|
Post by Admin on Jun 12, 2020 19:24:21 GMT
http://instagram.com/p/CAv6OmRAuyN After 14 years and eight album releases, Grammy-winning country trio Lady Antebellum has officially changed its name, dropping the “Antebellum” due to “associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery.” From now on, the band will officially go by its longtime nickname, Lady A. The Antebellum South was a period in U.S. history, from the late 18th century until the start of the Civil War in 1861, which was marked by the region’s economic growth largely due to a reliance on slave labor. In a heartfelt statement posted on Instagram Thursday morning and signed by members Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood, and Charles Kelley, the group explained that “after much personal reflection, band discussion, prayer and many honest conversations with some of [their] closest black friends and colleagues” during the weeks of protest following George Floyd’s death, they realized that their band name — which they explained was naively inspired by the Southern home where they shot their first promotional photos — was no longer appropriate. http://instagram.com/p/CBTJB4Dg3WM In their post, the band members apologized “for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued,” stressing, “Causing pain was never our hearts’ intention, but it doesn’t change the fact that indeed, it did just that. So today, we speak up and make a change. We hope you will dig in and join us.” Lady A further admitted, “We can make no excuse for our lateness to this realization. What we can do is acknowledge it, turn from it and take action.” The band pledged to donate to the Equal Justice Initiative, an Alabama-based non-profit that works to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment and racial inequality, through the group’s own charitable organization, LadyAID. The band promised that this is just the first of many steps they will take in their mission to "practice antiracism." “Our prayer is that if we lead by example … with humility, love, empathy and action … we can be better allies to those suffering from spoken and unspoken injustices, while influencing our children and generations to come,” Lady A wrote. Read the band’s full statement below:
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jun 16, 2020 6:14:16 GMT
Just days after the country music group changed its name to Lady A, the trio—which includes singers Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood—revealed they had a "private discussion" with the blues singer of the same moniker.
"Today, we connected privately with the artist Lady A. Transparent, honest, and authentic conversations were had," the country music band wrote in an Instagram post on Monday, alongside a screenshot of the video call.
"We are excited to share we are moving forward with positive solutions and common ground. The hurt is turning into hope. More to come," they closed their caption.
The update from the trio comes five days after they announced their name change in an open letter to fans on Thursday, June 11.
"As a band, we have strived for our music to be a refuge... inclusive of all," their statement read on social media. "We've watched and listened more than ever these last few weeks and our hearts have been stirred with conviction, our eyes opened wide to the injustices, inequality and biases Black women and men have always faced and continue to face every day."
"After much personal reflection, band discussions, prayer and many honest conversations with some of our closest Black friends and colleagues," the country music group said they "decided to drop the word 'Antebellum.'"
The trio explained how their band name came to be. "As musicians, it reminded us of all the music born in the south that has influenced us... southern rock, blues, R&B, gospel and of course country," they shared. "But we are regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referencing the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery."
"Causing pain was never our hearts' intention, but it doesn't change the fact that indeed, it did just that," they said. "So today, we speak up and make change. We hope you will dig in and join us."
"There are countless more that need to be taken," they went on. "We want to do better. We are committed to examining our individual and collective impact and making the necessary changes to practice anti-racism. We will continue to educate ourselves, have hard conversations and search the parts of our hearts that need pruning—to grow into better humans, better neighbors."
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jun 17, 2020 0:29:06 GMT
The popular country trio announced Thursday morning that it is dropping “Antebellum” — a word widely understood to refer to the period before the Civil War — from its name and will officially adopt “the nickname our fans gave us almost from the start.” “When we set out together almost 14 years ago, we named our band after the Southern ‘antebellum’ style home where we took our first photos,” the group wrote in a message posted on social media. “As musicians, it reminded us of all the music born in the South that influenced us. … “But we are regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word,” the trio continued, acknowledging the central role of slavery during the period. “We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued. Causing pain was never our hearts’ intention, but it doesn’t change the fact that indeed, it did just that.” Lady A’s name change comes in the wake of nationwide protests against racism sparked by the police killing of George Floyd last month in Minneapolis. On Wednesday, NASCAR said it is banning the Confederate flag from its races, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for the removal of 11 statues of Confederate figures from the U.S. Capitol. Lady A’s announcement was met on Twitter with a blend of praise and criticism. “This is brave and bold and right,” wrote one user. Another called the band’s decision “a beautiful way to begin a new chapter of history.” Mickey Guyton, one of the few high-profile Black artists in mainstream country music, responded to the band’s tweet with a series of heart emojis. But others called the decision “insane” and “ludicrous,” while some wondered whether country acts like the Dixie Chicks and Florida Georgia Line would be compelled to change their names too. In its message, Lady A said it had been inspired to act “after much personal reflection, band discussion, prayer and many honest conversations with some of our closest Black friends and colleagues.” “We understand that many of you may ask the question ‘Why have you not made this change until now?’” the group wrote. “The answer is that we can make no excuse for our lateness to this realization. What we can do is acknowledge it, turn from it and take action.”
