After the Kennedy Center added U.S. President Donald Trump’s name to the venue, more artists have opted out of their scheduled performances, including the jazz supergroup, the Cookers, who withdrew from a planned New Year’s Eve concert. This recent wave of cancellations comes after a prior backlash from artists earlier this year when Trump assumed control of the Kennedy Center board and appointed himself as the institution’s chairman in February. Notable figures such as Issa Rae, the producers of Hamilton, Ben Folds, and Renee Fleming had also backed out of their engagements around that time. The decision to rename the building to the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, previously known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, was made by the new board earlier this month.
The Cookers, a longstanding jazz supergroup, announced their withdrawal from the upcoming event, citing a quick decision-making process. While not directly addressing the building’s renaming or the Trump administration, the group expressed a desire to ensure a celebratory atmosphere for their music and audience, emphasizing their commitment to uniting through music rather than dividing. However, saxophonist Billy Harper openly criticized the renaming, stating his refusal to perform at a venue associated with what he perceives as racism and the destruction of African American music and culture.
Following the Cookers’ decision, other artists like folk singer Kristy Lee and the Doug Varone and Dancers company also canceled their performances in protest of the building’s renaming. Trump ally Richard Grenell, appointed by the president to lead the Kennedy Center, defended the changes and criticized the artists for their cancellations. Grenell mentioned pursuing legal action against those who withdrew from their performances, seeking damages from musician Chuck Redd for what he labeled as a “political stunt.”
The Kennedy Center, originally established as a living memorial to former U.S. President John F. Kennedy following his assassination in 1963, has faced scrutiny over the name change. Scholars have pointed out that altering the building’s name would require congressional approval, as the law prohibits the board of trustees from transforming the center into a memorial for anyone else or adding another individual’s name to the building’s exterior.
