Nuge Paid Not To Play

Longview, Texas, city officials paid Ted Nugent more than $16,000 to cancel plans to headline the city’s Fourth of July celebration, saying his act isn’t appropriate for the event.

Photo: Wichita Falls Times Record News, Torin Halsey/AP
During a Greg Abbott campaign stop in Wichita Falls, Texas.

The decision was reportedly made after Nugent’s controversial comments about President Obama and immigrants, among other topics, before campaigning for Texas gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott.

City spokesman Shawn Hara told the Longview News-Journal several factors led to paying Nugent $16,250, about half his booking fee, to cancel the gig.

“(There were) a variety of reasons.Cost, structure, is it the right musical act for this type of event – a city-sponsored, family-oriented overall event,” he said. “They decided no, we don’t want to move forward, it is not the right act for this. At that point we decided to end the discussions.”

The performer brought some heat down on himself and Abbott after describing President Obama as a “subhuman mongrel” during an interview with Guns.com.

He also got into hot water for suggesting that immigrants should be treated as “indentured servants” until they become citizens.

Nugent publicly apologized for his words after Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Rep. U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky disavowed his comments.