Neil Young will no longer perform at Glastonbury.
On Tuesday, Dec. 31, the “Harvest Moon” musician, 79, shared a letter to the Neil Young archive revealing that he had pulled out of a UK music festival appearance due to BBC involvement and “corporate control.”
“Chrome Hearts and I couldn’t wait to play Glastonbury, one of my favorite outdoor gigs,” Young began. “We have been told that the BBC is now a partner in Glastonbury and wants us to do many things in a way that we are not interested in. Glastonbury seems to be under corporate control now and is not what I remember it being. Thanks for coming to see us last time!”
He added: “We won’t be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it’s a corporate exclusion and not for me like it used to be. I hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour.”
Neil Young in Los Angeles in November 2022.
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While the singer/songwriter hasn’t said exactly what about the BBC’s involvement prompted him to pull out of the music event, according to Rolling Stonethe network has been a broadcaster of the festival for years, even hosting a global broadcast last year for the first time.
Glastonbury representatives have not yet responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
In November it was announced that Rod Stewart would be returning to Glastonbury for the first time in 23 years to perform in the Teatime Legend slot in June 2025.
On Xu (formerly Twitter), he said he was “proud and ready and more than capable to get back on stage to enjoy and tickle my friends at Glastonbury in June.”
His upcoming performance makes the “Forever Young” singer, 79, one of the oldest acts to perform at the event, which takes place outside of London.
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Rod Stewart in Berlin in September 2018.
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Stewart, who will turn 80 before he takes to the Glastonbury stage, is in good company for the superlative. Paul McCartney was 80 years old when he played at the 2022 festival.
Meanwhile, the late Burt Bacharach holds the record as the oldest person to play Glastonbury. He was 87 years old when he performed there in 2015.
The “Maggie May” musician has also announced that he will retire from “major world tours” but has no plans to retire from performing completely anytime soon.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education