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Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli has announced that he will not be appearing at the Great American State Fair as part of the Freedom 250 event – and is the next artist to distance himself from the controversial concert series.
On Monday night (June 1), Morvan appeared on CNN to explain why he was withdrawing from the concert series’ lineup. This is currently scheduled for June 25th to July 10th on the National Mall in Washington DC. The singer, who initially dismissed criticism of his involvement in the event organized by Trump appointee Keith Krach, has now changed his mind and admits that the fuss surrounding it has become too much. “This is not what I signed up for,” Morvan told CNN host Laura Coates – adding that he was initially assured the concert would be non-partisan, despite conflicting reports.
“When I saw Young MC dropped out, I thought, ‘Well, that’s weird… What does he know that I don’t?’ This worried me a bit and then people started leaving one by one. But I was told by my team, who in turn had heard from another team, ‘There’s nothing there, no politics.’ … I was there to unite people, to take them on a journey into the past, to celebrate life. It was a way of saying, ‘Hey, I’m still here, you’re still here. Let’s have a good time together.’ But as the week went on, it became a circus. I’m not a political person, so let’s hear it from me first: I won’t be taking part in the celebration on June 26th.”
Morvan’s original stance
Morvan had previously expressed his intention to perform at the Freedom 250 concert, which he viewed as an opportunity to bring American citizens together through music and community. “I am here to entertain and unite people, not to divide them,” Morvan said in a statement. “Let’s celebrate life and music and take a trip down memory lane. I’m honored to be a part of the Great American State Fair as it celebrates America’s 250th anniversary alongside so many other great artists. I look forward to seeing you again this summer across the United States and finally singing Milli Vanilli songs live!”
Before withdrawing from the event, Morvan was one of the few originally announced acts who had not yet canceled their appearance.
Vanilla Ice, creator of the 1990s hit “Ice Ice Baby,” played down the backlash against the concert, saying it was apolitical. “We’re just celebrating our country’s birthday. What’s the big deal? … I would play for anyone,” he insisted, also on CNN on Monday (June 1).
Vanilla Ice is sticking around
He added: “I would also play for Biden’s family or whoever. It doesn’t matter.” In an interview with TMZ, Ice explained that he has “never voted in my life” and that he would perform for “Putin, whoever you want – I would go to Iran. It doesn’t matter.”
Rapper Flo Rida has not yet commented on his involvement in the Freedom 250 concert. A rep for the rapper did not respond to ROLLING STONE’s request for comment when the lineup was announced.
According to several acts, they initially accepted the invitation to perform because the event was billed as “non-partisan” – but withdrew after feeling deceived. Young MC, Martina McBride, the Commodores, Bret Michaels and Morris Day and the Time are among those who have canceled.
Trump’s reaction to the cancellations
Over the weekend, President Trump called the dropped artists “overpaid singers that no one wants to hear and whose music is boring” – and even called on organizers to “cancel” the event because he would prefer to replace it with a campaign rally. He also hinted at making an appearance himself.