Some artists questioned whether Bright might have been affected by the show. There were no spectators, but the nominees and artists sat at the distant table socially with the recommended guests.
“I don’t want to go into the conclusions because no family statement has been released, but if this is the result of CMAs being in the house, we should all be angry,” award-winning Maran Morris wrote in a now-deleted tweet.
Singer Mickey Cayton tweeted, “We need answers on how Charlie Pride got the Govt.”
“Charlie was tested before traveling to Nashville. He was tested when he landed in Nashville. Again on the day of the show, all tests came back negative,” the statement read. “After returning to Texas following the CMA Awards, Charlie tested negative again and again. All of us in the folk music community were heartbroken by Charlie’s death.”
“Because of the respect his family had for him during the mourning period, we will not comment further on this,” the statement concluded.