Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Belá Fleck during an interview with Fredrika Whitfield on CNN.
(Photo: DownBeat)The fallout from the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include President Donald Trump’s name continues with several major cancellations, including another from the jazz world.
On Jan. 6, banjo virtuoso Belá Fleck announced on X that he would withdraw from his upcoming performance with the National Symphony Orchestra, citing, “Performing there has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music.” Scheduled to perform Rhapsody In Blue with the orchestra, Fleck added that he hoped to reschedule.
The response from Richard Grenell, the Trump-appointed interim executive director of the center, was quick and partisan.
“You just made it political and caved to the woke mob who wants you to perform for only Lefties,” Grenell wrote on X. “This mob pressuring you will never be happy until you only play for Democrats. The Trump Kennedy Center believes all people are welcome — Democrats and Republicans and people.”
Fleck was invited to speak about the cancellation on CNN, where he reiterated his position on canceling the show and added, “I’m getting more attention for canceling a show than I ever have gotten for playing one.
“I’ve had a lot of reaction, mostly great. You know, it’s a media circus. I’m used to watching it on television and not being part of it. So, it’s a bit surreal.”
In addition, trumpeter/vocalist Wayne Tucker cancelled his Jan. 22 date at the center, again in opposition to the name change and board of directors shakeup.
After receiving a rash of backlash on social media, Tucker responded with a Jan. 2 social media post that concluded with this statement: “Thank you all for the kindness. It is my birthday and I really appreciate all of the nice words from so many kind strangers … I play music to uplift the world, not for fame or fortune. You may ask ‘who?’ or you could also listen to the music and see why I am frequently the musician chosen to back up your favorite artists. Despite the hate I will continue to choose love and I leave you with a musical blessing. Good luck to all of you [heart emoji].”
Additionally, The Cookers, the jazz supergroup made up of legendary artists, set up a GoFundMe page to make up for income lost after canceling its gig at the Trump Kennedy Center on New Year’s Eve. To date, the effort has raised $24,747 with 496 donations, well above the stated goal of $14,000.
Care to contribute to the cause? CLICK HERE. DB
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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