Country Rock Band Confederate Railroad Removed from Illinois Fair Lineup Because of Name

Confederate Railroad has  been making music since the late 80's winning awards with their Southern Rock Country style and were scheduled to be part of  “90s Country ReLoaded Day" at the upcoming Du Quoin State Fair in Illinois on August 27th. Last week Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration canceled the appearance. The reason? The band 's name and their use of the Confederate Flag in part of their logo.

Josh Gross, the fairs manager, said in a statement, "“The Illinois Department of Agriculture has removed Confederate Railroad from our 2019 Du Quoin State Fair Grandstand lineup,” Gross said. “While every artist has a right to expression, we believe this decision is in the best interest of serving all of the people in our state.”

The bands logo features a steam engine from which waves dual Confederate Navy Jacks, whose stars and bars are the most widely recognized symbol of the Confederacy. It's a logo that has been in place since the Grammy-nominated band gained notoriety with ballads such as “Jesus and Mama” as well as its their rowdy anthem, “Trashy Women".

The group’s frontman Danny Shirley wrote in a statement  on the bands website this week that the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s decision was “very disappointing as we have played this fair before and enjoyed it very much.” They are also getting huge support from fellow country artists such as Charlie Daniels and the Oak Ridge Boys on the matter.

Many are weighing in on social media in support of the band with thoughts that political correctness has gone to far in some aspects.  Others are pointing out that the times are changing and so is what is deemed acceptable. Is this a valid reason to cancel a performance or simply politicians exerting their views with power? Tell us your thoughts.