Learn more about Meghan Linsey, the singer who took a knee after singing the national anthem
1. She took a knee in response to President Trump slamming Colin Kaepernick
“Until yesterday, I didn’t even think about it that much,” Meghan Linsey, 31, told Yahoo after the game on Sunday, September 24. “Then I was thinking about the things that [the president] said yesterday, and I thought, ‘Man, it really does need to be addressed, and I think I’m in a position to take a stand and hopefully make a difference.’ I have a lot of African-American friends, and they can’t stand alone. I love America. I’m not unpatriotic. I appreciate our men and women in uniform. That’s not the issue. I think the issue is the things that are happening around us with racism, and Trump will come out and openly condemn NFL players for peacefully protesting, but then these white national terrorists bring their tiki torches and cause this violence, and then he has nothing to say. It was important to me to stand with [African-Americans].
“I couldn’t have gone out there and not done anything and felt good about it, because I have always built this platform on empowerment and loving people — whatever color, whatever sexual orientation,” Meghan said. “And it was like: Of all the days that I would sing the anthem! It put me in a weird spot. You’re making a choice when you walk out there, however you handle it. If you don’t take a knee, it’s like: what do you stand for? For me, anything else wasn’t an option.”
2. She’s a former contestant on The Voice
Meghan was the runner-up on season 8 of The Voice in 2015. She was first selected by Pharrell Williams for his team, but was later stolen by Blake Shelton during the battle rounds. She would up coming in second place to Sawyer Fredericks. After the season ended, she moved back home to Nashville and released an EP titled Believer.
3. She won CMT’s Can You Duet
Before The Voice, Meghan was actually a contestant on the CMT reality competition Can You Duet. Meghan and boyfriend Joshua Scott Jones performed on the show and ultimately won! They were given a record contract with Big Machine Records, and toured with stars like Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Reba McIntire, and Bob Seger.
4. She’s part of the country duo Steel Magnolia
Meghan met boyfriend Joshua while working as a karaoke host in Nashville. They started their band, Steel Magnolia — the duo that performed on Can You Duet. Their song “Keep On Loving You” is the highest charting debut single from a male/female duo in country music history. They sold almost one million downloads and albums before sadly disbanding in 2013. Meghan went on to work on solo music.
5. She has a beauty brand called “Believer by Meghan Linsey”
After her time on The Voice, Meghan started a cruelty-free beauty brand with Previse and Modern Minerals. Per a press release from Meghan, “The Believer by Meghan Linsey collection is not just a beauty brand, it is my vision which harmonizes music, beauty and fashion as a platform to support and empower women. With you I hope to spread a message of love to all. Beauty is not skin deep, it’s about glowing from the inside out; looking good and feeling good go hand-in-hand.”
HollywoodLifers, do you agree with Meghan’s decision to take a knee after singing the national anthem at the Titans/Seahawks game? Let us know.
