Country music world stands by Morgan Wallen despite roller-coaster year

Morgan Wallen has quickly become one of country music's favorite artists.

In the 10 years since he released his debut EP and became a professional singer and songwriter, Wallen has broken records left and right and earned acclaim among his peers in the country music community.

Wallen, 31, hit his stride in 2024 and topped the Country Music Association Awards nominations with seven nods, including entertainer of the year, single of the year and male vocalist of the year.

Despite success on the stage, Wallen personally faced an uphill battle after an arrest in April in which he was accused of throwing a chair off a rooftop bar in Nashville.

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Morgan Wallen tops CMA nods despite a tumultuous year. (John Shearer)

On April 7, Wallen was charged with three felony counts by the Metro Nashville Police Department after a chair he allegedly threw off the roof of the six-story Chief's bar landed on Broadway near two police officers.

The "Last Night" singer was "cooperating fully" with the investigation, a rep for the musician told Fox News Digital at the time.

Wallen was booked into jail around 12:36 a.m. local time. The "Whiskey Glasses" singer was released around 3:30 a.m. His bond was set at $15,250, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.

Nearly two weeks later, Wallen broke his silence to denounce his actions in a post shared on X. 

MORGAN WALLEN EXPANDS COUNTRY MUSIC EMPIRE, LAUNCHES SAND IN MY BOOTS FESTIVAL

"I didn't feel right publicly checking in until I made amends with some folks," Wallen wrote on social media. "I’ve touched base with Nashville law enforcement, my family, and the good people at Chief’s. I'm not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility.

"I have the utmost respect for the officers working every day to keep us all safe. Regarding my tour, there will be no change." 

Wallen accepted responsibility for the chair-throwing incident two weeks later with a post shared on X. (Toni Anne Barson)

Multiple court dates were scheduled and reset, and Wallen is now scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 12. It's unclear what penalties Wallen faces, but Rither Alabre, former New York prosecutor and current partner in the White Collar Defense & Investigation Practice Group at Blank Rome LLP, previously told Fox News Digital that Wallen could see major penalties if convicted.

"The felony charges are the most serious ones and could land Wallen in jail for up to six years if he is prosecuted and convicted of those charges," Alabre said. "The reckless endangerment counts could have been charged as misdemeanors, which would have made them less serious and exposed Wallen to a maximum of up to 11 months and 29 days in jail.

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"However, a reckless endangerment count can be charged as a class E felony if the alleged act was committed with a deadly weapon." 

Wallen's role in the alleged chair-throwing incident was just a drop in the bucket for the "Wasted on You" singer, who capped a massive, chart-topping year by expanding his country music empire into the festival circuit with the launch of the Sand in My Boots festival. 

Post Malone and Hardy will join Morgan Wallen at his Sand in My Boots festival next year. (Getty Images)

Fresh off his headlining gig at the Stagecoach music festival and his recently wrapped "One Thing at a Time" tour, the singer teamed up with Goldenvoice Executive Vice President Stacy Vee to create a three-day event in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

"Me and my team have been working on this for a while, and we're going to be heading south to the beaches, and I'm bringing some of my friends with me," Wallen said in a video shared Thursday. "Mark your calendars for May 16, 17, 18 of 2025 for the ‘Sand in My Boots’ music festival."

The lineup includes his buddies Post Malone, Brooks & Dunn, Hardy, Bailey Zimmerman and Riley Green, in addition to a dozen other artists.

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In June, he looked through a pair of "Whiskey Glasses" and explored more business avenues by opening a six-story restaurant, bar and music venue near the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville called This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen.

Wallen made his debut on season 6 of "The Voice" in 2014. (Paul Drinkwater)

"I sing about finding myself in ‘this bar,’ and now it’s coming to life. This venue will hold true to everything I love and is inspired by my fans and the way they have embraced me and my music," Wallen said in a press release. 

He's also given back directly to the community that helped him, too. When Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the East Coast, Wallen donated $500,000 to the Red Cross via the Morgan Wallen Foundation.

Wallen created a "HELP" T-shirt, with 100% of the artist's proceeds going to the Morgan Wallen Foundation for Hurricane Helene's relief fund, the country music star shared on Instagram.

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A post shared by Morgan Wallen - The Official Shop (@morganwallenmerch)

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While he competed on season 6 of "The Voice" and was eliminated in the playoff round, Wallen first found fame on radio airwaves after collaborating with Florida Georgia Line on the single "Up Down," which became his first song to reach the top five on Billboard's Hot Country songs chart.

His debut studio album, "If I Know Me," was released in April 2018 and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. He followed it up two years later with "Dangerous: The Double Album," which broke a number of records. His third album released in 2023, "One Thing at a Time," is the longest-running No. 1 country album of all time on the Billboard 200 chart.

Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..