‘Everybody’s got a past’: U.S. country singer cancels Canadian tour after being denied entry

Charley Crockett performs on day two of the Austin City Limits Music Festival's first weekend on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

U.S. country singer Charley Crockett has cancelled the Canadian leg of his North American tour after being turned away at the border.

According to a post on the Texas singer’s Instagram page, Crockett was recently denied entry into Canada due to a 2016 felony conviction in Virginia for selling, giving or distributing more than five pounds of cannabis.

“Everybody’s got a past,” Crockett wrote on Instagram. “Mine’s still haunting me.”

Crockett said he tried to cross the Canadian border twice within 24 hours, first near Vancouver and then near Kelowna, B.C.

“I’ve been advised that it would jeopardize my freedom to try and enter again,” Crockett said. “I know this doesn’t begin to make up for y’all’s time and hard earned money. I apologize to everyone affected. I know I let y’all down.”

As part of his current tour, Crocket planned to play seven shows in Canada between Feb. 25 and March 6 in Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Niagara Falls.

According to Ticketmaster, ticket holders will automatically be refunded to their original method of payment within 14 to 21 days.

While foreign nationals with serious criminal convictions are generally considered inadmissible to Canada, Crockett was previously allowed to enter the country to perform, including for an August 2025 show in Toronto and several Canadian concerts in 2024. Those with certain criminal convictions may be allowed to enter Canada if they are granted a record suspension or if they apply for and are granted rehabilitation status.

“Canada’s such a beautiful country full of some of the best fans in the world, and I’ve had the time of my life playing shows for y’all,” Crockett said on Instagram. “I ain’t one to quit and I aim to be back one of these days real soon.”

Rolling Stone describes Crockett as a “street busker turned critically acclaimed singer-songwriter turned actual country star.” The prolific artist has released more than a dozen albums since 2015, including “Dollar a Day,” which was nominated for best traditional country album at the 2026 Grammys. Crockett’s next album “Age of the Ram” is scheduled to be released in April.

After reportedly pleading guilty to the cannabis-related charge, Crockett received a US$10,000 fine and a 10-year suspended sentence. The singer has also been a vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, calling him a “grifter.”

“They keep saying I’m a cosplay cowboy but they love a cosplay president,” Crockett wrote in a recent social media post. “Forgive me if I have a problem with a 34 time convicted felon running this country when I lost the right to vote or own a weapon for years over marijuana.”

Crockett’s current tour began in Seattle on Feb. 19 and will resume again in Bethlehem, PA on March 7.

With files from CTV News Winnipeg and CTV News Saskatoon