A photo of the ‘Legends Corner’ mural before Taylor Swift was removed (Photo Credit: FaceMePLS / CC by 3.0).
Taylor Swift has been replaced with Brad Paisley on the Legends Corner bar mural in Nashville.
The mural on the side of the bar includes several of country music’s most famous artists. While she graced the mural, Swift was accompanied by Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Garth Brooks, Blake Shelton, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash. Now that Swift has transitioned to pop, the mural was updated to feature Brad Paisley.
The move has prompted some outrage from fans, who insist the removal is unwarranted. Swift was the first woman to win the Pinnacle Award at the 2013 CMA Awards. She also won entertainer of the year back in 2009 and 2011. Despite her contributions to the country music genre, it seems her fame as a pop music star was the reason for the removal.
With the removal of Swift from the mural, now only three female country singers are celebrated on the Legends Corner artwork.
Tim Davis, the artist behind the mural, says that local bargoers don’t like Swift’s appearance on the mural. He told USA Today that many spat on Swift’s picture because they felt betrayed by her rise in the pop genre.
“I have heard many complaints here in Nashville about Taylor being on the wall with country legends since she is currently focused mainly on pop. Some inebriated bar-hoppers have spit on her image specifically, feeling betrayed by her venture from country. I guess this is to be expected, but by and large, the people of Nashville love her, as do I,” he says.
The decision to remove Taylor Swift from the mural was made by the owners, not the artist. Davis started a $35,000 GoFundMe to help raise money to paint a new Taylor Swift mural in downtown Nashville to honor her separately from her country music roots.
“As a music powerhouse in her own right, and having introduced many to the country music genre, she should be featured on a prominent mural in Music City that showcases both her country roots and her earned status as the queen of pop,” the GoFundMe page reads.
The Legends Corner mural may no longer feature Taylor Swift, but other country stars will be added.
Davis has confirmed that the owners have commissioned him to add more country artists in January. That includes another female artist he’s already “sketched out between Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks.” While Davis has yet to reveal her identity, my money would be on Carrie Underwood or perhaps Shania Twain.
Although she left the country music scene and transferred to pop, I still think she should remain on the mural. She is the reason many people (especially the younger generations) gave country music a chance. Her “Fearless” album is the most awarded country album in history. To remove a woman to be replaced by another white male is typical and boring (nothing against Brad). I find it crazy that Shania Twain isn’t on the mural either.
Exactly. If Shania isn’t on there, then Swift shouldn’t be on there.
Half the ones on there are far from legends, thanks to bro crap.8
Which half? Please be specific in who you think isn’t a legend that is currently on that mural. Yeah, I didn’t think so.
I understand some of the replies.. I’m not country music person, but my mom was.. first if they’re classified legends singers, there few on there..This is my opinion, Taylor, I enjoy her music,, to me she classified as Country Pop..she mixed music. She shouldn’t be condemn for that, this is what the younger generations likes..that why I like her…Now on Shania” Twain, yea she deserves it to, but she Canadian singer maybe that why she not ??♀️ Idk.. she classified as country pop too.. To me legends are Willie Nelson, Hank William, Loretta Lynn there are there.. Pasty cline, Dottie west, kitty wells, Tammy Wynette, Johnny cash, John Denver,Jimmy dickens,George strait, Tennessee Ernie Ford, he went pop n Christian music..Roy Clark, Buck Owens, I could go on on..these are ledges..I grew up watching Hee Haw .. lol.. like dolly and Reba they cross over too they done pop country and Christian tunes, so they shouldn’t be there either if Taylor is not…That my opinion ….
This is a narrow-minded world that people need to stop making excuses for. Country music in the past got a past while it was hugely racist and backward because the music was actually good. The music hasn’t been good really since Garth Brooks sucked up a giant storm and killed it, followed by the worst easy listening rock trash masquerading as country anyone could ever stand to be subjected to, along with the low IQ dronings of one country bozo cliche after another, not much distant from the hip hop degradation of the last 25 years (it was also a real revolutionary sound once). The days of Waylon, Merle, Willie, and the legends of the two generations before them are LONG GONE!
Swift could actually write songs well in a young, charming way. Then she got sucked into the pop vortex. She’s done better than most, but let’s face it, that venue is horrid, and she’s been stunted, when by the age of 30, she should’ve generated some epic masterpieces, instead of being stuck doing the same level of music as she was when she was a teen, if not worse.
American music is an atrocity in 2020, at least the mainstream. There’s always something in the underground. Gary Clark Jr has come the closest, but he’s having a hard time, even though some of the media are committed to him. As I said, when Beyonce, Jay Z, Rihanna (also once possibly great turned into trash), Drake (untalented), Nikki Minaj (phenomenal rapper stuck in EDM pop and modelling) and the list goes on and on and on. The modern American doesn’t know how to find top flight stardom for the truly talented like Clark and Jenifer Hudson, and also manages to take its manufactured acts, elevate slop like Miley Cyrus and Drake, while the semi-talented languish.
Meanwhile, modern country is full of songs of dudes falling in love with their trucks. It really is unbelievably pathetic.
If Swift had any brains, she would hide herself away and try to come back with the album of the decade. Of course, she isn’t in a great band, she is just on her own, and I never hear any indicators of her working with real musicians, instead of more sample-knob twiddling ‘producers’ so it’s not likely going to happen.
I think Carrie should definitely be on there. Sure Shania had her run back in the 90’s but she hasn’t really been relevant in Country music in over 15 years. I predict in another 20 years Carrie will have made her way into that legendary group of Country females along with Dolly, Reba and Loretta.