The world stood still yesterday when Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th American President. As expected, the inauguration must be with funfare and lots of music and celebrations. However, many artistes turned down the opportunity to perform at the inauguration. We are going to show you the Top Artistes Who Refused To Perform In Donald Trump’s Inauguration. Read on and know them.
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Top Artistes Who Refused To Perform In Donald Trump’s Inauguration
Andrea Bocelli
The classical singer was one of the first names to emerge as an inauguration performer. But shortly after, Bocelli’s team officially announced he was pulling out of the festivities, reportedly fearing backlash from Trump’s critics and political opponents
Elton John
Elton John’s classic hits like “Tiny Dancer” and “Rocket Man” were consistently played at Trump campaign rallies (the songs almost always earned mention in long feature stories), and the president-elect himself was known to watch old John concerts on his plane. A member of Trump’s inaugural committee told the BBC in late November that the artist would perform, but John, who fundraised for Hillary Clinton, quickly shot down the rumor
Kanye West
West may have gotten Trump to sign the president-elect’s TIME magazine cover, but he won’t be in Washington, D.C. to sing for the former reality television star.
Also See: Complete Schedule For Donald Trump’s Inauguration
Rebecca Ferguson
The British X-Factor alum seemed ready to perform at Trump’s inauguration, but any deal fell apart after she insisted on singing “Strange Fruit.” An intensely political song made famous by Billie Holiday’s 1939 rendition, “Strange Fruit” is a haunting protest against the lynching of African-Americans. “There are many grey areas about the offer for me to perform that I’m unable to share right now, but I will not be singing,” the singer said in a statement in January.
David Foster
The award-winning music producer was rumored to play a pivotal role in organizing the inauguration and recruiting some of his star collaborators, but Foster quickly denied the story. “I was invited to participate and I politely declined. I have no idea where this story came from.”
Charlotte Church
The award for most emphatic response to playing Trump’s inauguration goes to classical singer Charlotte Church, who responded to Trump himself directly on Twitter. “A simple Internet search would show I think you’re a tyrant,” Church tweeted at the president-elect, topping it off with a handful of poop emoji.
KISS
When cornered by TMZ about whether KISS would play Trump’s inauguration, Gene Simmons’ wife Shannon Tweed shouted “no!” and said that the group had “politely declined” the offer. Simmons, for his part, said that the band would be touring Europe at the time anyway.
Moby
In addition to the inauguration ceremony itself, Trump’s team also needs to line up DJs and performers for the various inaugural balls to be held in Washington, D.C. Moby wrote on Instagram that he had been approached to DJ one of them. Like Rebecca Ferguson, he made a very specific demand. “I guess I’d DJ at an inaugural ball if as payment #trump released his tax returns,” Moby wrote on Instagram.
Also See: Donald Trump’s Inspirational Quotes
Celine Dion
According to The Wrap, Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn reportedly promised Trump he could land Céline Dion as an inauguration performer. Dion, however, will not perform on Jan. 20 and Wynn’s reps denied any attempts were made by the businessman to get her on board. “Mr. Wynn was not asked to book specific performers for the inauguration, nor did he ever a make a commitment to find specific performers,” a rep said. Dion is scheduled to play at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Jan. 20
Gareth Brooks
Brooks, a country superstar, was initially open to playing in Washington. “It’s always about serving. It’s what you do,” Brooks told TMZ on Dec. 1, 2016. However, two weeks later, the “Friends in Low Places” musician rescinded his interest, according to The Wrap.
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