Former Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider recently shared his thoughts on Beyoncé’s venture into the country music genre. Beyoncé recently released two country songs, namely “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.” However, a radio station sparked controversy when they refused to play “Texas Hold ‘Em” upon a fan’s request.
Speaking with One America News Network, Schneider expressed his criticism towards Beyoncé’s new country music. When asked about it by the host, he said, “The lefties in the entertainment industry just won’t leave any area alone, right? They just have to seize control over every aspect, don’t they?”
In his commentary, Schneider used a crude analogy to describe Beyoncé’s attempt to break into country music. He stated, “They’ve got to make their mark, just like a dog in a dog walk park. You know, every dog has to mark every tree, right? So that’s what’s going on here.” The actor made a distinction between Beyoncé’s endeavor and country artists like Shania Twain, who have successfully explored other genres.
Schneider, who had his own country music career, claimed to have some knowledge about the genre. In 1981, he started his music journey with a cover of Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now or Never,” which reached No. 4 on the charts. He went on to release 17 more songs on the Country Songs chart, with four of them reaching No. 1 between 1981 and 1987.
However, Schneider’s comments received backlash from Beyoncé’s fans. Many questioned his perspective and his logic behind criticizing the singer. One fan pointed out that crossovers between genres are not new, citing examples like Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones.
Another fan dismissed Schneider’s authority to speak about country music and wrote, “You can’t gatekeep genres, especially ones you didn’t even create.” Furthermore, someone mentioned that Beyoncé’s return to her roots in country music shouldn’t cause anger, as it is not her first venture into the genre.
Since the incident, the Oklahoma-based radio station KYKC-FM has started playing Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” after clarifying that the initial refusal was a misunderstanding. The general manager, Roger Harris, explained that the station is not usually serviced by major labels like larger stations and clarified that they hold no bias against Beyoncé. He added, “We actually wish that artists wouldn’t get boxed into certain genres or formats. If it’s good music, it’s good music.”
