ACM Awards Producer: ‘Plenty of People’ Have Lip-Synced on the Show

Rascal Flatts found themselves at the center of an online controversy recently, when they admitted to lip-syncing their performance at the 2014 ACM Awards. But according to one of the show's top brass, it's not unprecedented for an act to mime their ACM performance.

The award-winning trio performed their latest single, 'Rewind,' on the live broadcast on April 6, and fans almost immediately began speculating online that the performance was not live. USA Today even hinted at lip-syncing in their wrap-up of the show, with Brian Mansfield writing, “Flatts sounded as perfect performing their new single as they’ve ever sounded on television. Maybe a little too perfect.”

In a post to Twitter and Facebook the following night (April 7), the group admitted lip-syncing to the track, explaining that they were forced into it after singer Gary LeVox lost his voice before the broadcast.

"So, instead of canceling our commitment to do the show, we made a last-minute decision to lip-sync," they wrote. "We've never done it before, and we're obviously not very good at it. We look forward to singing live again in the very near future!"

In a new interview, ACM Awards Executive Producer RAC Clark defends their decision.

"We knew there was an issue in dress rehearsal," he tells Country Aircheck [quote via Saving Country Music]. "In talking with [managers] Clarence Spalding and Randy Goodman, they said he can’t sing. We talked about the options, which were basically canceling and lip synching. And I told them, that’s up to you. And they didn’t want to cancel. I think it was a good move."

Clark admits it's not the first time that an artist has presented a canned performance on the live broadcast. "There have been plenty of people who have lip-synched on our show," he acknowledges. "I’ll never reveal who, but there are a lot of activities in Las Vegas with other concerts, private shows, radio remotes -- there is a lot of talking. Not to mention the lack of humidity and hotel air. Some artists, especially those with a finely tuned instrument like Gary LeVox’s, can only handle so much."

Rascal Flatts are set to release their new album, also titled 'Rewind,' on May 13. They will kick off their Rewind Tour on May 16 in St. Louis, Mo.