Dave Matthews withdraws from FireAid due to “critical illness” in family
Dave Matthews has announced that he has withdrawn from today’s FireAid benefit concert in Los Angeles due to a “critical illness in the family”.
The concert, which has been organised as a fundraiser for the relief fund following a series of wildfires in Los Angeles, is due to take place on January 30th. Shows will be held concurrently at the Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum in the California city.
Matthews was scheduled to perform alongside guitarist John Mayer at the Kia Forum concert but has now announced that he will be backing down in order to spend time with his family following a sudden emergency.
In a public statement, Matthews announced: “Due to a critical illness in the family, Dave Matthews is unfortunately unable to perform at the FireAid and MusiCares benefits this week”. He also revealed that he will not be able to perform at the MusiCares Persons of the Year event on January 31st.
The annual gala is set to commemorate 60 years of the Grateful Dead’s music and is also due to feature performances from Mayer, Norah Jones, My Morning Jacket and The War on Drugs, among many other acts.
No announcement has been made as to whether Mayer will continue to perform by himself or if there will be a replacement for the FireAid benefit concert, which will also feature performances from the likes of Alanis Morissette, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day and Joni Mitchell.
According to Irving Azoff, the producer of the benefit concerts, over $60 million has already been raised prior to FireAid commencing, with tickets being sold at a minimum of $99 each. Anyone unable to attend the concert in person will be able to donate money and watch a live stream of the event online.
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