Bret Michaels pulls out of Donald Trump-backed Freedom 250 concert for safety reasons
Bret Michaels has become the latest act to pull out of the 250 Freedom concert series, supported by Donald Trump‘s administration.
Since the line-up was unveiled on May 27th, several artists have withdrawn from the schedule, including Morris Day, Young MC, the Commodores, Martina McBride and Milli Vanilli.
In their explanations for withdrawing from the event, the majority of artists explained that they were unaware of Freedom 250 being politically affiliated.
For example, The Commodores shared, “Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party.”
Now, Michaels has also withdrawn. Taking to his website, he wrote, “When this opportunity was originally presented to my team, it was described as a celebration of our country through music and a chance to honor our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and hardworking Americans from all walks of life. As the son of a veteran, and coming from a family that has proudly served, that is something I have always been honored to support.”
The Poison frontman continued, “As many of you know, I’ve spent my entire career bringing people together through music, positivity and good vibes. 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 then claimed that the event that was proposed to him was a different reality from the one that was announced earlier this week to the general public, adding, “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.”
Michaels continued, “Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable. Because of that, I have made the difficult decision to step away from this performance.”
He added, “This isn’t about politics. It’s about staying true to what I’ve always believed in. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. That’s one of the freedoms our veterans fought for and something I’ve always respected. But as a father, friend and bandmate, I have to take threats and safety concerns seriously.”
Michaels went on to say that music “is a universal language that unites us, not divides us” and vowed to continue to “proudly support” veterans.
The rock vocalist also pledged to return to Washington DC “under circumstances where the focus can remain on what it should be – the music and the fans.”
While C+C Music Factory are still scheduled to perform, their frontman, Freedom Williams, has distanced himself from Trump on social media. Flo Rida and Vanilla Ice also remain on the bill.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.