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jun 24, 2020 20:48:27 GMT
Grammy-winning country group Lady Antebellum, newly named Lady A, are one of the latest examples of celebrities and brands hoping to get ahead of any potential backlash in the wake of Black Lives Matter. The nationwide movement has swirled up a purge of firings in the entertainment industry, with four Vanderpump Rules stars, Lana Del Rey, and Glee's Lea Michele all facing serious scrutiny for racially insensitive remarks and incidents. In order to avoid imminent cancellation, A-listers and big businesses alike have announced statements in support of the protests, but some of these preemptive apologies, including Lady A's extremely overdue rebranding, resonate as flat and performative. http://instagram.com/p/CBTJB4Dg3WM The trio, made up of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood, announced on June 11 that "antebellum," a racially charged term that refers to the pre-Civil War era, will be dropped from their name. In a lengthy social media post (below), the band explained how the past few weeks of protests have awakened the group to the insensitivity of their former name. They took responsibility for the lack of understanding that led to their performing under the antebellum title for well over a decade. Now adopting the longtime nickname as their official one, Lady A hope to move forward in their crusade of inclusivity and antiracism. http://instagram.com/p/CBeTF3iDVht But their attempt to be sensitive to the plight of Black fans inadvertently led to a conflict with blues singer Anita White, a Black woman who has performed under the name Lady A for over 20 years. Apparently, Lady Antebellum didn't check to see if their new name was already taken, and if they did, they never reached out to White to discuss their adoption of it. After the original Lady A aired her very understandable frustrations in a Rolling Stone interview, saying the country ensemble only changed their name to appease the current times, the two parties had a Zoom discussion. "Today, we connected privately with the artist Lady A," the group wrote via Instagram. "Transparent, honest, and authentic conversations were had. We are excited to share we are moving forward with positive solutions and common ground. The hurt is turning into hope. More to come." While both Lady As were smiling in the Instagram post (below), there has been no announcement on them agreeing on any positive solutions as of yet.
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Jul 9, 2020 2:43:59 GMT
Last month, the band Lady Antebellum announced they would be changing their name to Lady A, apologizing for using a name associated with slavery in America. The following day (June 12), the Seattle-based Black blues singer Anita White, who has gone by the name Lady A for more than two decades, spoke out about the country band’s decision. http://instagram.com/p/CCG5_kSga-r Today (July 8) the band Lady A have filed a lawsuit against the singer Lady A. They are asking a Nashville court to grant its right to the trademark of the name, documents viewed by Pitchfork confirm. The lawsuit notes that the band isn’t asking for monetary damages or attempting to prohibit White from performing under the name Lady A. “Today we are sad to share that our sincere hope to join together with Anita White in unity and common purpose has ended,” the group said in a statement. “She and her team have demanded a $10 million payment, so reluctantly we have come to the conclusion that we need to ask a court to affirm our right to continue to use the name Lady A, a trademark we have held for many years.” Read the band’s full statement below. http://instagram.com/p/CCJcVB5gBuY The lawsuit further claims that the band applied to register the name “Lady A” for entertainment purposes, including live performances and streaming programming. “Prior to 2020, White did not challenge, in any way, Plaintiffs’ open, obvious, and widespread nationwide and international use of the LADY A mark as a source indicator for Plaintiffs’ recorded, downloadable, and streaming music and videos, Plaintiffs’ live musical performances, or Plaintiffs’ sale of souvenir merchandise,” the suit states. White has performed under the name while touring and on recorded music released as far back as 2010, but the suit claims that “prior to 2020, White did not challenge, in any way, Plaintiffs’ open, obvious, and widespread nationwide and international use of the LADY A mark.” Last month, Lady A claimed they and White had come to an agreement. “They have agreed that both should continue to move forward as Lady A,” a publicist for the band said in a statement on June 16. On the same day, White told Newsday that the claim from the band was premature. “I’m not happy about [it] yet again after talking in good faith. … Their camp is trying to erase me and I’ll have more to say tomorrow. Trust is important and I no longer trust them.”
|
|