:24 pm
I can’t find one song of theirs that I would call a Country song.
Trainwreck92
April 30, 2018 @ 9:14 pm
Here you go, Honk. Look harder next time.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SJioNaB1zOE
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XcY0GEs9JHs
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zA35i07EqLE
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vjvSyfdcjUQ
Music Jedi
May 1, 2018 @ 7:15 am
Amen Train on the Turnpike Songs! Country as it gets!
Mike Black
May 1, 2018 @ 3:53 pm
I don’t think anyone would argue that they haven’t put out some country songs over the years. The point is that on the whole, and certainly with their newer material, they are more Counting Crows than country. Nothing wrong with that…it just is what it is.
OMFS88
April 30, 2018 @ 10:01 am
No press is bad press amirite?
Johnny Falcon
April 30, 2018 @ 10:06 am
I really hope she doesn’t Yoko Turnpike. Last thing I want is for TT to go out like CCR
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 10:06 am
Damn. I love Miranda. It was my love of her that brought me to this site and helped me discover so many great artists. I’m a woman in a different (but also very sexist) entertainment industry and she’s been a role model for me of strong female leadership, authenticity, and artistic integrity.
I don’t care about her affairs because Miranda has always been about Three Chords and the Truth. And she’s told the truth about her infidelity: Dear Diamond, White Liar, Girls, Vice, To Learn Her. There’s a lot of pressure on women to be perfect. Just look at all the hollow “strong women” that Hollywood and the media try to sell us as empowering. No thanks. Miranda’s honesty about her very real flaws has always been more empowering to me than perfection will ever be. I might not crawl out of another bed with shoes in my hand every morning, but Miranda’s honesty about her vices is a great example for other women that we too can be flawed. When you strip away gender – a social construct anyway – we’re all just humans trying to get through this life. I’m grateful to Miranda for having the courage to be honest about her mistakes.
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 11:49 am
Miranda makes some great music but honest? The woman doesn’t have an honest bone in her body.
We can enjoy her music even if she’s a shit person but that’s where the anger towards her comes from. Somebody who played people for a fool and she has no remorse about it.
Cap'n Jackie
April 30, 2018 @ 2:20 pm
Wow! You are so bitter TxMusic! It’s like this is personal or something. Maybe, just maybe, Evan and Miranda fell in love. I think it was more honest to file for divorce to pursue the relationship then to stay married. Truth is, none of us know everything that happened, so we can’t judge. I wish them both well and hope they make beautiful music together.
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 2:58 pm
We know exactly what happened. This isn’t some cutesy love story with a happy ending stop kidding yourself.
Cap'n Jackie
April 30, 2018 @ 3:35 pm
You know what? I hope this story does have a happy ending. It’s people like you that encourage me to root for them.
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 5:28 pm
Rooting for a couple out of spite. How all great romance start.
TNVivian
May 1, 2018 @ 5:01 am
AMEN to this! And as a side note, we only think we know any of this, just let it go. Miranda’s Music sells because she has Talent! Bottom line, Damn Fine Talent! Before Blake, before whatever. Oh, yes, I forgot to mention the obvious, so, none of these so-called victims of Miranda’s behaviors had enough consideration of their relationships to say, Sorry, I am married. Nope, so various people discovered they were with a disloyal partner? No surprise, there’s a whole world of human beings out there who know the same thing. Not News. Check out Donald Trump and leave this alone!
CountryKnight
May 1, 2018 @ 6:28 am
The amount of justification for the affairs is impressive. Kudos.
mary
April 30, 2018 @ 10:11 am
Miranda writes and performs lots of good music, some of it, authentically Country…Not one of us here knows or can surmise, what happens behind closed doors. Let’s stick to the music, everyone’s life gets messy sometimes, especially if one is trying to accomplish anything beyond figuring out what to eat for dinner. The media is vile, and Miranda rescues dogs, which makes her a ten on my character charts. Oth, Gwake has milked the media dry and thrown good people under the bus, and there are 3 children involved…so who deserves the moral outrage award? Not, Miranda, imo..
albert
April 30, 2018 @ 6:16 pm
this
”everyone’s life gets messy sometimes, especially if one is trying to accomplish anything beyond figuring out what to eat for dinner. ”
just a fact …not an excuse ,
Sam
April 30, 2018 @ 10:38 pm
Sorry Trigget. But bullshit. They have not thrown anyone under the bus. Stop dragging Gwen into this mess. She is from a different genre. They use SM differently and she has always shared with her fans. Long before Blake. In reality. She posts seconds on her ig. Seconds. If you knew her you would know that. Very seldom on twitter. And she can’t escape pap pics. Stop generalizing. Leave her and her children out of this.
mary
May 1, 2018 @ 12:06 pm
Gavin and the nanny had a long crawl to get out from under that bus. Although since gossip is consdered God’s own truth by some, it is worth mentioning that the nanny got a 50,000 dollar check for taking the heat, so win/win.
Kat
May 2, 2018 @ 11:55 am
Provide proof to your statement about $50K. It is a lie so you have none.
mary
May 3, 2018 @ 8:49 am
why don’t you think You need to provide proof for trashing strangers? Double standard much?
I read about the payment to the nanny online, same place you read your crap..
I tended to believe it because it sounded very much in character for the tabloid queen…
Sam
April 30, 2018 @ 10:13 am
So much for her parents being private investigators and “knowing better” since she grew up around affairs. This behavior may be a product of becoming famous so young and pretty much never being told no. I hope she finds peace in her life…although some of her best music has been a product of her messier times.
Cindy Harrison
April 30, 2018 @ 10:17 am
INCOMPLETE LIST OF MIRANDA LAMBERT’S VICTIMS
1.Kaynette-Blake marriage
2.Blake-Miranda marriage
3.Ryan Westbrook-Wife and kids
4.Anderson East
5.Evan-Staci marriage
I ignored other family and friends involved in her antics. These are the ones people know for sure. Don’t you remember that now famous “Her Cheating Heart” Lainey online article? That was compiled by actually talking to a dozen people from both Blake and Miranda’s camps. It said she cheated with at least five other men, including some married men and her tour openers all while she was Blake’s loving wife!
She is a true sociopath. The reason there are no other big female names past ten years is not friggin country radio or sexism. She manipulates millions like our own Trigger and all her other fans and won’t let any other female excel or outshine her. Ever!
Trigger
April 30, 2018 @ 10:31 am
Okay folks, I understand there’s people who don’t like Miranda Lambert, and certainly she has done some things that are worthy of criticism. But the point of this article was to raise the level of dialogue around this issue, not lower it into a social media slag pit with back and forths from various fan bases. So please, let’s attempt to stick to the topic on hand.
And by the way, I would love to manipulate “millions,” but unfortunately my unique monthly viewers still linger only in the hundreds of thousands 🙂 .
Kristen
April 30, 2018 @ 10:49 am
I love Miranda Trigger!! Just saying..
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 10:50 am
Gross comment is gross. I think you should take a look in your own Bathroom Sink if you’ve internalized misogyny enough to blame Miranda for the lack of female artists in country music. If Miranda had that much power and control in the industry, you think she’d be getting some of her songs into the Top 30 in radio.
