Poison frontman Bret Michaels is the latest artist to drop out of the Great American State Fair concert in Washington, D.C., saying the type of show he was pitched “evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of.”
In a statement shared on Instagram, Michaels said that the event — which is part of the Trump administration’s Freedom 250 initiative to mark America’s 250th anniversary — was described as “a celebration of our country through music and a chance to honor our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and hardworking Americans from all walks of life.”
Michaels did not say what exactly about the direction of the show had changed. But like other artists who have dropped out, he seemed to indicate the supposedly nonpartisan concert had become politicized.
“As many of you know, I’ve spent my entire career bringing people together through music, positivity, and good vibes,” Michaels wrote. “My shows have never been about politics. They’re about giving people a place to come together, have a great time and forget about life’s stresses for a few hours.”
Michaels pointedly added that, along with the direction of the show, there were new “concerns” about “the safety of my fans, band, crew, family, and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable.” Michaels did not offer any other details, and a rep for the musician did not immediately return a request for comment.
In the rest of his statement, Michaels insisted his decision wasn’t “about politics,” but “staying true to what I’ve always believed in.” He also apologized to fans in the D.C. area, promising to “come back and perform in our nation’s capital under circumstances where the focus can remain on what it should be — the music and the fans.” (Michaels’ full statement is below.)
The lineup for the Great American State Fair show was originally slated to include artists like Martina McBride, Morris Day and the Time, Flo Rida, Young MC, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilla, and the Commodores. But many have already backed out. Day said the concert was “a no for me,” while William King of the Commodores and Young MC both followed suit. Young MC told VIBE that he “had no clue it was considered a ‘Trump-backed’ event, so that was new to me.”
McBride also pulled out of the concert, saying that she was “presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event, but that turned out to be misleading.” While McBride said she “asked lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event,” things started to change this week and she realized “what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening.”
