Over the course of his almost-30-year career, Travis Tritt has never been afraid to stir the pot and cause a little T-R-O-U-B-L-E. His unapologetic approach to country music has both endeared him to fans and riled them up. Along the way, he’s earned two Grammys, three CMAs and a legion of fans.
Travis may not have been part of the 50th annual CMA Awards on Nov. 2 in Nashville, but he did make an appearance an hour-drive north on Nov. 3 in Bowling Green, Ky., for a show at the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center.
With the CMA Awards fresh on his mind—especially the collaborative performance between Beyoncé and the Dixie Chicks—Travis blew off some steam to the delight of the packed house as he facetiously apologized for not covering any Beyoncé tunes and telling Kanye West to eat his heart out during an especially frenetic guitar riff.
We’ll catch you up to speed via some of his post-show Twitter posts.
Thanks to everyone who came out to see us in Bowling Green, KY tonight. Sorry we weren’t able to do any Beyoncé for all the country fans.
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) November 4, 2016
I want to know when the BET or SoulTrain awards are gonna ask a country artist to perform on their awards show?
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) November 4, 2016
As I see it, country music has appealed to millions for many years. We can stand on our own and don’t need pop artists on our awards shows.
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) November 4, 2016
I love honest to God country music and feel the need to stand up for it at all costs. We don’t need pop or rap artists to validate us.
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) November 4, 2016
photo courtesy of Donn Jones/CMA