The Japan Times - Poison? More artists flee Trump-linked US anniversary concerts

Trump's administration had publicized multiple headliners for a "Freedom 250" concert series between June 25 and July 10 on the National Mall in Washington.

But the event is floundering as one act after another withdraws.

On Friday, glam rocker Bret Michaels and country star Martina McBride joined the Commodores and two other groups announcing they would not take part. This left only four of the line-up originally announced on Wednesday intact.

Those include Vanilla Ice, C+C Music Factory, Flo Rida, and the surviving member of the duo Milli Vanilli, who are best known for a lip-syncing controversy more than three decades ago.

Michaels, frontman of 1980s band Poison -- of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" fame -- said Friday on Facebook that he made a "difficult decision to step away from this performance."

"My shows have never been about politics. They're about giving people a place to come together, have a great time and forget about life's stresses for a few hours," he said.

"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 a part of."

A White House official said that "this is not a White House event" when asked by AFP about the withdrawals, and referred inquiries to the "Freedom 250" celebration organizers.

"Freedom 250" insists that it is a nonpartisan and non-political organization.

It describes itself as a public-private partnership that works with a White House task force for the anniversary. Trump set up the task force last year to deliver the celebrations for this summer.

But Trump has openly tried to stamp his mark on the celebrations, most notably by staging an ultra-violent mixed martial arts fight in a specially constructed arena on the White House lawn on June 14 -- his 80th birthday.

Award-winning country singer McBride announced she too will not be performing at the "Great American State Fair" next month.

"I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading," she told her fans in a post on X.

They join several other acts abandoning the program or dismissing rumors they would perform: rapper Young MC, best known for 1989's smash hit "Bust a Move;" musician Morris Day and the Time, who once collaborated with Prince; and Grammy-winning soul group the Commodores.

"The Commodores will not be performing" at the event, the band posted late Thursday on Instagram. "We support the betterment of all Americans."

But Vanilla Ice, known for the 1990 hit "Ice Ice Baby", insisted he would be playing.

"I'm not going to get dragged into that. I'm here to party with America, man," the performer told TMZ -- adding that he would also play for President Joe Biden, Russian leader Vladimir Putin or in Iran if asked.

With artists fleeing, the Democratic Party on Friday trolled Trump's event, posting an image of the nine announced performers, with Xs over the five cancelled acts.

By contrast, on Wednesday night the nation's capital hosted singer Bruce Springsteen, a fierce Trump opponent, who announced he would return to the Washington area on October 3 for the Power to the People Festival.

That show will include Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Joan Baez, Public Enemy, and other top-billing acts.

Y.Hara--JT