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Bryan Adams Cancels Mississippi Concert, Won’t Return Until New Anti-LGBTQ Law Is Repealed

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 04:43 PST, Apr 15, 2016

Bryan Adams canceled his April 14 performance in Mississippi because the state is opposing gay rights, according to Time. The 56-year-old Canadian singer said he wouldn’t be able to perform “in good conscience” in a state where gay people are being denied their civil rights.

Bryan Adams’ cancellation of the show comes amid the state’s passing of a controversial religious freedom bill that allows religious groups and some businesses to refuse service to gay people. The bill was signed by Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant.

In his recent Instagram post, Bryan Adams wrote that he stands in solidarity with the LGBT community in Mississippi, saying he finds it “incomprehensible” that LGBT residents of the state are being discriminated.

“Using my voice I stand in solidarity with all my LGBT friends to repeal this extremely discriminatory bill.”

Moreover, Bryan Adams said that he won’t come back to Mississippi until the controversial law is canceled by the state. Adams added that he hopes Mississippi citizens will fight against the bill so that the “Please Forgive Me” singer could come back and perform for his fans.

It’s not only Bryan Adams who voiced protest over the law. As many as 95 Mississippi writers, including best-selling author John Grisham, signed a letter calling for a repeal of the law before it comes into power in July.

Bryan Adams wasn’t the only singer who canceled a gig this week. Bruce Springsteen announced he wouldn’t perform in North Carolina after the state had passed a new law that forces transgender people to use public restrooms that correspond with the gender on their birth certificates.

Supporters of the new law claim the measures were introduced to keep women and children safe in public bathrooms as well as to protect religious freedom after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in 2015.

Springsteen’s decision to cancel the show in the state was supported by fellow singer Adam Lambert, who said the 66-year-old singer is “bad*ss.” Bryan Adams and Springsteen’s cancellations may result in other artists who are scheduled to give shows in Mississippi and North Carolina to follow suit.

Both Beyoncé and Justin Bieber are scheduled to perform in North Carolina soon, but neither the singers themselves nor their representatives have said a word about canceling the upcoming shows.

Meanwhile, Bryan Adams’ “best of” collection So Far So Good earned a Diamond album in Australia, according to FYI Music News after becoming one of Australia’s all-time best sellers.

Bryan Adams has become the third artists to accomplish such a feat in Australia after Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. Adams performed a number of shows, both outdoor events and arena performances, in Australia from March 12 through March 21 as part of his global “Get Up” tour.

Bryan Adams’ So Far So Good album, released back in 1994, features 14 tracks and is a “best of” collection of the signer’s songs written alongside Jim Vallance, Mutt Lange, and Michael Kamen.

Bryan Adams’ hit album has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, with U.S. sales alone exceeding five million copies. Adams’ fans note that the singer still introduces himself before his performances as if people don’t know who he is.

The most successful Canada’s singer’s songs have become “ingrained” in Australia’s music culture, but Bryan Adams still walks out on stage like he is an up-and-coming artist, reported Perth Now.

Bryan Adams will perform in the U.S. until September when his global “Get Up” tour will head to the U.K. and Europe until October. The singer is also set to give two shows in Canada on July 26 and 27, at Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, Toronto, and at Videotron Centre, Quebec City, respectively.

[Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for GQ]

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