Her romantic entanglements aside, one of the *many* things to admire about Miranda has been her long-standing position as a champion of other female artists: Ashley Monroe, Gwen Sebastian, Brandy Clark, Natalie Hemby, Angeleena Pressley, Sunny Sweeney, The Dixie Chicks, RaeLynn, Jessi Colter, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris, Carrie Underwood, etc.
re: The Lainey Article. It was obviously planted by Blake’s Team at the time of the divorce. The article claims that Miranda stole Mama’s Broken Heart from Kacey – but that claim always seemed suspicious given that track screams Brandy Clark more than it ever has Kacey Musgraves. (Name another track on KM’s 3 albums that has the same lyrical tone as MBH?) And if it were true that everyone in the country music industry has wanted to see Miranda fall from grace, then The Weight of These Wings would not have been as heavily awarded by the industry as it has been. If the entire country music industry was just waiting to take Miranda down for her “EVIL” ways, then why has the industry continued to award her? Why hasn’t she been dropped as quickly as they dropped The Chicks or Leann Rimes? Because that article was a fabricated attack by Blake’s PR Team to save their Voice coins.
Tommy Bahama
April 30, 2018 @ 1:31 pm
This is a different tune than Miranda fans sing about Blake. They troll him all day everyday. I may not love his music but he seems like a good enough dude. I don’t love her music either. Turnpike, I love.
Ava
April 30, 2018 @ 1:35 pm
Miranda s last album sold well because it was the “divorce pity me “album. It was perceived as being about Blake in order to help her sell albums and win awards. Pathetic. Miranda is irrelevant without Blake. Let’s see how well her next album does. Miranda just made a comment in her ACM speech about her “heartbreak ” but than went home to her married boyfriend Evan Felker. How fake is she? There are way too many other talented female cm artists out there to support than to waste your time with ML.
Cobra
April 30, 2018 @ 3:59 pm
Blake is a freaking toolshed who would rather be a TV star than a musician. Which explains why every album of his since “Hillbilly Bone” has sucked ass.
Kat
May 2, 2018 @ 11:25 am
Did you say that about Reba? Johnny Cash?
Cobra
April 30, 2018 @ 4:04 pm
And if Miranda was “irrelevant without Blake,” her album wouldn’t be doing as well as it is. It’s not because it’s a “divorce/pity me” album. It’s because it’s an honest album where she wrote or co-wrote 20 of the 24 songs.
Shelton on the other hand, put out a post-divorce album called “If I’m Honest” where he co-wrote 3 of 15 songs. The crowning glory of the lyrics on that album was “she put a big F U in our future.” Wow, bravo on that one Blake. There was absolutely nothing honest about that album at all.
Kristen
April 30, 2018 @ 6:34 pm
Amen!!!
Melanie
April 30, 2018 @ 4:50 pm
Ava I agree. If anyone looks up to Miranda they need to question their own morals.
TNVivian
May 1, 2018 @ 5:09 am
Sorry. Miranda Lambert just doesn’t seem to care about your pity or anyone else’s. Do you believe every song you listen to is the Truth for that person? Really? Ever hear of Songwriters? YEP! They write and sell songs, they pray that Miranda Lambert will record one of them. Just do you. STOP judging! I bet you have looked at someone else and thought… I wonder… maybe you didn’t get down to actually acting on it, but, in someone’s words, you”have lusted, in your heart”. I bet.
mary
May 1, 2018 @ 7:01 am
“Miranda is irrelevant without Blake” Really? The most awarded woman in country music history?
Why are you even here? Your lack of knowledge should embarrass you..
If Miranda is irrelevant.without Blake, what is up with Gwen? Her career was in the graveyard of the 20th century until she hooked up with Blake..Thanks to sm.,masssive plastic surgery, and Blake, she has landed a few little gigs, despite a failed album and tour. Even with gigantic publicity, NBC, and free tickets, she couldn”t pull it off. Lack of talent eventually comes home to roost,and she was never qualified for a solo career….People can respect her for her time with ND, but there is no place for her in today’s music.That’s life in show biz, no matter how desperately she wants it..Even crashing Blake’s concerts will get old, at least for his younger fans, whom he will soon need to acquire and don’t know who she is, or was.
Kat
May 2, 2018 @ 11:33 am
Gwen has a Las Vegas Residency starting soon and according to LV news, her as pay is a “hella megaton” of money. There was a bidding war between two major LV properties for her so your “theire is no place for her in today’s music” is laughable. Nice try Ranfan.
mary
May 3, 2018 @ 4:39 am
Kat, you just proved my point, prior to Blake, Gwen couldn’t get a lounge gig in Vegas…Vegas acts draw an older demographic, and her Residency will be a flop too, as a lot of them will not pay exorbitant prices to see a has been.
Lilly
May 3, 2018 @ 3:32 pm
Gwen has Irving Azoff behind her and this was pre-Blake. Carrie preceded No Doubt on the schedule of Global Festival 2014. Go see where Irving is on the Billboard power rankings. You… sound jealous, if not a little deluded.
Sam
April 30, 2018 @ 10:44 pm
Yeah. No. Lainey (Elaine) doesn’t play that game. She wrote about 1 man but there was a family involved. And her album was heavily rewarded? Really? Cause although nominated it won nothing at CMAs. Wasn’t nominated for a Grammy at all. But you can always count on the ACMs to come through.
Amanda
May 2, 2018 @ 8:32 am
Yes, clearly that commenter doesn’t read Lainey. Lainey wouldn’t shill PR for Blake Shelton of all people. That’s actually laughable.
ScottG
April 30, 2018 @ 10:58 am
“Victims.” Like they were forced or something. I don’t care about this too much and I don’t condone this behavior, but come on, it’s pretty safe to assume the guys are not “victims.” They are / were willing participants, who I assume, COULD have avoided this.
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 11:05 am
I’m guessing they were even more than willing participants. I’d say they were enthusiastic enough about their participation to leave their wives to have a chance with Miranda.
Ava
April 30, 2018 @ 1:23 pm
Great comment Cindy. I agree with every word. Her fans and blogs like this one just enable Miranda’s bad behaviors. ML then thinks she can do whatever she wants including dating married men and ruining marriages. I’m seeing many negative comments about Miranda about this. I think this cheating scandal will impact her career. Miranda s fans are a big part of the probem. They have been so nasty to Gwen and Blake when in fact Miranda cheated. Miranda is so overrated as a cm artist to begin with. She’s just not that good.
Cobra
May 1, 2018 @ 5:45 am
So, apparently Blake Shelton’s PR team now includes paying people to comment on online articles. Seriously, is this the best use of your time?
Cap'n Jackie
April 30, 2018 @ 2:22 pm
Sorry, Cindy, but you’re the one that sounds a little unbalanced, here.
Madison
April 30, 2018 @ 10:24 am
If Miranda Lambert is the best female country music has to offer, god help country music. Mediocre and a terrible example to our young girls. There is a difference between being flawed and selfishly repeating the same destructive behaviors at the expense of others. I’ll pass on her and hope for better from country music.
mary
April 30, 2018 @ 10:33 am
Oh Cindy, get a damn life, avenging angels are so overworked.
James Ewell Brown
April 30, 2018 @ 10:35 am
I guess it’s time to come clean… I’ve been involved in a sordid affair – and am in fact madly in
love with – Lorrie. My wife of 25 years has known about it a good while I expect, but I feel I
need to put this out there now, so no one gets the wrong idea… Sorry, not sorry.
