Big-name politicians aren't the only ones slotted to take the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week -- some celebrities and other entertainers are expected to appear as well. But one highly anticipated performance Monday from acclaimed singer-songwriter James Taylor was scrapped from the schedule not long before the star was set to perform.
According to a schedule released Monday by organizers, Taylor, singer-songwriter Jason Isbell and country artist Mickey Guyton were all slated to perform on Day One of the convention at the United Center.
Those performances were in addition to a list of more than two dozen scheduled speakers, including President Joe Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Guyton was the first to take the stage and was slated to appear just before 7 p.m. following a speech from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Isbell then performed, following a speech from reproductive rights activist and content creator Deja Foxx.
Taylor, known for hits like "You've Got a Friend" and "How Sweet It Is," was set to take the stage later in the night, after a speech from First Lady Jill Biden but before Biden's daughter Ashley Biden introduced her father, President Joe Biden.
But as the evening went on, DNC officials released a statement regarding a change of plans.
"Because of the raucous applause interrupting speaker after speaker, we ultimately skipped elements of our program to ensure we could get to President Biden as quickly as possible so that he could speak directly to the American people," the statement said. "We are proud of the electric atmosphere in our convention hall and proud that our convention is showcasing the broad and diverse coalition behind the Harris-Walz ticket throughout the week on and off the stage.”
The schedule changes resulted in Taylor's appearance getting skipped, along with speeches from Reps. Grace Meng and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.
It wasn't immediately clear if Taylor, Meng or Wasserman-Schultz would be added back onto the DNC schedule in the coming days.
During a briefing with reporters Tuesday, DNC director Alex Hornbrook ducked a question about whether those who were canceled on night one would be rescheduled. He said only, "Our program team is working very hard right now to ensure that we can be on schedule" without providing further details.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
While some speakers for Day Two of the DNC have been announced, including former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, as of 12 p.m., Tuesday's full lineup has not been released.
