The Commodores are the latest act to announce their exit from the Freedom 250 concert series set for Washington, D.C. next month, following the declared departures of Morris Day and Young MC from the retro-heavy bill.
The exits have followed quick backlash from fans of these respective artists after the concerts were announced Wednesday morning, with many unhappy that the musicians signed up to perform for an event aligned with a Donald J. Trump-founded organization.
“The Commodores will not be performing at the Great American State Fair,” a message posted Thursday afternoon on the group’s social media accounts said. “Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party. We support the betterment of all Americans.”
As with several of the oldies-oriented acts booked for Freedom 250, fans have wondered who is in these groups anymore, although it is much clearer with the Commodores than some of the others. The quartet currently has one original member, William King, who has been with the act since their formation as a Motown act in 1968; he co-wrote their 1981 smash “Lady.” (The group’s most famous member, Lionel Richie, left in 1982.)