Seriously tho, ZFG about what grownups do with their most private lives.
Wayfast
April 30, 2018 @ 10:37 am
Should make for some good songs
Sherry
April 30, 2018 @ 10:42 am
I live in a small town, it happens all the time. Time heels all wounds. Next week there will be something else and in a world were we are scared to send are kids to school and people are without homes and food here in our own country, this is so unimportant. If i listen to Miranda sing on the radio , im not concerd who she is or isnt sleeping with..entertainer she is not my neighbor my best friend or my sister. Miranda has never said she was perfect or do what i do..
kross
April 30, 2018 @ 10:46 am
first thing I though when I heard about this over the weekend, was this is none of my business. The second thing I thought was please don’t let them get so big, that it’s impossible to get tickets to their shows. I hope it works out for them. maybe they’ll team up and make a Conway Twitty Loretta Lynn type of album. that would be fun.
liza
April 30, 2018 @ 11:00 am
“who is banging whom”
Stella
April 30, 2018 @ 11:21 am
“Ultimately, artists give greatly of their personal lives to entertain us. The least we can do is not use their personal lives as our entertainment.” Well said I love this article! I wasnt interested in this genre till I discovered Miranda’s music with the release of TWOTW…I was hooked! Not heard of Turnpike before and looking forward to checking out their music.
the pistolero
April 30, 2018 @ 11:28 am
You, friend, are in for a real treat. No matter where you start.
OlaR
April 30, 2018 @ 11:31 am
Oh the drama.
There are so many new albums out…why should i spend my time with a “she did – he did” soap opera?
New Music:
Imogen Clark – Collide – Album (Big talent from down under)
Randall King – Randall King – Album (Not only for George Strait fans)
Sara Douga – Boots, Bras & Drawers – Album (Sara Douga should be a STAR)
Anthony Taylor – Music Man – Album (I want more…)
Angela Meyer – Consequence – Album (Explicit…says Google Play)
Gary P. Nunn – Friends For Life Vol. 1 – Album (Duets, Duets, Duets…Sunny Sweeney, Wade Bowen…)
Cody Bryan Band – Here – Album (Texas Country Rock…”Stubborn” great duet with Sarah Hobbs)
the pistolero
April 30, 2018 @ 12:37 pm
I am really looking forward to that Gary P. Nun album.
Jim L.
April 30, 2018 @ 8:00 pm
Don’t overlook “Campfire” by Kasey Chambers.
Ashley Monroe's Married Boyfriend
April 30, 2018 @ 10:46 pm
I’m in love with Sparrow right now.
Di
April 30, 2018 @ 11:36 am
You don’t choose who you fall in love with. None if us here knows what really happened, its not good to pass judgement coz its none of our business. If they’re happy I’m happy coz I know good music is gonna come out of this very talented duo. Can’t wait 🙂
Corncaster
April 30, 2018 @ 1:25 pm
Ah, but you do choose who you fall in bed with.
Rhonda Thacker
April 30, 2018 @ 12:02 pm
Exactly!
Cilla
April 30, 2018 @ 12:11 pm
Another great blog Trigg. I’ve said this before, when it comes to music it’s all in the Song Writing.
Miranda Lambert is a hell of a song writer. She doesn’t hide who she is when it comes to her music. Miranda gave us the inside look of who she is with the song VICE. THAT’S MIRANDA.
No hiding her messiness. It’s the music we should appreciate. As for Evan Felker, her too is a giant when it comes to his song writing.
We DON’T KNOW what his situation was regarding his marriage. I can say that One does Not
wake up and decide to hook up with another IF THEIR MARRIAGE IS STRONG. There’s more to this story than we see in tabloids. Don’t blame Miranda….takes two to tango. As for Staci Felker,
Immature….not the way to handle your scandal. Miranda Lambert has a lot of money…she will handle her business. Miranda Lambert will go on with good music, Staci has not realized she’s helping Miranda right now, more songs will come from this for Miranda.
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 12:48 pm
This is one of the grossest comments I’ve seen. A woman who gets cheated on is in the wrong and should’ve handled the scandal Miranda and Evan created for her better? Because Miranda sang a song about being a ho and has money that somehow makes it a okay what she did?
Some of you people need Jesus and self respect in your lives.
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 1:19 pm
I heard Jesus he drink wine and I guess we’d get a long just fine
If He can calm a storm and heal the blind
Well I bet He’d understand a heart like mine
Madison
April 30, 2018 @ 1:26 pm
No one was this understanding when they believed Blake cheated. People tore him apart and her fans still tear him apart every. Double standard much?
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 3:03 pm
Throw in Jason Aldean, Garth and Tricia. LeAnn Rimes.
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 2:59 pm
That’s cute.
CountryKnight
May 1, 2018 @ 6:31 am
Just because that is Miranda’s interpretation of Jesus doesn’t make it correct. Her dime store theology doesn’t check out.
a
April 30, 2018 @ 12:13 pm
My guess is that this relationship will stick (at least for a while). There’s potential for a proper country music couple here (of a more reticent sort than Blake and Miranda were). As a fan, it’s exciting because they’re both very talented and, historically, country music has leaned to those personal relationships between performers. It was hard to see Anderson East ever filling that kind of role.
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 1:36 pm
Anderson’s voice sounds like a blender that only has one setting.
the pistolero
April 30, 2018 @ 4:53 pm
When I heard his version of “Forever Young” on the Dodge commercials, I made the observation that he sounded like he was being strangled while gargling broken glass.
Colter
April 30, 2018 @ 12:13 pm
These days you don’t know who’s cheating who and who’s being true. I don’t even care anymore.
the pistolero
April 30, 2018 @ 12:33 pm
Makes you wonder who’s doing right by someone tonight.
Also, whose car is that that’s parked next door?
Steve B.
April 30, 2018 @ 12:32 pm
And Jesus said, let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.
The heart wants what it wants…nuff said
CountryKnight
May 1, 2018 @ 6:32 am
I hate how that verse is mangled to justify debauchery.
Stringbuzz
April 30, 2018 @ 12:50 pm
None of this surprises me at all. I am doing everything in my power not to make this a story (I guess my power is limited. LOL).
However,
I stayed up very late on a Sunday last nite.
I went and saw Sarah Shook with opener Zephaniah OHora (acoustic).
WOW WOW WOW
A show like that just makes this stoopid soap opera seem ever more irrelevant to me.
Travis
April 30, 2018 @ 1:05 pm
I don’t know about the details or really care because they’re already done and I didn’t choose it, but can we be proud of Evan for a second for pulling that off? A small-ish independent singer impressed one of the biggest female country singers out there enough to get together. Back in the day we used to just say, good job Evan.
Madison
April 30, 2018 @ 1:24 pm
Eww.
Lyle Gonzales
April 30, 2018 @ 1:07 pm
I thought this was Jack’s second ACM. I don’t think he needed Miranda at all. If I’m correct it took 3 people to write that song.
Jean
April 30, 2018 @ 1:13 pm
Evan is a good looking guy and reading here that he’s also a very good songwriter…way to go Miranda!
Kat
May 2, 2018 @ 11:39 am
He’s not good-looking IMO.
