Bret Michaels and Martina McBride are the latest performers to withdraw from the line-up of the upcoming Freedom 250 concert series.
Earlier this week, a raft of musicians were announced to be performing at The Great American State Fair, a concert series taking place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in late June and early July to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s independence.
However, several acts soon began dropping out of the series, with Morris Day, Young MC and the Commodores announcing their withdrawal.
Poison frontman Michaels joined in on Friday morning, revealing on his website that the concert series “has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of”.
“Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable,” he explained.
“I also want my amazing fans in Washington, D.C. to know that I love you all, and I fully intend 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.”
In addition, country star McBride announced on social media on Thursday that she pulled out of her show after learning that it carried more political weight than she realised.
“I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading. I asked lots of questions and was assured that this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states,” she wrote on Instagram. “Yesterday, things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening.”
“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,” she continued. “I appreciate every single fan who has reached out. I hope to get back to the D.C. area very soon.”
With the dropouts, the only artists remaining on the bill are Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli’s Fab Morvan, C+C Music Factory, Flo Rida and Trump concert regular Kid Rock.
The Great American State Fair was organised by Freedom 250, an organisation formed by the Trump administration. The concert series is set to run from 25 June to 10 July.
