More musicians have canceled their upcoming concerts at the Kennedy Center after its board voted to rename the performing arts venue to include President Donald Trump’s name.
The canceled performances to date include shows previously promoted for Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and Jan. 14.
The Cookers, a jazz band that was scheduled to perform Wednesday night, did not cite a specific reason in announcing their decision, but their statement hinted at politics.
“Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice. Some of us have been making this music for many decades, and that history still shapes us,” the statement read. "Our hope is that this moment will leave space for reflection, not resentment."
Kristy Lee, who was scheduled to perform Jan. 14, announced her cancellation on Instagram, saying canceling shows hurts, “but losing my integrity would cost me more than any paycheck.”
“When American history starts getting treated like something you can ban, erase, rename, or rebrand for somebody else’s ego, I can’t stand on that stage and sleep right at night,” said Lee, who described herself as "just a folk singer from Alabama."
She said that instead of playing at the Kennedy Center next month, she would play a live show from her home.
In a separate statement on her website, Lee said the cancellation was due to concerns for the center’s “institutional integrity.” She said she “believes publicly funded spaces must remain free from political capture, self-promotion, or ideological pressure.”
“This decision is not directed at the Center’s dedicated staff, artists, or patrons, whose work and commitment to the arts remain deeply respected. Rather, it is a statement in defense of the Center’s founding purpose and the ethical responsibility shared by artists who grace its stage,” the statement read.
The Kennedy Center, Lee and The Cookers did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday night.
The Cookers’ drummer, Billy Hart, told The New York Times, which first reported the recent cancellations, that the name change “evidently” played a role in their decision to cancel their concert.
The Kennedy Center’s board voted to change the institution's name this month. The next day, Trump’s name was affixed to the building’s facade, prompting criticism from lawmakers and members of the Kennedy family, who said the institution was created by Congress to memorialize President John F. Kennedy and could not be renamed without congressional approval.
Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex officio member of the board, sued the Trump administration last week for the renaming, calling it a “flagrant violation of the rule of law.”
One of the first musicians to cancel a performance in the wake of the board's vote was jazz musician Chuck Redd, who called off his Christmas Eve concert at the center, where had presided over the annual event for nearly 20 years. Redd told The Associated Press that he was canceling the concert as a result of the name change.
In a letter to Redd, which the Kennedy Center shared with NBC News, the center’s president, Richard Grenell, threatened to sue him for $1 million, calling his decision to back out a “political stunt.”
In a statement Saturday, Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi said, "Any artist cancelling their show at the Trump Kennedy Center over political differences isn’t courageous or principled—they are selfish, intolerant, and have failed to meet the basic duty of a public artist: to perform for all people."
Trump has taken numerous steps to assert more control over the center, such as replacing the board with a handpicked set of members who named him their chair. He also changed the programming at the center, which included removing Pride events.
Multiple shows and performers have canceled events at the center since Trump’s takeover began, including the musical "Hamilton" and Issa Rae.
