Two Country Singers Got in a Bar Fight + the Internet Is Loving It!
One country singer pulled another country singer off his bar stool before taking a beating to the head, and all the internet wants to do is tell jokes.
Songwriter John Moreland and Turnpike Troubadours' fiddle player Kyle Nix were the two men allegedly involved.
"F--k that guy ... f--k that whole band honestly, except Hank," Moreland would say.
Later he'd walk those sharp words back (kind of).
- The fight reportedly happened at the Mercury Lounge in Tulsa, Okla. early Friday morning (Aug. 2).
- Moreland took to social media after the fight and derided Nix's stature.
- He'd later say he regretted mentioning the Turnpike Troubadours in the social media posts. All of it has since been removed.
The internet is having more than little fun with it all:
What's not known is what sparked the fight between Moreland — a Tulsa native — and Nix. The first word of it came from Moreland, who said (per American Songwriter):
"Hey guys, little Texas country fun fact. If you ever happen to get in a fight with Kyle Nix, the tiny fiddle player from the Turnpike Troubadours … uh, and he pulls you out of your bar stool and starts kicking you in the head a few times … Don’t worry because he’s four feet tall, and it’s just going to feel like a f---ing third-grader is kicking you in the head."
After indicating he got up and started to punch Nix in the head, Moreland signed off with "F--- that guy."
Then he dismissed the entire band, "except Hank" (steel guitar player Hank Early). A little while later, his conscience got the better of him. Over a photo of an "Except Hank" hat, he wrote:
Ok, even though this is kind of hilarious, I’d like to say I regret bringing anybody else in the band into my issue. I was just angry and being an a--hole, I’m sorry to those guys. My problem is with Kyle only. And honestly, it’s not even that much of a "problem," we just got in a bar fight and I think he sucks now. I think that’s reasonable.
Neither Nix nor anyone with the Turnpike Troubadours has commented. Saving Country Music broke down a few more details of the fight. Jamie Lin Wilson was the night's performer and afterward, the two men were spotted arguing before Nix shoved Moreland, who pushed him away.
Then Nix pulled Moreland from his bar stool and started to kick him. Moreland eventually stood up and began to punch Nix. Police were not called, SCM reports. Nix was escorted out, and Moreland finished his drink with a ripped shirt.
Response from fans and followers on social media has been mostly jovial. It's really hard to find anyone worried about the long-lasting effects of the fight on either man, since no injuries have been reported.
"Careful when you say the new John Moreland album slaps," @CleaveCarpenter writes.
"Hard for me to believe Kyle Nix pulled John Moreland off of anything," jabs @YellawoodHan.
Here are a few more:
Moreland's next concert isn't until September, while the Troubadours head to the east coast for shows this weekend.
Billy Dukes is a Senior Editor and Executive Producer of Video Content at Taste of Country. He specializes in country music interviews, trend analysis and the Secret History of Country Music. Additionally, Billy covers Yellowstone, 1923 and related television shows through the Dutton Rules podcast. To date, he's written more than 13,000 articles for Taste of Country and produced over 3,000 videos for the Taste of Country YouTube channel.
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Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak