Country Stars — and the Village People — Line Up to Play Trump Inauguration Events
Jason Aldean, golfing buddy of Donald Trump and Mar-a-Lago regular, the recently reunited 2000s country trio Rascal Flatts, and Texas singer Parker McCollum are among the country music artists performing at Washington, D.C., galas celebrating the incoming president — who is set to become the first convicted felon to hold the office of president of the United States.
According to a release from the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, Aldean is slated to perform at the Liberty Inaugural Ball, one of three official inaugural balls — the Commander-in-Chief Ball and the Starlight Ball are the other two — held a few hours after Trump is sworn in as the 47th president on Monday. Aldean and Trump’s courtship began in early 2022, when the “Try That in a Small Town” singer attended a New Year’s Eve party at the then-former president’s Florida retreat and joined him on the golf course. Their bromance has only blossomed: Aldean stood side-by-side with Trump at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July and went on to introduce him during a rally in the country singer’s home state of Georgia in October.
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Nelly is also tapped to perform at the Liberty Ball. Rascal Flatts, the trio of Gary LeVox, Joe Don Rooney, and Jay DeMarcus, are slated to perform at the Commander-in-Chief Ball. LeVox, the band’s lead singer, performed solo at the Veterans Inaugural Ball during Trump’s first inauguration in 2017. McCollum is also on the Commander-in-Chief lineup.
The news about Aldean and Rascal Flatts’ inaugural duties comes after the announcement that Carrie Underwood would be performing “America the Beautiful” during the inauguration at the U.S. Capitol, which was besieged by a violent mob of Trump supporters, on Jan. 6, 2021.
In a statement, Underwood explained her decision to participate: “I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event. I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.” Still, Underwood has been receiving blowback, especially from the LGBTQ community, who gravitated toward her 2012 song of inclusivity, “Love Wins.” (“As a married person myself, I don’t know what it’s like to be told I can’t marry somebody I love, and want to marry. I can’t imagine how that must feel,” she said then.)
In addition to Underwood, the inauguration ceremony will include an appearance by Lee Greenwood, who performed in 2017 and is slated to reprise his signature flag-waver, “God Bless the U.S.A.” Greenwood is currently selling an “Inauguration Day Edition” of his God Bless the USA Bible, which has been promoted by Trump.
A “Victory Rally” set for Sunday night, the eve of the inauguration, is scheduled to feature performances by Kid Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus, and the Village People, whose song “Y.M.C.A.” was often played at Trump rallies. In 2023, the Village People issued a cease-and-desist order to the Trump campaign over their usage of their songs, but the disco act have apparently done an about-face.
“We are announcing today that Village People have accepted an invitation from President Elect Trump’s campaign to participate in inaugural activities, including at least one event with President Elect Trump,” the band, which includes caricatures of a construction worker, a police officer, and a cowboy, said in a statement.
“We know this [won’t] make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics. Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost.”
Victor Willis — the “police officer” and sometimes “Navy officer” — is the only original member of the Village People. Also: Gavin DeGraw is set to headline the Starlight Ball.
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