More musicians canceled their upcoming concerts at the Kennedy Center following his reign voted for renaming a performing arts venue that will feature President Donald Trump's name.
As of today, performances have been cancelled, including shows previously scheduled for Christmas Eve, New Year's and January 14th.
Jazz band The Cookers, who were scheduled to perform Wednesday night, did not give a specific reason for their decision, but their statement hinted at politics.
“Jazz was born out of a struggle and a relentless pursuit of freedom: freedom of thought, expression and the human voice. Some of us have been creating this music for many decades, and this history still shapes us,” said read the statement. “We hope this moment leaves room for reflection rather than indignation.”
Christy Lee, who was scheduled to perform on January 14, announced her refusal on Instagramsaying the cancellations hurt, “but the loss of integrity will cost me more than any paycheck.”
“When American history starts to be treated as something that can be banned, erased, renamed or renamed for the sake of someone’s ego, I can’t stand on that stage and sleep at night,” said Lee, who described herself as “just a folk singer from Alabama.”
She said that instead of performing at the Kennedy Center next month, she will play a live concert at her home.
In a separate statement on her websiteLee said the cancellation was due to concerns about the center's “institutional integrity.” She said she “believes that publicly funded spaces should remain free from political capture, self-promotion or ideological pressure.”
“This decision is not directed at the dedicated staff, artists or patrons of the Center, whose work and dedication to the arts remains deeply respected. Rather, it is a statement in defense of the purpose of the Center's founding and the ethical responsibility shared by the artists who grace its stage,” the statement said.
The Kennedy Center, Lee and The Cookers did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday evening.
The Cookers drummer Billy Hart told The New York Timeswho first reported the recent cancellations that the name change “obviously” played a role in their decision to cancel the concert.
This month, the Kennedy Center board voted to change the institution's name. The next day, Trump's name was posted on the building's façade, drawing criticism from lawmakers and Kennedy family members who said the facility was created by Congress to memorialize President John F. Kennedy and could not be renamed without Congressional approval.
Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, is an ex-officio member. sued the Trump administration last week for the renaming, calling it a “blatant violation of the rule of law.”
One of the first musicians to cancel after the board vote was jazz musician Chuck Redd, who canceled his Christmas concert at the center where he had presided over the annual event for nearly 20 years. Redd told the Associated Press that he was canceling the concert due to the name change.
In a letter to Redd that the Kennedy Center shared with NBC News, center President Richard Grenell threatened sue him for $1 millioncalling his decision to withdraw a “political stunt.”
In a statement Saturday, Kennedy Center spokesman Roma Daravi said, “Any artist who cancels their performance at the Trump Kennedy Center because of political differences is not courageous or principled—they are selfish, intolerant, and have failed in the fundamental duty of a public entertainer: to perform for all people.”
Trump has taken numerous steps to assert greater control over the center, such as replacing the council with a carefully selected set of members who called it my chair. He also changed the center's program of work, which included removal of pride events.
Since Trump took office, several shows and performers have canceled events at the center, including the musical “Hamilton” and “Issa Rae.”
