By Dawn Chmielewski
LOS ANGELES, May 29 (Reuters) – Bret Michaels, frontman of Poison, the rock group best known for its working-class anthem “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” has withdrawn from a concert series commemorating the United States’ 250th anniversary, the latest in a wave of cancellations.
Michaels posted a message on Instagram on Friday saying that the event was presented as a nonpartisan celebration to honor the nation’s veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and other hardworking Americans.
“Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be part of,” Michaels wrote. “Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable.”
Michaels is the fifth musician to withdraw from the “Freedom 250” concerts, which are scheduled to take place from June 25 through July 10 on Washington’s National Mall. Organizers announced the “first wave” of featured performers on Wednesday.
ORGANIZERS DEFEND EVENT
Freedom 250 spokeswoman Julia Friedland said the event is dedicated to uniting Americans around the nation’s semiquincentennial. The Great American State Fair is one of the organization’s signature events, bringing together all 50 states in a world’s fair-style celebration.
Another Freedom 250 spokeswoman, Rachel Reisner, said: “We respect the rights of any artist to make their own decisions, and our doors remain open to any performer who wants to be part of honoring 250 years of American freedom, culture, and unity.”
She added: “There is far too much to celebrate about this great nation to let noise and division distract from the incredible moment ahead — and we look forward to welcoming millions of Americans to a fair that belongs to all Americans.”
President Donald Trump’s administration has planned a variety of other celebratory events in Washington, including an IndyCar race through the streets of the city in August and a cage-fighting match on the White House’s South Lawn on his 80th birthday.
WAVE OF CANCELLATIONS
Other artists who dropped out include Grammy Award-winning rapper Young MC, who wrote on social media: “Artists were never told about any political involvement with the event.” Funk and soul band the Commodores said, “We choose not to publicly affiliate with any single party,” and Morris Day and the Time noted that “contrary to rumor,” the R&B group would not take the stage.
Country music artist Martina McBride said the event had been described as a nonpartisan celebration of all 50 states — a larger version of state fairs she has performed at over the years. “Yesterday, things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening,” she wrote on Instagram.
Vanilla Ice, the rapper who reportedly appeared at Trump’s New Year’s Eve party at Mar-a-Lago, posted an Instagram video in which he said he was “super honored to do this concert.”
(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Andy Sullivan in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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