Lindsay Ell Speaks Out About Radio Station Show Canceled Due to Her Dating Life

Following the cancellation of a radio station-sponsored event due to her personal life -- specifically, her relationship with radio DJ Bobby Bones -- Lindsay Ell is opening up about the experience. The singer-songwriter says she's willing to forgive and forget.

“Everyone makes mistakes. There’s so many people around the situation who are amazing and … who have supported me from the beginning of my career," Ell tells the Tennessean. "What happened a few days ago wasn’t ideal for anyone, but … I’m sure we can find something to smooth it over.”

On Friday (June 16), Ell shared via Twitter that a Sacramento radio station “has asked me not to come [to a scheduled performance because] of my personal life.” The event was to be a performance by both Ell and Chase Bryant, who were in Sacramento to open Brad Paisley‘s Friday night stop on his Weekend Warrior Tour; Ell tells the Tennessean that she found out about the cancellation on Thursday night (June 15), after having dinner with some of the station's employees.

The station in question, KNCI (105.1 FM), is owned by CBS, a competitor of Sacramento’s the Bull (92.5 FM), which is owned by iHeartMedia. Bones' syndicated morning show, The Bobby Bones Show, airs on a number of iHeartMedia country radio stations, including the Bull. Ell says that she spoke out about the show's cancellation in the first place because she wanted fans to know that she had been ready to play -- that the cancellation wasn't her call.

"At the end of the day, I never wanted this to happen. I just felt bad for the fans; they had been promoting the show for weeks," Ell says. “[Cancelling with no explanation] rubbed me the wrong way."

KNCI has since offered a public statement of apology to Ell and her fans, and offered to re-book the canceled performance. Ell tells the Tennessean that the radio station has reached out to her team; however, a new concert date has not yet been set.

Both Ell and Bones have kept their relationship mostly private. Ell says that she is "very conscious" about it "because I know it was an issue."

"At the end of the day, my heart wants artists to be able to make music that is evaluated on its own merit and that’s it," Ell adds. "Male or female, it shouldn’t matter who someone falls in love with or the clothes you pick out to wear or what you do in your spare time -- it shouldn’t impact your career.”

In late March, Ell released her debut EP, Worth the Wait, on Stoney Creek Records. A native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the artist is well respected for her guitar skills; in the late 2000s, she toured with renowned guitarist Buddy Guy.

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