CMAs Attendee Remembers Racially Charged Incident During Beyonce's 2016 Performance

CMAs Attendee Recalls Racist Jeers Directed at Beyonce During 2016 Performance

Beyonce shared the stage with Emily Robison and Natalie Maines from Dixie Chicks at the 50th annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tennessee on November 2, 2016. The performance took place at the Bridgestone Arena and was a memorable moment for fans of both artists.

Beyoncé faced racist comments from a fan at the 2016 Country Music Awards, as shown in a new CNN documentary. The film, titled Call Me Country: Beyoncé & Nashville’s Renaissance, will be released on Friday, April 26. During the event, a fan remembered the negative reaction from the audience when Beyoncé, 42, performed her “Daddy Lessons” remix with the Chicks.

Tanner Davenport, co-director of the Black Opry, a website promoting Black country artists, described a shocking moment during the documentary. An audience member in front of him was heard saying, “Get that Black bitch off the stage right now.” Davenport referred to it as a "gut punch" to realize that some people did not welcome Beyoncé at the CMAs.

He reflected, "I was suddenly brought back to reality at that moment. It made me realize that there is a fear or hesitation towards Black people being involved in this genre for some unknown reason."

CMAs Attendee Recalls Racist Jeers Directed at Beyonce During 2016 Performance 2

Beyonce shared the stage with Martie Maguire of Dixie Chicks at the 50th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on November 2, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Unfortunately, those who were not inside Bridgestone Arena that night witnessed the dark side of country fandom. Social media quickly filled with negative messages directed at Beyoncé, with criticisms ranging from her political views to outright racist comments.

The CMAs faced criticism after deleting any mention of Beyoncé's performance from their social media accounts, despite initially praising it as a highlight of the evening. Critics believe this action was a result of the CMAs giving in to the demands of a vocal, racist minority.

Beyoncé, on the other hand, has remained steadfast in her stance. She hinted that the incident at the CMAs served as a major influence for her upcoming country album, Cowboy Carter.

After spending over five years working on it, she shared on Instagram in March that this album is finally ready. It all started from a moment in her past where she felt unwelcome and out of place.

Facing harsh criticisms when she first stepped into this music genre pushed her to break free from the boundaries set for her. The album "Cowboy Carter" is the outcome of her determination to experiment with different genres and craft a unique collection of songs.

Beyoncé made history by becoming the first Black artist to reach the number one spot on the Top Country Albums chart with Cowboy Carter in March. Not only that, but it also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

If you're a fan, you can catch Call Me Country: Beyoncé & Nashville’s Renaissance streaming on Max starting Friday, April 26.

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