Over the month of November, singer-songwriters Benjamin Tod and Gavin Adcock have engaged in a snippy back-and-forth, very much in the spirit of Gavin’s other spats with the likes of Zach Bryan, Beyonce, Charley Crockett, and Nickelback’s sound guy at a music festival.
With no end in sight, we’ve compiled a comprehensive timeline of the pair’s aggressive comebacks since the fight first ignited at the top of the month.
November 4th — Benjamin Tod’s original remarks
Benjamin Tod appeared on the Whiskey Riff podcast Whiskey Riff Riff and spoke about how many traditional/roots artists spend years grinding in small venues. His comments were paraphrased widely as describing artists who “eat s–t at dive bars … for a pitcher of beer and $75 for playing three hours for years.”
November 9th — Gavin Adcock responds publicly
Gavin Adcock commented under a clip of the interview, “If you’ve played for $75 for years and years you need a new job.”
November 24th — Benjamin Tod fires back in a public video
In a direct response to Adcock’s comment, Tod posted a video chastising Adcock directly:
“The reason why it’s so wonderful is that it’s completely emblematic of why people like Gavin Adcock cannot represent country music. You have no idea how many people you shit on with this comment. You know how many years Willie Nelson burned up the road? Don’t even get me started on The Louvin Brothers, Waylon, Johnny…”
“95% of our industry, you just insulted, because it shows this clear divide where you have no f*ing concept of the relationship between talent and success, and the inequalities that exist throughout this industry that lend to someone like you getting power easily.”**
“Second, it shows that you are an entitled little brat. You have no concept of hard work. You have no concept of what it took for the majority of us to get here.”
“It is absolutely pathetic in my eyes. You insulted everyone and you openly make the case that you don’t appreciate or understand the hard work that artists like me … who worked in that capacity for years and years and years to get where they are because you got it handed to you…”
“You are a lazy, stupid, shiftless motherfucker … That cross on your hand ain’t gonna save you from selling your soul to the devil to get where you are. You don’t represent Christians, and you don’t represent country music. “I’ll see you at Stagecoach, motherf–ker.”
November 27th — Gavin & Benjamin Exchange Shots In Comments Section
Earlier today, (on Thanksgiving Day), Whiskey Riff re-shared Zach Bryan’s latest lambasting of Zach Bryan, in which he remarked, “If all your songs sound the same. You either should be open to writing with other people or you’ve been using AI to write your lyrics the whole him.”
Characteristically, Benjamin Tod took issue with Gavin’s remarks, and sounded off in the comments section. This lead to an extensive back and forth
Benjamin Tod: “When a non corporate artist from the underground gives actually accountability to the spoiled little boy from a PR debacle ya’ll started, you are silent. When the spoiled little boy says literally anything you yet again amplify his voice. This is why ya’ll are hemorrhaging followers and readers. Everyone is tired of seeing these stories without real artists included. 👇”
Gavin Adcock: “imagine meat riding ZB 😭🤣”
Benjamin Tod: “this has nothing to do with Zach, little man. This has to do with continuously making a mockery of our industry and then hiding behind a cross. You pay these outlets with your girlfriend Morgan’s money to raise your voice and you’ve bought your entire listenership with corruption. The real artists who actually worked to get here are tired of it. Like I said, you don’t represent Christians, and you don’t represent country music.”
Gavin Adcock: “I can’t imagine the amount of drugs and terrible decisions that you’ve made and you wanna act like you’re a Christian. I stand up against people that are terrible people. And I won’t let somebody who has had zero success that is only getting high from trash in my name over the past year take any credit. You have a kid. Why are you death scrolling on Instagram on Thanksgiving? You should be spending time with your kid.”
Later on, Tod, shared a string of antagonistic direct messages from Adcock to his Instagram story with the caption, “WHY ON EARTH DO THEY AMPLIFY THIS KID?” The DMs read as follows:
“Your biggest hype in the last year has been bashing me. Congratulations dude. I’ve already lapped you 100 times over. What a grown man you are 😂”
“Also you got a family and little kid and you’re death scrolling on instagram… spend some time with them”
“I’d throttle you but you get 0 recognition. It only helps a lost cause”
“You’re such a great Christian brother. 🙏 I’ll see you at stagecoach hoss.”
Benjamin Tod: “I DON’T BEAR A CROSS ON MY HAND AND PRETEND TO BE A REPRESENTATIVE OF CHRISTIANS BECAUSE THAT IS A HIGH RESPONSIBILITY I AM NOT SPIRITUALLY PREPARED YET FOR. YOU DO AND THAT’S THE PROBLEM. YOU HAVE NO SENSE OF THE HONOR FOR INTEGRITY REQUIRED FOR WEARING THAT CROSS. MY SON ISN’T BORN YET AND YOU’D BE SMART NOT TO TALK ABOUT MY FAMILY UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO WEAR YOUR TEETH AS A NECKLACE BEFORE THE END OF YOUR NATURAL LIFE.”
Gavin Adcock: Seems like people just starting with me for publicity. Anyhow dropped 25 songs this year and played 110 shows for my fans. I care about good people.
Benjamin Tod: this entire scene was relatively peaceful before your media tour of picking on anyone that offended you. You’re upset because I’m a lot better at running my mouth and I’m willing to give you a free ass whoopin anytime you’d like with a free keychain included. I’m your fucking kryptonite hoss.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned here as news warrants.
