Photo Credit: Charley Crockett by Bobby Cochran / CC by 4.0
Country singer Charley Crockett cancels a nine-date Canadian tour after being denied entry at the Canadian border twice over a 2016 felony conviction.
Texas native Charley Crockett has been turned away twice at the Canadian border and has cancelled his nine-date tour in the country as a result. The country singer shared the news on Instagram, posting a photo of the letter he received from the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada. The letter confirmed that he had been denied entry over his criminal past.
“Everybody’s got a past. Mine’s still haunting me,” wrote Crockett, who received a felony conviction in 2016 over the possession of over five pounds of cannabis with intent to distribute.
The letter from the Canadian government noted that Crockett was not authorized to enter the country because of his felony conviction, and had the crime occurred in Canada, it would be punishable by a maximum sentence of at least 10 years in prison.
Crockett explained that he had tried to enter Canada twice within 24 hours: first in Vancouver, and again in Kelowna. Both times, he was refused entry.
“I’ve been advised that it would jeopardize my freedom to try and enter again,” Crockett explained. “I’m deeply sorry to announce the cancellation of my entire Canadian tour.”
The Canadian shows were originally scheduled for February 23 through March 6, and included stops in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Niagara Falls. Fans who purchased tickets to these shows will be issued refunds at the point of purchase.
“I apologize to everyone affected, I know I let y’all down,” he added. “I ain’t one to quit and I aim to be back one of these days real soon.”
The 41-year-old Crockett has been open about his past, having worked at a cannabis farm in California before he started his music career. The singer-songwriter has 15 studio albums under his belt since his debut in 2015. These include The Man of Waco, $10 Cowboy, Lonesome Drifter, and Dollar a Day, all of which have charted on the U.S. Billboard 200.