Jean
May 5, 2018 @ 3:37 am
I’m not into man boobs sorry Blake…….Evan is in better shape and way hotter.
Corncaster
April 30, 2018 @ 1:23 pm
I think it’s appalling.
“despite the very obvious personal nature of this story and the underlying given that it’s none of our damn business who is banging who”
I think it’s in all our interest to say that betrayal is bad, period. It’s bad for the people involved, and it’s bad for any society that cares about social stability. Obviously, if we really want anything goes, no marriage, no commitment, pure pleasure, “no judging” — the whole Brave New World thing — then we ought to be prepared for the emotional carnage, anger, pervasive loneliness, and societal sterility that follows.
I’m no saint, and just a harumpher on the sidelines at this point, but all you young people are warned: if you’re totally okay with what Felker and Lambert did, then you’re in for a world of trouble down the road.
Laugh, snark, snipe, flame, whatever. These two people won’t be getting another dime from me. Insignificant? Sure. I don’t care. And I wish everyone, including Felker and Lambert, the best.
But these things rarely work out for the best, which ends up affecting more than the two people involved.
James Ewell Brown
April 30, 2018 @ 3:04 pm
Everything’s so easy, up until it’s complicated.
I’ll buy 2 of whatever Evan offers up, to take up the slack…however insignificant.:)
Corncaster
April 30, 2018 @ 6:15 pm
Everything is “complicated” to the confused.
CountryKnight
May 1, 2018 @ 6:47 am
He and Miranda made it complicated. It didn’t have to be.
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 5:19 pm
Infidelity has always happened – even when it was less socially acceptable than it is now. We should love and forgive each other. We’re all just humans trying to make it through this rather absurd and difficult life.
Corncaster
April 30, 2018 @ 5:36 pm
Construction, or demolition. Pick a side. And don’t get cute with “remodeling,” because any big remodel requires demolition, too.
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 5:42 pm
If I were to select a choice from this false equivalency that you’ve offered, I would pick demolition. Our culture has been violent to its citizens and devastating for the health of the planet. But, nothing I say really matters. Mother Nature is filing a restraining order against our species right now. I’ll just be kind to others until She comes to kick off us off. Hopefully, if we do this again we’ll be a better species next time. There might even be country music.
Corncaster
April 30, 2018 @ 6:03 pm
I chose construction. It’s harder to build than to destroy, but I’m not afraid of a challenge. Plus, all the love.
Good luck, “ForTheBirds.”
CountryKnight
May 1, 2018 @ 6:35 am
“But, nothing I say really matters.”
Yet, you have been chirping throughout this article like it does matter.
ForTheBirds
May 1, 2018 @ 11:13 am
:chirp chirp:
CountryKnight
May 1, 2018 @ 6:34 am
Ah, “the old it has always happened so let’s just give up and accept lower standards” argument.
Brilliant.
Cobra
April 30, 2018 @ 1:28 pm
Don’t get me wrong, I love Miranda Lambert (that God-awful “Platinum” album aside), but my irritation lies with the fact that if you google Turnpike Troubadours, the results are dominated more by Miranda than they are by anything actually related to the band.
Corncaster
April 30, 2018 @ 1:50 pm
My understanding is that Felker just betrayed his wife. You’re saying I should be more concerned with, say, what guitar strings he’s using on tour? Or whether you’ll have a new song from his band to stream on your phone?
Gayle
April 30, 2018 @ 1:47 pm
Great article Thank you for writing it, it needed to be told. I for one had never heard of Evan Felkner. Now I listen to his music all the time. Thank you Miranda for bringing Evan to the rest of us! I love Miranda for her true spirit. Shes country and gives her all to her fans. I don’t give a rip who screws who, just keep real country music alive!
Oh I do love airstream too! And dogs!
Sarah
April 30, 2018 @ 3:18 pm
And let me guess…
YOU FREAKIN LOVE MILLER LITE OMG
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 5:42 pm
They Should Be Friends!
Lunchbox
April 30, 2018 @ 1:55 pm
Because fuck that shit.
lol. did anybody else get those text messages Triggerman, or just you?
Rita Ballou
April 30, 2018 @ 2:21 pm
We got them two months ago. I even had some national Country Music website – media outlets contact me and other radio peep friends asking for confirmation on the “rumors they were hearing out of Texas.”
For the first time in my life, I shut up and waited for the crap to hit the fan.
#NoComment #YesIAmAHypocrite
RWP
April 30, 2018 @ 3:53 pm
At least you admit it.
Lunchbox
April 30, 2018 @ 9:58 pm
hi Rita. it’s nice to meet you. i used to follow Rawhide and Velvet on twitter but i got tired of social media a few years ago. now i just pop in here every couple days to check for new bands and stir the pot. glad to see your still at it.
Cilla
April 30, 2018 @ 2:03 pm
What this means is Turnpike Troubadours will now get more exposure to their music.
As Was said, this is not Miranda’s first Go Round.
Katie
April 30, 2018 @ 2:11 pm
Not my proudest moment as a fan of Miranda. She doesn’t seem too proud either with as quiet as she’s been. The guilty person should know when to stay quiet if they have any remorse at all, and this (if all is true) is one of those times. I tried not picking sides between she and Blake in the divorce, but he has been throwing plenty of hints in her direction for three years. I’m over that fool. As for her heartbreak comments, it is very possible to be the one that screwed things up and still be heartbroken about it. Human beings are complicated like that. I’m just hoping we get some good music out of this mess. To her critics I say it’s easier to judge when you are separate from the situation, but it doesn’t make you right.
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 3:06 pm
Miranda is posting instagram stories with her legs spread by the pool. She doesn’t give a shit.
Cap'n Jackie
April 30, 2018 @ 3:39 pm
Your comments say more about you than they do about Miranda Lambert.
ForTheBirds
April 30, 2018 @ 5:44 pm
Vile comment is vile.
Trigger: that’s the second blatantly misogynistic comment from this poster.
Tyrone
April 30, 2018 @ 10:31 pm
Don’t sweat this guy. He probably likes Florida Georgia Line
Jared
April 30, 2018 @ 2:25 pm
Maybe someone made this point already, but I keep thinking that maybe the lyrics to The Housefire are possibly more telling than I already thought.
Jim Bob
April 30, 2018 @ 4:47 pm
I probably wouldn’t gone with the how do you fall out of love lyrics, but sometimes metaphors work better than just on the nose. I guess. Maybe?
Jim Bob
April 30, 2018 @ 4:57 pm
*would’ve
CountryKnight
May 1, 2018 @ 6:36 am
I would agree but 2015 doesn’t work with the timeline.
Portia
April 30, 2018 @ 2:36 pm
“ Our heroes are people and people are flawed. Don’t let that taint the thing you love. ” We don’t know the whole story and its none of our business. I love Miranda, one of the few artists whose music I listen to coz its worth my time. If she’s happy I’m happy.
