Comment on Country music acts quietly abandon Confederate flag

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Confederate flag was once a familiar symbol in country music, representing the rural South and the renegade spirit of artists such as David Allan Coe and Hank Williams Jr. But the rebel banner that will be removed Friday from the grounds of the South Carolina Capitol has faded from stage and song, with many country artists quietly distancing themselves from the emblem that used to feature prominently in merchandise, lyrics and concerts. “You won’t find it being used by young country acts today, partly because it doesn’t mean the same thing to them,” said Robert K.