Charley Crockett denies Satanic imagery claim in Twin Temple row
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Charley Crockett has issued a fresh Instagram statement disputing that he dropped Twin Temple from his tour over their "Satanic imagery", instead claiming he cut the LA rock duo loose over concerns about their stage production and suitability for all-ages shows. The clarification came as Jack White publicly responded to Crockett's earlier criticism, saying the country star was "trying to drag me into this here rodeo again" after Crockett said he had "lost a lot of respect" for White over his decision to offer Twin Temple a support slot on his own tour.
In the now-deleted post, Crockett said he decided to remove the duo about a month before their scheduled shows because their "production requests raised eyebrows" and the band's stage act didn't suit an "all ages audience", insisting they were paid in full. He accused Twin Temple and their team of stoking the row for effect and "dog whistling about religious and creative freedom", while White hit back on Instagram by posting the lyrics to Shawn Brown's 1984 novelty rap song 'Rappin' Duke' as his "official response". Twin Temple, who are set to open for White at the Hollywood Palladium on 29 September, had already made their US late-night debut on The Daily Show following their removal from Crockett's tour last month.
- Crockett now denies dropping Twin Temple over "Satanic imagery"
- He blames stage production issues and an all-ages audience concern instead
- Jack White hit back with 1984 novelty rap lyrics on Instagram
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Charley Crockett and Jack White are both prominent figures in American roots music, with Crockett known for his old-school country and blues style and White best known as the former frontman of the White Stripes. The dispute began when Crockett removed the Los Angeles rock duo Twin Temple from his own tour, saying their imagery was unsuitable, a move the band publicly criticised. White then invited Twin Temple to open for him at a show in Los Angeles, which Crockett took as a provocation.
The row has since played out publicly through social media posts and interviews, with both musicians giving differing accounts of why Twin Temple were dropped and accusing each other of using the dispute for attention. It matters because it touches on broader debates within the country and rock music scenes about artistic freedom, censorship and what is deemed acceptable content for wider audiences, drawing in fans and commentators on both sides.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Those sympathetic to Jack White and Twin Temple argue that a headline tour deserves the freedom to book acts on musical merit without policing their imagery or beliefs, and that dropping a band over religious symbolism amounts to a narrow, exclusionary standard dressed up as family-friendly caution. They see White's gesture as solidarity with performers who lost a paid slot and a public platform, and view his pointed questioning of Crockett's own past silence on political and social issues as a fair challenge to selective moral posturing rather than mere provocation.
The case against
Those sympathetic to Charley Crockett argue that any tour headliner has the right and responsibility to curate a bill that suits his audience, brand and staging logistics, particularly when shows are pitched as suitable for families, and that this is an ordinary business judgement rather than censorship. They note Crockett says he paid Twin Temple in full and has offered a fuller account of staging demands, and see his frustration with White as a reasonable reaction to being publicly cast as intolerant by a rival artist who, in his view, is capitalising on the controversy to sell tickets rather than engaging with the substance of his concerns.
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Originally published by NME as “Jack White responds to “cowboy” Charley Crockett’s “accusations”, country star says he’s “lost a lot of respect” for him”.