DJ
April 30, 2018 @ 3:26 pm
I doubt she’s happy. Happy comes from within not externally. She shows no self respect which can only come from showing respect to others- a lot of entertainers are not really happy, it’s one of the reasons they “perform”. They’re looking for acceptance not realizing accepting ones self is where it starts. They’re fortunate enough that people will pay for their unhappiness and make them stupid rich. Heavy on the stupid. There are exceptions to every rule but it isn’t hard to see when crap like this emerges. Those who start as young as she did (can you say Tanya Tucker?) surrounded by yes people lead a very sad existence believing in materialistic success as the end all- it ain’t. When they discover the truth it’s often too late- can you say Elvis Presley? They leave behind spoiled kids who suffer emotionally and wind up not worth the bullet it would take to shoot them to put them out of their misery- it all begins with self respect which can only come about by showing respect-
albert
April 30, 2018 @ 6:08 pm
great points DJ . accolades and celebrity at a young age usually means you’ll miss out on some ” hurt ” and valuable growth in terms of life experience , coping skills and shared values ( respect , altruism , empathy etc.. ) you’re in a bubble , of sorts .
James Ewell Brown
April 30, 2018 @ 2:48 pm
So many high horses. A decade+ in the bottle, I’d love to say my biggest fuck up was cheating on my wife with Miranda Lambert. Long drive home… Sure was.
Corncaster
April 30, 2018 @ 5:19 pm
Been there, James? How long did you wait in line?
Whiskey_Pete
April 30, 2018 @ 3:14 pm
Staci Felker, if you need a rebound I’m here for you.
Wesley Gray
August 6, 2018 @ 10:02 pm
lol i’m marred, myself. i’m 34. last cheated on a gf in 7th grade (and felt awful enough to tell her about it the next day and we broke up with few qualms). i showed a pic of Staci to my wife and she said “wait he left this lady for Lambert?” not saying Lambert isn’t a good looking lady at all because she obviously is…but she does have a bit of that “psycho-lady” look in her eye. All the shallow shit aside, this whole thing is none of my business. It sucks. Lambert and Felker both messed up BAD…however the selfish part of me knows this situation is going to make for good music. look; i have been cheated on multiple times. one of those times was with a girl i had been with for nearly seven years. i nearly let it ruin my whole life. i ended up addicted to heroin (over five years clean now) by my own hand. i wouldn’t eat for three or four days at a time, doing nothing but junk and drinking cheap whiskey. i became so dehydrated that my skin was cracking open and bleeding. i lived that way for YEARS. and it was all my own doing. I chose that escape and it almost killed me multiple times. Glad to see Staci seems to be handling this in a far more constructive way. All that aside, we’ve all fucked up at one time or another in some way. this same story is unfolding at one of your neighbor’s house right now. none of our business. or “business as usual” in other words. not how i carry myself but this stuff unfortunately happens everywhere and very often.
albert
April 30, 2018 @ 3:26 pm
” You can’t handle the truth ” …..
Remember that famous line ?
How bout this one ……” An artist creates his own moral universe ” ….
Both of those thoughts are relevant and explanation enough for something that can never really be explained in terms of accepted contemporary morals or values .
To be a TRUE artist is to be truly FEARLESS enough to not only pursue your vision/passion at all costs but to to say ” I don’t give a good goddam about what people think of my views, my lifestyle , my moral compass or my behaviour . For most of us , perhaps , that is incomprehensible as an attitude ..but most of us aren’t and will never be REAL artists driven by something we barely understand and consequently we will never have to make that decision and commitment for ourselves .
Infidelity , most of us would agree , is wrong .
Infidelity , most of us would agree , is so prevalent it borders on normal behavior .
Infidelity , most of us would agree , is none of our business unless it IS our business .
In a transient industry like the entertainment industry where people ( egos ) are fueled by the drive to survive and , hopefully, succeed by relying on their talents , their skills , their charisma , their ‘network ‘ and by the like-minded spirits in their orbit who validate this drive by providing support in countless ways including emotionally to the point of intimacy , that industry becomes a reality and a moral universe that is not only foreign to someone NOT directly involved in it but nearly impossible to characterize in terms’ nine-to fivers’ could or would even want to try to understand . ” You can’t handle the truth ” ” MY truth “…
None of my thoughts above are meant to condone or condemn infidelity. I have learned based on a lifetime in this business that indeed ….as artists we tend to create our own moral universe NOT to cause intentional harm to anyone but to make it possible for US to make SOME sense of the creative urges and directives that are part of our DNA and to make sense of a world which otherwise makes little to NO sense to us using conventional references and guideposts . The art itself is all-consuming and the commitment of time coupled with an unbalanced , unorthodox lifestyle can create a scenario where you take WHAT you need WHEN you need it and WHERE you find it simply to allow you to continue chasing the muse
DJ
April 30, 2018 @ 3:46 pm
I remember that line- it was an attempt to justify an action- an excuse. Excuses are like asses. Everyone has one, and it usually stinks. The ‘truth” is: ALL men are created equal. Not respecting that disallows self respect- self esteem is not self respect. Artist are unique- but not special. They still put their pants on one leg at a time. In this day and time if they don’t know they’re looked up to they need better handlers and fewer “it’s ok you’re special” people hanging onto them. With fame comes responsibility, to ones self, and those affected. All that is “needed” is air, water, food, clothing and shelter- everything else is a desire, a want- that can be controlled IF desired. They need to grow up. Coddling them and making excuses for them won’t suffice. They will pay, dearly, eventually. The evidence is abundant. Ignoring it is stupid. making excuses for it is immature.
albert
April 30, 2018 @ 6:13 pm
‘Escape From Freedom ”
Fromm
Cilla
April 30, 2018 @ 4:45 pm
I still say Blake and Miranda will reunite. Miranda is still on his mind after 3 yrs. His tweeting last week says say a lot.
Sam
April 30, 2018 @ 10:53 pm
No. It won’t. Give it up. His cryptic tweet was just a sigh of relief. But Cilla that ship has sailed.
Aubrey
May 1, 2018 @ 9:16 am
I also think he’s history to Miranda, she seems to be over him already. Doesn’t tweet about him or mention anything concerning him in interviews while he has been doing this since 2015.
Clyde
April 30, 2018 @ 4:54 pm
I’ve never seen so many women in the comments section.
Miranda Lambert’s music is not that great.
Either is the Turnpike Troubadours.
I’m still scratching my head as to why this article was written.
KGD
April 30, 2018 @ 5:55 pm
Because a lot of people disagree with you about the quality of both artists’ music
Because Trigger has done a better job tracking the Troubadours’ career arc than anyone and provides a lot of good coverage on Miranda as well.
The head scratcher is why you would waste your time reading such an inconsequential article, then read the comments, then comment.
And yet you did.
Clyde
April 30, 2018 @ 8:40 pm
Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve always found it difficult to discern the reason behind an article without reading it. I read the comments cause I was still looking for the reason.
Jim Bob
April 30, 2018 @ 4:56 pm
If there was any justice in this world, Willie Nelson would chime in saying he just released a new album and asking why we’re all fixated on this stupid shit instead.
(Understanding, of course, that none of this is stupid for those involved, but it’s very, very, very stupid for all of us to be bitching about it).
mary
May 1, 2018 @ 7:23 am
Admittedly, I don’t follow social media. Maybe I’ll look into it when the Kardashians retire. But all I have heard about this ‘scandal’ is that Miranda and Felker were ‘seen’ having a drink or a meal in NOLA..Hardly unusual for tour mates…His divorce filing, like a week after the tour started could be a simple coincidence…All this gossip is ridiculous…
MarkH
April 30, 2018 @ 5:08 pm
Does anyone think Turnpike is relatively close to its end?
