Eric Church Country Stampede - P 2011
Rick Diamond/Getty ImagesReality singing competitions may have swept the nation, but don’t count country singer Eric Church as a fan.
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Church had a few choice words for American Idol and The Voice in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, slamming both the contestants and the celebrity mentors in the process.
“Honestly, if Blake Shelton and Cee Lo Green f—ing turn around in a red chair, you got a deal?” the country-rocker said, referring the singers who have benefitted from a career jumpstart on NBC’s The Voice.
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“That’s crazy. I don’t know what would make an artist do that. You’re not an artist,” he added.
Asked whether he would ever accept an opportunity to judge one of the shows, Church replied: “If I was concerned about my legacy, there’s no f—ing way I would ever sit there.”
“Once your career becomes about something other than the music, then that’s what it is. I’ll never make that mistake. I don’t care if I f—ing starve,” he bluntly added.
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Church went on to lament that his own genre of country music is too populated by former American Idol contestents, among them: Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler and season ten victor Scott McCreery. Even Idol‘s inaugural winner Kelly Clarkson, a highly successful pop artist, earned trophies this year from the Academy of Country Music Awards, the American Country Awards and the Country Music Association Awards for her collaboration with Jason Aldean, titled “Don’t You Wanna Stay.”
Fellow country artist and Voice judge Shelton responded to Church’s comments saying, “I wish I misunderstood this…”
Miranda Lambert — Shelton’s wife and fellow country big timer — promptly fired back via Twitter, writing: “Thanks Eric Church for saying I’m not a real artist. Or @kelly_clarkson, @carrieunderwood & @KeithUrban. You’re welcome for the tour in 2010.”
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Lambert is among the many singers who got her start on reality TV, finishing third on Nashville Star in 2003. The Grammy Award-winner previously selected Church as the opening act for her CMT on Tour: Miranda Lambert Revolution road run in 2010.
Church canceled his Bloomington, Ill. concert on April 29 due to the loss of his voice. At the time of publication, Church has not yet responded or apologized for his comments.
