WASHINGTON (7News) — Another musical act cancelled their upcoming performances at the Trump Kennedy Center in D.C. after a board, much of whom were appointed by President Donald Trump, voted to add his name to the performing arts venue.
Both performances by The Cookers as part of “A Jazz New Year’s Eve” were cancelled after the jazz group shared their decision to pull the shows on their website.
The group, in its official statement, did not mention the renaming as the reason for their cancellation, but said the decision was made at the last minute.
“Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice. Some of us have been making this music for many decades, and that history still shapes us,” a portion of the statement read. “We are not turning away from our audience, and do want to make sure that when we do return to the bandstand, the room is able to celebrate the full presence of the music and everyone in it. Our hope is that this moment will leave space for reflection, not resentment.”
Another jazz artist, Chuck Redd, canceled his planned Christmas Eve concert at the Center and told the Associated Press it was due to the addition of the name onto the building. The administration said it plans to sue Redd for $1 million, and a Trump-Kennedy Center official called any and all recent cancellations “selfish” in a statement to ABC News.
On Dec. 18, the Board of Trustees voted to add his name to the building, with signs placed a day after. Per law, the name would still need to be approved by Congress.
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