Broadway Singer Jennifer Holliday Cancels Trump Inauguration Performance

[NelsonG]

Yesterday it was reported that Jennifer Holliday, the singer best known for her performance in Dreamgirls, would perform at a Donald Trump inauguration event that will also feature 3 Doors Down and Toby Keith. Today, Holliday announced that she’s had a change of heart and will not be performing at the event. In an open letter, she explained that she wanted to perform in an attempt to be “a healing and unifying force for hope through music to help our deeply polarized country.” She apologized specifically to the LGBT community, calling her decision to perform “a lapse of judgment.” Find her full letter below.

TO MY BELOVED LGBT COMMUNITY:

Please allow me this opportunity to speak to you directly and to explain why I originally made my decision to perform at the inauguration which was what I had thought would be my simply keeping in my tradition of being a “bi-partisan songbird” having sung for Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush.

I was asked to sing a song for what was presented to me as the “Welcome Concert For The People”– in my mind I was reflecting on the past times of being asked to sing for presidents and I only focused on the phrase “For The People”… I thought, For America!

I was honestly just thinking that I wanted my voice to be a healing and unifying force for hope through music to help our deeply polarized country… Regretfully, I did not take into consideration that my performing for the concert would actually instead be taken as a political act against my own personal beliefs and be mistaken for support of Donald Trump and Mike Pence.

In light of the information pointed out to me via the Daily Beast article on yesterday, my only choice must now be to stand with the LGBT Community and to state unequivocally that I WILL NOT PERFORM FOR THE WELCOME CONCERT OR FOR ANY OF THE INAUGURATION FESTIVITIES!

I sincerely apologize for my lapse of judgement, for being uneducated on the issues that affect every American at this crucial time in history and for causing such dismay and heartbreak to my fans.

Please know that I HEAR YOU and I feel your pain. The LGBT Community was mostly responsible for birthing my career and I am deeply indebted to you… You have loved me faithfully and unconditionally and for so many years you provided me with work even though my star had long since faded.

Thank you for communicating with me, I had no idea that I still meant so much to all of you.

Thank you for your posted comments both the good supportive ones as well as the ugly hurtful ones.

With LOVE & Appreciation,

JENNIFER  HOLLIDAY
“The Original DreamGirl”

Artists including Moby, Elton John, Andrea Bocelli, and as of today, 2 Chainz have publicly rejected invitations to perform at inauguration events.

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