Jimmy Buffett: Loyal fans more important than 'stupid law'

Musician Jimmy Buffett said he will play two upcoming North Carolina shows, despite the passing of the controversial House Bill 2.

Posted 11:36 p.m. Apr 11, 2016 — Updated 2:04 p.m. Apr 12, 2016

RALEIGH, N.C. — Musician Jimmy Buffett said he will play two upcoming North Carolina shows, despite the passing of the controversial House Bill 2.

“North Carolina was there for me as a performer in the early days and I have always felt a loyalty to fans there that goes deep,” said Buffett in a blog post on his website. “Rightly so, a lot of people are reacting to the stupid law. I happen to believe that the majority of our fans in North Carolina feel the way I do about the law.”

Buffett’s announcement comes on the heels of Bruce Springsteen cancelling an April 10 show at the Greensboro Coliseum, siting HB 2.

Noting that tickets for the April 21 show in Raleigh and the April 23 show in Charlotte sold out before HB2 was ever signed by Gov. Pat McCrory, Buffett said he did not want the law to “trump fun for my loyal fans this year.”

Buffett said that whether or not he will play future shows in the state will be dependent on the repeal of the law.

“That is up to the good people of North Carolina, and there are many, and I am confident that they will see that the right thing will be done,” he said.

There is a movement for some performers to donate proceeds from shows to help fund LGBTQ rights. Comedian Joel McHale, who played the Durham Performing Arts Center last week, told the audience he would donate "every single dime I make tonight" to the city's LGBTQ Center to show support.

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