It’s not just top politicians who will be on stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week — other celebrities and artists are also expected to make an appearance. But a highly anticipated performance by singer-songwriter James Taylor was pulled from the schedule shortly before he was due to perform.
According to a schedule released Monday by organizers, Taylor, singer-songwriter Jason Isbell and country artist Mickey Jetton were scheduled to perform on the first day of the convention at the United Center.
These presentations add to a list of more than two dozen scheduled speakers, including President Joe Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Guyton was the first to take the stage and was scheduled to appear shortly before 7 p.m. after a speech from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Isbell then performed, after a speech from reproductive rights activist and content creator Deja Foxx.
Taylor, known for hits like “You’ve Got a Friend” and “How Sweet It Is,” was scheduled to take the stage later in the night, after a speech from first lady Jill Biden but before Biden’s daughter, Ashley Biden, introduced her father, President Joe Biden.
But as the evening progressed, Democratic National Committee officials issued a statement about the change in plans.
“Because of the loud applause that interrupted speaker after speaker, we ultimately skipped elements of our program to ensure we could reach President Biden as quickly as possible so he could speak directly to the American people.” The statement said: “We are proud of the vibrant atmosphere in our convention hall and proud that our conference showcases the broad and diverse coalition behind the Harris-Walz ticket all week long on and off the stage.”
Scheduling changes have canceled Taylor’s appearance, along with speeches by Reps. Grace Meng and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
It was not immediately clear whether Taylor, Meng or Wasserman Schultz would be added to the Democratic National Convention schedule in the coming days.
During a briefing with reporters Tuesday, NDP Director Alex Hornbrook avoided answering a question about whether those who had their first-night appearances canceled would be rescheduled, saying only, “Our program team is working very hard right now to ensure that we can meet the schedule,” without providing further details.
While some speakers for the second day of the Democratic National Convention, including former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, had been announced as of 12 p.m., the full lineup for Tuesday had not been announced.
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