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Charley Crockett, pictured on Feb. 6, 2026, has been refused entry to Canada despite being allowed to enter the country as recently as last summer.Richard Shotwell/The Associated Press
Texas country music star Charley Crockett has cancelled a Canadian tour after he was refused entry into the country over the weekend because of a past drug conviction. He was scheduled to play Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre on Saturday.
“Everybody’s got a past,” the 41-year-old singer-songwriter wrote on his Instagram account. “Mine’s still haunting me.”
According to the Grammy-nominated artist, he and his band attempted to enter the country in Vancouver and then in Kelowna, B.C. He was denied entry under subsection 44(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Act because of a felony conviction in 2016.
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In 2014, Crockett was arrested in Virginia for felony possession and trafficking of marijuana. He spent time in jail before posting bail, and later received a 10-year suspended sentence and a US$10,000 fine, and was placed on probation.
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Crockett is a prolific country-folk artist who has spoken out against the Trump administration.Rich Fury/Getty Images North America
Given that Crockett toured Canada in 2024 and was here as recently as last summer when he played Toronto’s RBC Amphitheatre with fellow Texan Leon Bridges, his denied entrance now is puzzling. In addition to the Vancouver concert, he cancelled shows in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Windsor, Ont., Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Niagara Falls, Ont.
“I apologize to everyone affected,” Crockett wrote on Instagram. “I know I let y’all down. Canada’s such a beautiful country full of some of the best fans in the world, and I’ve had the best time of my life playing shows for y’all.”
Crockett is a photogenic former busker and prolific country-folk artist who has released 15 albums since 2015 and six since 2022. His recently announced forthcoming record, Age Of The Ram (out April 3), is the final instalment in his Sagebrush Trilogy, which includes 2025 albums Lonesome Drifter and Dollar a Day.
Crocket’s lyrics reflect romantic notions of Old West mythology and history. Early in his career as a street singer in New York, he formed a band called the Train Robbers. His 2024 album $10 Cowboy introduced Billy McLane, an ongoing fictional cattle rustler and colourful “last of his breed” character with whom he identifies.
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“He’s just a ten-dollar cowboy,” Crockett sings, “who looks a lot like me.”
The singer is an outspoken artist who often criticizes the country music establishment. He attracted attention earlier this month when he took to Instagram to defend Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show. He called for Elon Musk’s deportation and slammed President Donald Trump as a “draft dodger” and a “grifter,” among other things.
His current North American tour, which kicked off in Seattle on Thursday, will resume March 7, in Bethlehem, Pa.
