Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has resigned from the board for the Country Music Association Foundation, one day after he was appointed.
On Wednesday, Huckabee was announced as a new member CMA Foundation board of directors.
The foundation’s chairman Joe Galante praised the former Arkansas governor for his ‘policy experience with education reform’ in a press release Wednesday.
Within 24 hours, Huckabee’s appointment faced harsh criticism with a prominent artist manager sending a letter to the foundation calling Huckabee’s election ‘grossly offensive’ due to his political opinions and associations with the National Rifle Association.
Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was announced as a new member for the board of directors of the CMA Foundation on Wednesday. One day later, he resigned after big names in country music spoke against his appointment
Jason Owen, who leads Sandbox Management representing artists such as Little Big Town, Faith Hill and Kacey Musgraves, said in the letter that his clients would no longer support the foundation.
Owen and his husband have one child and are expecting more, but Owen said that Huckabee has made it clear that his family is not welcome.
Jason Owens, who represents artists such as Little Big Town and Faith Hill, spoke against Huckabee’s appointment. He said his clients would not support the foundation
‘Huckabee speaks of the sort of things that would suggest my family is morally beneath his and uses language that has a profoundly negative impact upon young people all across this country,’ Owen wrote.
‘Not to mention how harmful and damaging his deep involvement with the NRA is. What a shameful choice.’
‘I will not participate in any organization that elevates people like this to positions that amplify their sick voices. This was a detrimentally poor choice by the CMA and (its) leaders.’
The CMA said Thursday that Huckabee resigned immediately. He didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Huckabee said in 2010 that he believed gay marriage was akin to incest and polygamy.
He was also one politician to cause controversy when he advocated against gun control after the Florida school shooing where 17 people were killed.
He said: ‘When somebody has an intent to do incredible damage, they’re going to find a way to do it.’
Sandbox Entertainment represents popular artists in country music including Faith Hill (middle). Owens (pictured first on the left) said he couldn’t support Huckabee’s appointment because of his anti-LGBT views. The picture is from Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum;s debut of an exhibit about Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in November 2017
This pushed his idea that gun control was not the solution to stop school shootings.
Whitney Pastorek, an artist manager who represents Kristian Bush of Sugarland and also criticized the board’s election of Huckabee, said his resignation was the right move.
‘It shows that they listened to the overwhelming outcry within the country music community and realized that his presence as a member of the CMA Foundation Board would do more harm than good towards their mission of music education for everyone,’ Pastorek said in an emailed comment.
‘I am proud to be a CMA member and even prouder to see our industry stand up and say that hatred has no place in country music, or anywhere else for that matter. ‘