Topline
Country singer Martina McBride and funk and soul group The Commodores pulled out of the “Great American State Fair” later this month, becoming the two latest acts to drop out of the event, which is being held as part of the Trump administration’s “Freedom 250” celebrations.
Martina McBride performs onstage during The Music of My Life: An All-Star Tribute To Anne Murray at Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Key Facts
McBride announced the move in a lengthy social media statement saying she was initially asked to “perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading.”
The country singer said she had been assured this was a “nonpartisan event” and thought it would be a great way to “bring people together” with music.
The Commodores made the announcement across their social media profiles, saying in a statement they will not “publicly affiliate with any single political party.”
The band’s exit is the third dropout from the music acts scheduled to perform at the Great American State Fair, which now only has six of its original nine performers listed for the event.
Young MC and Morris Day and The Time have also dropped from the concert series’ lineup.
Crucial Quote
“I’ve spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real issues…It greatly upsets me that any fan who has been moved by my music may now feel like I’m abandoning the meaning behind those songs. I assure you, that is not the case,” McBride’s statement added.
What Performers Are Still Participating In The Great American State Fair?
The lineup for the event, announced by Freedom 250 on Wednesday, still includes C+C Music Factory, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, Flo Rida and Bret Michaels. C+C Music Factory said in an Instagram post Wednesday he initially planned to drop out of the Great American State Fair, but decided against it after receiving backlash for being part of the event’s billing.
Key Background
The Great American State Fair is free, though organizers have encouraged those interested in attending to register for tickets ahead of time. The fair is one of several events being spearheaded by a task force created by Trump for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. In addition to the music performances, the celebration in Washington, D.C., will include speeches, flyovers and a “breathtaking fireworks finale,” according to the Freedom 250 website. While not a direct competitor to the fair’s own concert series, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello announced Thursday a “Power To The People Festival” scheduled for October in Maryland, near the nation’s capital. Performers for the event include Bruce Springsteen, the Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Joan Baez, System of a Down lead singer Serj Tankian, Cypress Hill and Killer Mike. Tickets for the event start at $125.