Yes, the CMA’s reigning entertainer of the year Garth Brooks lip-synced his performance of “Ask Me How I Know” during the 51st annual CMA Awards.
This happened before an audience of 14.29 million television viewers nationwide.
Reporters didn’t ask Brooks directly about his performance during his backstage press conference. He addressed the subject on his own.
Brooks explained that his voice was shot, and he wanted to save it for his seven sold-out shows in Spokane, WA, which wrap on Tuesday.
“The voice is gone,” Brooks said on Wednesday (Nov. 8). “Trying to save what we’ll be onstage tomorrow night for another seven nights hopefully in Spokane. The CMAs were sweet enough to let me sleep until Wednesday.
“We did our rehearsals, and we did a game-time call on whether we did a sing a track or lip sync it. And I decided to lip sync it because the voice is just not there, and you want to represent country music the best you can.”
Within the days following the CMA Awards, musicians expressed mixed emotions online about crowning an entertainer of the year who lip-synced on live television.
“I keep a lot of my opinions to myself and respect anyone making music but as a person who tries to put on the best and most honest show I can night after night,” Anderson East tweeted, “this truly offends me. I was told country music is three chords and the truth.”
I keep a lot of my opinions to myself and respect anyone making music but as a person who tries to put on the best and most honest show I can night after night… this truly offends me. I was told country music is three chords and the truth. https://t.co/jucvh4xmpy
— Anderson East (@Andersoneast) November 10, 2017
Miranda Lambert agreed with her boyfriend, East, adding in the comment section, “High five on this babe. If you can’t sing then don’t. It’s better to be honest than to pretend. I think it’s [expletive].”
But to fellow Okie, Blake Shelton, Brooks is still a hero.
Hey @garthbrooks… I still love you. #hero #respect
— Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) November 10, 2017
Lauren Tingle
This Article Was Originally Posted at www.CMT.com
http://www.cmt.com/news/1788588/the-garth-brooks-lip-sync-battle/
