John Schneider says he is assembling Charlie's Voice, a musical tribute to the late Charlie Kirk. The Dukes of Hazzard star, 65, disclosed the project to Fox News Digital a week after Kirk was fatally shot on a Utah college campus. The actor-singer is best known for playing Bo Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard and has also appeared on Dancing with the Stars.
Schneider told Fox News Digital that he believes supporters on the right will be motivated to push for change in the wake of the shooting at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10. "I think we're gonna be louder and prouder," he said. He rejected the notion that conservatives would quiet themselves; "I think perhaps other people thought it would quiet people down, but I don't think it's going to." He also reflected on Kirk, saying he hates to think of him as a martyr, but fears that is now the case. "I hate to think of Charlie as a martyr, but I'm afraid that's what Charlie is now." He expressed hope that the tragedy would at least prompt discussion rather than silence, saying, "I hope, I pray, I do believe intellectually that this will bring people together to at least discuss their differences." Schneider reminded viewers of the First Amendment and why it is essential to the country functioning properly. "We're supposed to be free to think and speak about what we want, not hate speech - I get that," Schneider said. "But we're supposed to be free to have a conversation like you and I are having. And apparently, you can get a death sentence for that - that's not America."
Schneider reflected on Kirk's legacy left by the Turning Point USA founder, saying it was up to the younger generation to keep the late activist's dream alive. "What a terrible, terrible thing," Schneider said. "But we can't, we can't let it shut us up." He warned against efforts to silence conservative voices, adding, "If somebody out there thinks that they were gonna raise a generation of now 22-year-olds that will shut up conservative thought and conservative speech, they were wrong."
The remarks come as Schneider continues his work in entertainment; the Dukes of Hazzard alum is best known for portraying Bo Duke on the six-season run of the show and later appeared on Dancing with the Stars in 2018.