James Taylor is speaking out after his scheduled appearance at the 2024 Democratic National Convention was cut short.
After not taking the stage at the convention’s opening night – held at the United Center in Chicago on Monday, August 19 – as planned, the legendary singer-songwriter, 76, addressed his absence from the program in a statement on Instagram.
“It was exciting to see and hear so many speakers on the opening night of the Democratic convention here in Chicago,” Taylor wrote. “We had a great rehearsal with [Rickey Minor] and great singers, [Kenya Hathaway] and Mathew Johnson before the event.”
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The “Fire and Rain” singer said it “became clear, as the night went on, that there wasn’t going to be time for” his scheduled performance of “You’ve Got a Friend,” which he saw sound-checking earlier in the day, according to a video shared at X (formerly Twitter).
“Perhaps the organizers could not have foreseen the wild response from the United Center hall…” he continued. “Anyway, I’m sorry to disappoint.”
However, Taylor expressed no anger at the cancellation of his show, instead noting that the event’s opening night was “a great and inspiring, quintessentially American moment.”
“It was an honor for us to be there…”, he added.
Taylor’s canceled performance wouldn’t be his first DNC rodeo — he opened the event in 2012 with a set that included “Carolina in My Mind,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” and, of course, “You’ Got a Friend.” ”
Notably, he also performed at Barack Obama’s inaugural concert in January 2009, welcoming the former president to the White House with a special rendition of his 1976 song “Shower the People.”
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James Taylor Soundcheck at the DNC on August 19, 2024.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty
“You have a friend” was also not the only planned program to be launched. House Reps. Grace Meng and Debbie Wasserman Schultz were also dismissed for high levels of enthusiasm — or, in the words of event officials, a lot of “thunderous applause that interrupted speaker after speaker,” per The New York Times.
After the premiere didn’t go as planned, DNC officials said they decided to skip “elements of our program to ensure we can get to President Biden as soon as possible so he can address the American people directly,” the newspaper reported.
President Joe Biden finally took the stage at around 10:30pm local time to give an emotional speech and hand over to the party’s 2024 presidential nominee, Kamala Harris.
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Source: HIS Education