James Taylor addresses set being cut at Democratic National Convention: “Sorry to disappoint”
Singer-songwriter James Taylor was scheduled to perform at the first night of the Democratic National Convention on August 19th, but his set was cut due to time constraints. The legendary musical figures has since addressed the incident on social media.
The convention kicked off on August 19th at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The first night included two musical performances from country singer Mickey Guyton, who performed ‘All American’, and singer-songwriter Jason Isbell, who played ‘Something More Than Free’.
Taylor was set to close the evening with a rendition of ‘You’ve Got a Friend’ by Carole King, who he once described as the “epitome” of the singer-songwriter movement. However, his set was cut for time after lengthy applause led the event to run over.
The songwriter has now spoken about the incident on social media, sharing his excitement about the event and apologising for any disappointment caused.
“It was exciting to see and hear so many of the speakers at the opening night of the Democratic convention here in Chicago,” Taylor began, “And we had a great rehearsal with Rickey Minor and terrific singers, Kenya Hathaway and Matthew Johnson before the event.”
Taylor noted that while many people had wished them well with their performance, the running of the event didn’t work in their favour. “But it became clear, as the evening unfolded, that there wouldn’t be time for our ‘You’ve Got a Friend’ with cello and voices,” Taylor explained.
“Maybe the organisers couldn’t anticipate the wild response from the floor of the United Center…” Taylor suggested. The songwriter then concluded the statement by apologising for any disappointment and reiterating his gratitude for being invited to perform.
“Anyway, sorry to disappoint,” he wrote, “But a great and inspirational, quintessentially American moment. We were honoured to be there…”
The second night of the Democratic National Convention took place on August 20th and included speeches from former president Barack Obama as well as Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former president John F. Kennedy.
Actor and screenwriter Mindy Kaling will host the third night of the convention tonight, while actor Kerry Washington will handle the final night on Thursday, which will also include a speech from the current Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
The 2024 US elections will take place in just over two months’ time, on November 5th, 2024.
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