Legendary banjo player Béla Fleck, winner of 18 Grammy Awards, is the latest artist to cancel a performance following the move to add President Donald Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center.
Fleck was scheduled for three performances in February with the National Symphony Orchestra, but announced his decision to withdraw from the shows on Tuesday.
“I have withdrawn from my upcoming performance with the NSO at The Kennedy Center. Performing there has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music. I look forward to playing with the NSO another time in the future when we can together share and celebrate art,” Fleck posted to the social media site X on Tuesday.
Richard Grenell, the center’s president, quickly responded on social media.
“You just made it political and caved to the woke mob who wants you to perform for only Lefties. This mob pressuring you will never be happy until you only play for Democrats,” Grenell posted to X. “The Trump Kennedy Center believes all people are welcome ― Democrats and Republicans and people uninterested in politics. We want performers who aren’t political ― who simply love entertaining everyone regardless of who they voted for.”
Fleck’s post on X drew more than 13,000 replies. R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills praised Fleck’s decision, while country star John Rich of Big and Rich posted that Fleck was the “greatest living banjo player,” but added, “too bad he’s also weak and woke.”
In an interview with the Washington Post published Wednesday, Fleck said that he didn’t want to take a political stand, but believed it became unavoidable.
“As this Kennedy Center thing became more and more charged, it wasn’t any longer something where I’m under the radar playing this gig. I am actually taking a position by playing at the Kennedy Center now,” Fleck said. “By not canceling, I’m taking a position, and I don’t want to take that position. That’s what it really comes down to: I don’t want to take a position, but whatever I do is taking a position.”
Fleck has been nominated for 43 Grammy Awards and has won 18, according to the Grammy website. He has been performing for close to 50 years, as a solo artist and as part of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones and New Grass Revival. He has performed at the Syracuse Jazz Fest and at the Skaneateles Festival.
The last 12 months have been tumultuous for the arts center. In February, Trump forced out members of the center’s board and replaced them with his supporters. Trump was then elected board chair. After that happened, several artists canceled shows in protest, including the smash Broadway musical “Hamilton.”
Then, in November, Trump’s hand-picked board voted to change the name to the Trump Kennedy Center. That caused more artists to cancel performances.
“I just don’t think I should be playing there right now in this climate. That’s really all it is,” Fleck told the Washington Post. “And when it’s not like this, I would love to play there.”
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