James Shaw Jr., the “Waffle House Hero” who stopped a gunman at a Tennessee branch of the breakfast chain, served as the grand marshal of Nashville's Christmas parade Saturday. According to the Washington Post, Shaw was tapped after musician Kid Rock was stripped of the honor following an obscene rant on live television. 

Shaw rode in a horse-drawn carriage with relatives of Akilah Dasilva, a musician killed in the shooting, ABC 7 reports. Three others were killed in the attack; four, including Shaw, were wounded.

"It warms the heart to be here with the Dasilva family," the hero said.

The rocker claimed his parade "had been rained on."

Rock lost the opportunity to be grand marshal of the parade after calling The View's Joy Behar on Fox and Friends as he defended President Trump.

"God forbid you say something a little bit wrong, you're racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, this that and another," the musician said according to the Tennessean. "People need to calm down get a little less politically correct. I would say, 'Love everybody,' except I'd say, screw that Joy Behar b***h."

Following the remarks, Nashville's mayor and several other politicians announced plans to boycott the parade unless Rock was removed. As the artist made the statement on Friday, event organizers scrambled to find someone to take his place, few were sure Shaw would be the grand marshal until he was spotted on the route. 

According to the organizers, Shaw was chosen because he personifies "the spirit of the Nashville community."

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