My friend and I were talking about this before all this Miranda Lambert news. I’ve always thought Evan seemed like someone who might go the solo-route, and between this recent drama and the previous Evan under-the-influence issues, I would imagine that it isn’t the ideal working environment for a band.
Trigger
April 30, 2018 @ 5:28 pm
There is absolutely no indication that the Turnpike Troubadours are “close to an end,” in turmoil, peaking, petering out, or anything else. In fact as bands go, they’re very strong, selling out venues, with strong sales and streams on their music. I guess you never know, but I’m seeing no indication of wear on this band. In fact they’re just now hitting their stride, opening for arena shows to the biggest crowds of their career.
King Honky Of Crackershire
April 30, 2018 @ 5:19 pm
I’ve been trying to find a song that would qualify these guys as a Country band. I can’t find one. To me, they sound like a slightly twangier version of Blues Traveler.
Trigger
April 30, 2018 @ 5:29 pm
What a joke.
King Honky Of Crackershire
April 30, 2018 @ 5:57 pm
Well send me a link of something then. I’m all ears.
Whiskey_Pete
May 1, 2018 @ 10:44 am
Just a rock band with a violin.
King Honky Of Crackershire
May 1, 2018 @ 11:57 am
Basically, yep.
King Honky Of Crackershire
April 30, 2018 @ 5:27 pm
Miranda is the female Country version of John Mayer.
Aggc
April 30, 2018 @ 6:33 pm
You feel that way because she’s popular. If it wasnt for her popularity you’d be boring all of us about how fantastic she is. You are a contrarian (and predictably so).
King Honky Of Crackershire
May 1, 2018 @ 11:57 am
I want the music I love to be popular. I’m a fan of mainstream music, when it’s country.
This has nothing to do with my comment.
Mrs P
April 30, 2018 @ 6:28 pm
Lol this is like reading political blogs.
Everyone is jumping on the feeling sorry for Staci wagon. I don’t remember that happening with Blake’s first wife Kaynette. The only thing I remember is Miranda being called a home wrecker and worse. Blake was left to sail off in the sunset and the same is happening with Evan, it’s all her fault.
It disappoints me so many women are the ones who go for the juggler and give the men a pass.
One thing I’m learning from this is Miranda must be the most popular one out there in country music because the one on top always is the easiest target.
Maybe its time Miranda gave saving country an interview about what really happened with her first marriage. It takes two folks and relationships aren’t always what they seem to be in the public eye.
Ulysses McCaskill
April 30, 2018 @ 6:31 pm
I don’t listen to either so I don’t care. Even if I was a fan of both parties involved I still wouldn’t give a damn. None of my business and none of anyone else’s except those directly involved and affected.
Jeremy
April 30, 2018 @ 6:40 pm
Am I the only one that got excited about a TT and Miranda collaboration when I heard this news?
Jeremy
April 30, 2018 @ 6:54 pm
It just cracks me up how people expect these folks to be better than us, and not have these types of personal issues. Look at not just celebrity marriages or relationships, look around your town or neighborhood, this stuff is everywhere. Even people today thought as classy, have done such things. Look at Vince Gill and Amy Grant. I believe Alan Jackson had an affair, Johnny Cash even had affairs when married to June Carter. Don’t be fooled by the Hollywood love story.
CountryKnight
May 1, 2018 @ 6:46 am
Yet, millions of couples have had relationships without cheating. It is possible. Like most things, it takes hard work and discipline.
Jeremy
May 1, 2018 @ 8:14 am
I think everyone knows that marriage can be successful. Thanks for reminding us.
RD
April 30, 2018 @ 6:55 pm
Miranda Lambert is the kind of girl you bring home to mom… when your mom works at The Spearmint Rhino.
Mike Black
April 30, 2018 @ 7:00 pm
I can’t decide whether I’m more offended that Felker would be dumb / drunk enough to cheat on his wife with Miranda Lambert of all people….or at the sentence about Turnpike being the “best country band” of recent past. They are a pretty good rock-based band with a fiddle and occasional steel, but there really is no way they should be considered a country band. 90% of their songs fall squarely into the rock category from a song structure and overall feel standpoint.
Trigger
April 30, 2018 @ 7:17 pm
“90% of their songs fall squarely into the rock category from a song structure and overall feel standpoint.”
That’s ridiculous. Yes, they’ve got some charge in their songs, but the Turnpike Troubadours are much more country than anything, and an rock fan who hates country would tell you that.
Mike Black
April 30, 2018 @ 7:03 pm
That bit about turnpike being the best country band of the last decade or so has to be a joke, right?
Trigger
April 30, 2018 @ 7:18 pm
No.
Cowboy307
May 1, 2018 @ 12:11 am
No offense Trig, but aren’t you forgetting about Randy Roger Band here. I thought about them when I had seen this statement on Twitter earlier. Turnpike is a fantastic and inspiring band, but I wouldn’t put them light-years out in front of Randy and the boys either.
Blackh4t
May 1, 2018 @ 2:17 am
I’m with trigger, TT is where its at.
Mike Black
May 1, 2018 @ 8:39 am
TT may be “where it’s at” in many people’s eyes, but they are far more accurately categorized as a rock / southern rock / americana band. That’s not to say they aren’t pretty good at what they do, but 90% of their song structures are purely 90’s-ish rock with drums and guitar-forward feel behind a rock rhythm section, with a fiddle or occasional pedal steel.
TK
April 30, 2018 @ 7:05 pm
It’s easy to wax eloquently here about people…who’s right, wrong, etc. with whom you have no emotional stake. It’s a whole different kettle of fish if you’re Staci Felker’s sister or brother, or anyone close who will see and feel the hurt and pain from somebody’s selfish act of betrayal. Nothing worse, except death.
King Honky Of Crackershire
April 30, 2018 @ 7:10 pm
Trigger,
Why do you allow the use of “Fuck”, and things of that nature, but delete the Bible?
Trigger
April 30, 2018 @ 7:19 pm
This comments section is already contentious and muddied enough. We’re not interjecting politics or religion, both of which violate comment rules.
King Honky Of Crackershire
May 1, 2018 @ 4:49 pm
There are several instances of folks quoting Bible on here. Why haven’t you deleted them yet?
Trigger
May 1, 2018 @ 5:02 pm
I have no problem with Bible quotations, especially in the context of a regular comment. Posting like you did would invariably result in discussion beyond the scope of the original article, and this comments section was already too messy.
seak05
April 30, 2018 @ 7:14 pm
1. If the marriage was over clearly nobody bothered to tell Stacy
2. Miranda also cheated on Anderson, and while not married, they’d been living together for a while
3. Miranda really needs to stop talking about broken hearts at awards ceremonies
4. people really need to stop talking about Miranda as badass or a strong woman. Women aren’t perfect, and we need far more songs that treat women as real 3d people, but there is nothing cool about getting drunk every night, smoking, or habitual cheating.
5. At the end of the day, despite the instagram posts, quotes in interviews etc, it’s about the music, and Miranda shouldn’t be blacklisted for this, nor should Evan, nor should Jason (yuck), just like Merle, George & others in the past.
