No, Music Manager Irving Azoff Will Not Help Trump’s Struggling Inaugural Ball
Image by Getty
By Thea Glassman December 22, 2016
Donald Trump’s team has been struggling to snag big name talent for the upcoming inaugural ball, and it looks like they can’t count on A-list Jewish music manager Irving Azoff for help.
Despite a report alleging that Azoff, who represents The Eagles, John Mayer and Jon Bon Jovi, would come on board to enlist performers, the music manager told The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday that he has no “official” function when it comes to the ball.
Azoff, an outspoken liberal, said it is a shame that singers are being “scar[ed] off” by the idea of performing at the event.
Andrea Bocelli and Garth Brooks both reportedly considered, then backed out of, performing that night. Other performers who have turned down the gig include Elton John, John Legend and the Washington, DC high-school marching band.
Trump is already facing an onslaught of amused internet commentary surrounding the music groups that have signed up for the gig. Acts include the 80’s cover band The Reagan Years, The Star Spangled Singers, DJ Freedom and a wedding band called The Mixx.
Thea Glassman is an Associate Editor at the Forward. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @theakglassman.
The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Dive In
Most Popular
- 1
Opinion The dangerous Nazi legend behind Trump’s ruthless grab for power
- 2
Opinion I first met Netanyahu in 1988. Here’s how he became the most destructive leader in Israel’s history.
- 3
Culture Did this Jewish literary titan have the right idea about Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling after all?
- 4
Opinion Yes, the attack on Gov. Shapiro was antisemitic. Here’s what the left should learn from it
In Case You Missed It
-
Fast Forward In NYC, Itamar Ben-Gvir says he’s changed — and wants ‘the Trump plan’ in Gaza
-
Opinion Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to a Jewish society at Yale exposed deep rifts between US Jews
-
Fast Forward On his first trip to Auschwitz, New Jersey governor urges vigilance against rising antisemitism
-
Fast Forward Survivors of the Holocaust and Oct. 7 embrace at Auschwitz, marking annual March of the Living
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
Republish This Story
Please read before republishing
We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines.
You must comply with the following:
- Credit the Forward
- Retain our pixel
- Preserve our canonical link in Google search
- Add a noindex tag in Google search
See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.
To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.