Elton John is going to play at Donald Trump’s inaugural celebration? Definitely not
Saying it on TV doesn’t make it true: Elton John’s camp says he won’t be playing at President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural concert, despite a transition team member’s statement to the contrary.
“This’ll be the first American president in U.S. history that enters the White House with a pro gay-rights stance,” Anthony Scaramucci said in a clip from an interview to air today on the BBC program “HARDTalk” in the U.K. “Elton John is going to be doing our concert on the Mall for the inauguration.”
The “Tiny Dancer” singer’s New York rep disagreed, telling The Times on Wednesday, “Elton will not be performing.”
His London rep told BBC News, “There is no truth to this at all.”
Though Trump used some John songs during campaign rallies, it’s not a surprise that the latter won’t be rallying for the president-elect on Jan. 20. In February, before Trump became the GOP nominee, the “Rocket Man” singer tried to distance himself from U.S. politics.
“I don’t really want my music to be involved in anything to do with an American election campaign,” John told the Guardian shortly after a rep announced that Trump’s use of any of John songs was unauthorized.
“I’m British,” John said. “I’ve met Donald Trump, he was very nice to me. It’s nothing personal. His political views are his own, mine are very different, I’m not a Republican in a million years. Why not ask Ted … Nugent? Or one of those … country stars? They’ll do it for you.”
A few months later, after Trump became the GOP nominee, Elton was playing a different tune, and it wasn’t a love song to the Donald.
He played a solo concert at Hillary Clinton’s final pre-election fundraiser in October. At that big-ticket event, according to the Hollywood Reporter, he referred to Trump as a “barbarian,” while lavishing praise on the former secretary of state.
Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ.
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