6. Otoh suggesting this is even potentially a good thing because people might learn about the TT is sort of creepy disgusting. Real people’s lives were ruined. I want more people to know how TT are, but not because/like this.
TxMusic
April 30, 2018 @ 8:49 pm
Thank you for breaking it down. It’s just mind boggling to me that people can have so little compassion for Staci and Anderson.
How far have we fallen as a society when the possibility of new music trumps empathy for a woman who’s life got torn apart by infidelity and in some cases where she’s turned into a villain because her truth puts Miranda in a bad light.
Cilla
April 30, 2018 @ 10:07 pm
Anderson East is young and talented, he’s already moved on. Staci needs time and maybe some counseling. She’ll be fine.
NPC
May 1, 2018 @ 9:03 am
seak05, we don’t see eye-to-eye on most things, but you are 100% correct in this instance. Where did songs like Trisha Yearwood’s “Real Live Woman” or even SHeDAISY’s “This Woman Needs” go? Why can’t both male and female artists have more story-based songs that speak to real-life emotions and situations instead of perpetuating the horrid stereotypes of the bro-country era? Clearly, the Nashville echo chamber ruled by the same five songwriters and the “Party Down South” mentality wants nothing to do with higher standards in both music and life.
wayne
April 30, 2018 @ 8:39 pm
She will still keep winning those “fake” awards, continue to get the pass, and still be teh champion for women? Right.
Betty
April 30, 2018 @ 9:26 pm
One woman wrote on ML I/G “Next concert I’m watching my husband around you. I believe the music will come first with most people. While sad for the ones who are hurt, it’s more than Evan getting drunk and cheating, he filed for divorce on Feb. 16. He went on tour with ML Feb.-1-3.
Jim L.
April 30, 2018 @ 9:44 pm
Listening to “Cocktails” by Robbie Fulks right now.
Cilla
April 30, 2018 @ 10:04 pm
His marriage was in trouble way before he actually met Miranda Lambert. People don’t just wake up one morning and say ” I’m going to hook up with my tour mate, ignore my wife and Get divorced”. Staci and Evan dated for a few yrs and their marriage ended after 1 yr. This probably isn’t the first time Evan has cheated. There were probably times when Staci felt something wasn’t right, but maybe ignored it. If Evan truly was in love with his wife, He would have stood up to Miranda and kept it professional, let her know he would not be unfaithful to his wife. He was willing to hurt his wife. For what?? Miranda Lambert will move on from him.
Hope it was worth it.
GlassHouses
May 1, 2018 @ 9:59 am
Man, that’s Evan. He had someone on the side when he was engaged to Staci, too. (He was smashed and told my brother all about it at a bar one night years ago. They have mutual friends.) Still love TT to death, but, this doesn’t look the greatest.
peanut
April 30, 2018 @ 11:19 pm
I have been fan of Miranda since the beginning. Really like Turnpike Troubadours. Ill always be fan long as I enjoy their music. When cheating becomes habit you need help. Perhaps she should go get some. I do feel bad for his wife not Miranda and Evan. They knew exactly how this would turn out. They are smart enough to know the consequences. Evan wants the attention considering his actions.
Mike H
May 1, 2018 @ 1:50 am
I am 80% sure only reason Miranda decided to go after this particular married but relatively not famous Evan is because she knows TRIGGER thinks he is some kind of god. Just think about all the cover up articles and praises she is going to get from you Trigger. This being your first celebrity knee-pad article of that production line…
Blackh4t
May 1, 2018 @ 2:28 am
I find it all hilarious. I mean, I get the conservative view that people should behave, but the sh*t’s getting thrown by people who think that we care about their arbitrary moral compass.
Yay for Miranda, if we want equality then we have to accept women can be sexual predators just like the male stereotype.
She sounds a lot more interesting than most of her detractors.
DJ
May 1, 2018 @ 6:33 am
Arbitrary moral compass? Self respect, respect for others is hardly arbitrary behavior. What goes around comes around. Freedom ain’t free. The cost is personal responsibility- regardless of gender, or political preference. Interesting is subjective. I think she acts like a slut. That is her prerogative, but, that is indicative of a lack of self respect which disallows showing respect for others. Sluts have hearts too, but, I seriously doubt her heart directs her actions- if anything it probably gets in the way and causes only hurt creating a vicious cycle. Ridicule moral compass all you want- but without one life isn’t worth much and adults who care about others will control their behavior. No, she isn’t the only one, but she makes money from it- most who use her indiscretions as a moral compass/equivalent only hurt others and suffer without the financial benefit. No it isn’t her fault they’re ignorant but it is indicative of a similar lack of self respect and her celebrity makes it cool/ok to the ignorant to be that way, especially the young, highly impressionable sponges fro brains that buy her music- well, because.
Blackh4t
May 1, 2018 @ 8:06 am
Still totally arbitrary.
You say slut, I say open about being a normal human.
Respect is the subjective word here. It gets thrown around a lot (generally by people I don’t respect), and I’m a believer that respect is earned. I respect Miranda for making extremely good music. I highly respect her for not jumping on the Margo Price man-blaming train.
Sometimes freedom is as free as getting offline and not caring what people say.
Actually, women being more honest is helping society. You want to teach young guys that no means no? Then lets have female role models who know how to say yes.
As I said, i can understand the conservative view that we should behave, but if you accept hook ups, tinder, threesomes, open relationships, polyamory etc, then cheating isn’t really different.
FunctionallyIlliterate
May 1, 2018 @ 6:14 am
Saving Country In Touch People National Inquirer Star Music Magazine.
Keeps
May 1, 2018 @ 6:27 am
Great article from Saving Country. Thank you! I’ve been waiting for some intelligent insight to the recent stabs & jabs. I just need to ask…..As a society have we not learned from the lives lived by the king of rock and roll, our beloved Elvis Presley or the king of pop, Michael Jackson?? They were real live human beings who shared their gift with us. As fans we give them the platform & they in turn share their wonderful God given talent. All they ever wanted & needed was for us to remember they were Human. We live, we love, we learn, we lose, we grow. This is our Temporary Home……and as sure as I am sitting here – you can not throw the first stone.
Please give our talented artist room to be human……
CountryKnight
May 1, 2018 @ 6:41 am
It is all good though. Miranda promotes other female artists and she is empowering women. That makes up for the misbehavior.
At least, according to some posters here. It is amazing how THE CAUSE can overshadow morality.
KGD
May 1, 2018 @ 7:09 am
Just curious, are all your favorite artists fine upstanding citizens steeped in moral rectitude?
I love the Rolling Stones, but tell my sons that the music is great, but that is no way to conduct your personal life. If they need a hero/role model they need look no farther than their grandfather (my dad).
They get that.
Of course, Keith Richards has been married for 30+ years, so you can’t judge EVERY book by its cover.
CountryKnight
May 1, 2018 @ 6:45 am
Well good lord Staci, I love you
Could it go more wrong
Guess her folks were right
Guess her folks were right
Cilla
May 1, 2018 @ 6:46 am
And now we have Blake Shelton Back peddling on his tweet about “KARMA”. Now Blake says he wasn’t going after Miranda with that tweet. Someone must have but Blake in his place.
