Morris Day & The Time are the latest names distancing themselves from the upcoming Great American State Fair, adding another public shakeup to the festival’s already messy rollout.
According to The Daily Beast, after reports circulated that the legendary Minneapolis funk group would appear at the June 27 event on the National Mall, Day himself quickly shut down the rumors. “It’s a no for me,” he wrote on social media, making it clear he would not be part of the lineup.
The Great American State Fair was announced as part of the broader “Freedom 250” celebration tied to America’s 250th birthday festivities. Organizers described the event as a celebration of American culture, music, entrepreneurship, and military heritage, with a lineup featuring legacy acts across hip-hop, rock, country, and pop.
The bill currently includes artists like Vanilla Ice, Flo Rida, Martina McBride, Bret Michaels (best known as the lead singer of the 1980s hair-metal band Poison), and The Commodores.
But Morris Day wasn’t the first artist to walk away. Earlier this week, Young MC publicly announced that he was exiting the event after learning more about its political associations.
“The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event,” he wrote in a lengthy Instagram post, adding that he hoped to return to Washington, D.C., “at an event that is not so politically charged.”
Not everyone is backing out, though. Freedom Williams of C+C Music Factory acknowledged in a lengthy Instagram video that he was initially unaware of the event’s political connections when he accepted the booking months ago.
But even after receiving backlash from fans, Williams said he still intends to perform. “The day I let you motherf**kers tell me what to do, is the day I die,” he said, while also making clear he does not personally support the current administration.
The unraveling around the Great American State Fair arrives at the same time another high-profile touring event tied to conservative-leaning audiences has been dealing with its own turbulence. Kid Rock’s “Rock the Country” festival recently cut ticket prices by as much as 50% after multiple lineup changes, artist dropouts, and fan complaints over canceled appearances.
Jelly Roll exited one scheduled stop, while artists including Shinedown, Morgan Wade, and Ludacris also dropped off portions of the tour.
