Country music star Luke Combs apologized for his use of the confederate flag during a conversation Wednesday with singer Maren Morris about accountability, according to The Associated Press.
NPR music critic Ann Powers asked Combs about the imagery he had used in the past during the panel conversation, the outlet reported. Combs explained the images with the confederate flag in them were from seven or eight years ago, according to the Associated Press.
Country star Luke Combs has issued an apology for past use of the Confederate flag in his performances https://t.co/MsTY6uPzDe
— CNN (@CNN) February 18, 2021
“As I have grown in my time as an artist and as the world has changed drastically in the last five to seven years, I am now aware of how painful that image can be to someone else,” Combs said, the outlet reported. “I would never want to be associated with something that brings so much hurt to someone else.” (RELATED: Luke Combs Releases A Preview Of His New Song ‘Growin’ Up And Gettin’ Old)
“I know that I’m a very highly visible member of the country-music community right now,” he said. “And I want to use that position for good, and to say that people can change and people do want to change, and I’m one of those people trying.”
Combs told Morris and Powers that he wanted to address the images and show people that you can change and learn from mistakes made, the Associated Press reported.
“I am trying to learn,” Combs added. “I am trying to get better.”