He still not over Miranda. It’s obvious. I still say Blake was hoping Miranda would run back to him
after she broke up with Anderson East. Blake never got that call, instead Miranda is now with a
Prominent musician and it seems Blake is hurt all over again. Blake needs to stop opening up
old wounds. Imagine howw Gwen feels now.
Sam
May 1, 2018 @ 3:40 pm
Oh for the love of God give it a rest. He’s right. We all did jump to that conclusion. All of us. So what does that tell you? And considering it was a small group of friends who liked the tweet obviously that small circle got it. You do know for 2 years he has been threatened with Karma for “breaking her heart” by her fans. Cilla. He aint going back. He had 10 years of that behavior. Anderson is not going back. Ryan is not going back. And when Evan breaks it off he won’t go back. Blake took abuse from her fans for years. Still does. It’s over. This is on Miranda and Evan.
TheGrandTour
May 1, 2018 @ 6:57 am
Can we all just take a break from the drama here and reflect on the undoubted accuracy Trigger’s statement “the Turnpike Troubadours are the greatest living country band on the planet at the moment”?
I love all genres of music (except rap) but country holds a special place in my heart and soul and listening to the Troubadours is pure euphoria for true country fans, regardless of your sub-genre bent. I’m telling you–these guys are not just the greatest living country band on the planet, they are, in my opinion, the best thing to happen to country music since the neo-traditional resurgence of the late 80’s and it is absolutely criminal that they have either been ignored or suppressed by Music Row.
I’m a 30 year old millennial and I still remember the first time hearing certain acts like Led Zeppelin, Ray Charles, George Jones & Hank Sr., and other genre defining artists. It was a surreal experience because when you hear iconic artists like that for the first time and you are not of their generation, you realize instantly that they are movers and shakers of their craft. You realize why they are iconic. You understand why they were a breed apart and why everyone who came up in their wake either tried to emulate them or secretly wanted to be them.
That’s exactly how I feel about the Turnpike Troubadours. The beauty of it is that they are a genre-defining act in their prime and in my lifetime. When I hear the big, vast opening fiddle solo of “Bird Hunters” or the driving, make-you-want-to-pound-your-steering-wheel steel solo at the end of “Pipe Bomb Dream”, or the honkytonk heartache waltz in “Easton & Main”, its almost like a drug induced high for a quality starved fellow in the age of “bro”. Felker’s lyrics matched with the quality musicianship and melodies are a match made in Texas Red Dirt heaven. Not to mention, Felker’s lyrics have helped me through some truly troubling times. I always imagined that Felker’s songs would be what Larry McMurtry would sound like if he could sing. The scenes, the characters, and the irony all seem to be similar.
There are very few artists or acts who I’ve ever felt like I needed to stop whatever I was doing, and go listen to them NOW, as if I needed a “hit”. That is truly what the Troubadours’ music means to me.
A.K.A. City
May 1, 2018 @ 7:55 am
If we have that big of an issue with this, are we going to stop romanticizing the relationship of Johnny and June Cash?
I’m not saying that it is right, but I thought country music was the music of cheating, two-timing, and heartbreak. Many of those whom are considered the greats are homewreckers themselves. Are we going to stop worshipping them and throw away their music? If we take a look at our own personal lives, can we say that we’ve lead perfect lives that we have never cheated, pursued someone unavailable, or at the very least lusted in our hearts? Again, not saying that it is right, but we are all human- beautiful messes all. Let’s all take a group listen to “Cast No Stones.”
peanut
May 1, 2018 @ 10:03 am
Trying to act as if cheating is okay is weird to me. That’s exactly what you do when making excuses. Everyone judges people including the people who act as if they don’t. In fact they are often the most unbearable. I like Miranda and Turnpike Troubadours music. It doesn’t mean people have to mindlessly like sheep condone their actions. I have feeling if this was people who think what Miranda and Evan did was okay would have someone they love cheat it would be very different emotions.
A.K.A. City
May 1, 2018 @ 11:27 am
I’m not saying it is ok. I’ve been cheated on… in many of the most epic and hurtful ways possible. Don’t make assumptions.
A.K.A. City
May 1, 2018 @ 11:56 am
I may have taken that one a bit personally… but my point was/is that cheating is something that is common and is a common theme in country music. Just because it is common doesn’t make it right, but we shouldn’t act shocked that it happens. It also bothers me that the Cashes are treated as country’s golden couple when they began in very questionable and similar terms to this and this situation is generally reviled.
peanut
May 1, 2018 @ 4:52 pm
Sorry I was harsh on you. I’m not shocked that it happened. I think the same way about Johnny and June. I like the music but didn’t care for the cheating. I can like someone music and not like certain things they do. I have been fan of Miranda since the beginning. I still don’t care for cheating no matter if its Miranda, the jerk down the street or a legend. Its just always shocks for some reason people seem to think its okay to cheat when singer they like does it.
Debra
May 2, 2018 @ 10:59 am
Here is a big difference with you using Johnny/June Cash as examples of cheating: They remained together, married, committed and loving until their deaths. I’m afraid this won’t be ending the same way. Pretty sure Miranda will be moving on and repeating this again, and again………
A Reader
May 1, 2018 @ 11:31 am
there are elements to this story that are borderline predatory. this whole thing is super gross.
Chet
May 1, 2018 @ 2:05 pm
Marriages and divorces and cheating and arrests have all led to some of the greatest songs and albums of all time. If you know Bret BigCountryStar just went through a painful breakup, it puts that next album filed with sad-songs into perspective.
Just report the facts and don’t be salacious.
Kyle
May 1, 2018 @ 5:46 pm
I wish she woulda ruined my marriage.
KGD
May 2, 2018 @ 1:50 am
Hahahaha! Close the thread.
charlotte
May 2, 2018 @ 6:31 am
Can’t read all the comments right now. On a personal level, this rocks my world. I feel like I understand everything. What is going on from the very beginning of Blake and Miranda meeting until now happens. Broken lives except for Blake. Every video of Miranda she is drunk. Evan has drinking problems. Feel so sorry for Evan’s wife. God help them all.
Kat
May 2, 2018 @ 10:57 am
You can insult me all you want but truth is I did not learn of EF’s drinking problem from you, but kudos for mentioning it. I garnered this information elsewhere. I happen to think Blake’s TS is his best work in awhile. It’s been some time since I read your review but it seemed like you didn’t want to like TS but you did. And now I will drive a stake through your, cold, grizzled heart by saying I found Blake and Gwen’s Christmas duet very catchy.
PS dually noted you did say something about leaving B’s “old farts” comment in the past. So you were fair to Blake exactly2x’s. Wow.
KGD
May 2, 2018 @ 12:39 pm
Sounds like High School now.
Actually, High School sounded better.
Cooper
May 2, 2018 @ 1:33 pm
Saw Turnpike back in March in Cincinnati. Evan was so drunk, high, or a combination of both that he couldn’t even get out the lyrics to the songs most of the time. It was jarring to see, considering it had been a while since that happened, and I had a feeling something was up behind the scenes.
Still a fan of Turnpike’s music. This is definitely not the best look for Evan, though.
Van and Tane
May 2, 2018 @ 5:19 pm
I read parts of this article to Van. As parents, we thank you. He’s not perfect, but we love our kid. All parties involved are just humans with family and friends that love them. 99.9% aren’t interested in 15 minutes of tabloid fame. Thanks again.