Donald Trump’s team has struggled to line up prime talent to perform at his inauguration, and he’s reportedly livid as a result.
Mark Burnett, who created and produced The Apprentice, is overseeing the inauguration festivities, and even he seems to be grasping at straws. So, he brought in talent recruiter Suzanne Bender, who is a former booker on Dancing With the Stars and American Idol, to help. Her arrival is seen as a “hail mary” shakeup to satisfy the “unhappy” Trump mere weeks before the inauguration, which can’t boast any A-list acts at this time.
A number of top-list performers, including Garth Brooks, Elton John, and Andrea Bocelli, were asked to take part in the Inauguration festivities but declined. Bocelli seemed to be on the verge of saying yes but reportedly passed after pressure from fans. This does appear to be a common concern among performers, as they don’t want to “normalize” Trump and alienate their own fanbase. Dixie Chicks manager Simon Renshaw clued The Wrap in about Trump-related fears for performers: “If anyone does do it, I hope that the check that they get is in the nine figures. Because it’s probably the last check they’re ever going to get.”
Despite their difficulties, there are apparently a few acts that will participate. Consequence of Sound reveals that the lineup includes the following acts: The American Gentleman; The Reagan Years (“one of the HOTTEST ’80s cover bands”); wedding band The Mixx; DJ Freedom; and The Star Spangled Singers. In a late breaking bit of news, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints announced that The Mormon Tabernacle Choir will be performing during the festivities. So, it’s shaping up to be a rocking party.
(Via The Wrap & Consequence of Sound & The Hollywood Reporter)
