Washington: As Donald Trump prepares for his inauguration as the 45th President of the United States of America on Friday, with historically low approval ratings, a lot of A-list celebrities, musicians, artists are still in a dilemma whether to attend the star-studded celebrations or give it a miss.
Trump's inauguration ceremony has been mired by controversy ever since he was declared winner of the closely contested US Presidential elections.
Trump's team, responsible for the arrangements related to inauguration ceremony, has struggled to book top performers who are willing to perform at the inauguration of such a controversial president.
Fearing backlash from the fans, some have either backed out citing prior commitment, while some others have readily accepted the invite to appear at the ceremony.
Undeniably, a host of A-list and popular celebrities have strong political reasons for not being part of Trump’s presidency.
Here is the list of those performers who are most likely to grace the event;-
Toby Keith
The country star, who is known for his track Should've Been A Cowboy, has been booked to perform. Despite the backlash after his performance was announced, he has defended his decision, as he said, “I don’t apologise for performing for our country or military.”
Jon Voight
The Deliverance actor and father of Angelina Jolie has been named among performers. He is not expected to break into song, but is likely to deliver a speech or reading for the event.
The actor, who narrated Trump’s biographical video at last year’s Republican National Convention, is scheduled to introduce Rudy Giuliani and do "a few things here and there" at the inauguration celebrations.
Lee Greenwood
Greenwood will be singing "God Bless the USA" - his most well-known song - at the inauguration celebrations. He has some strong words for his colleagues who turned down the invitation. "I think it’s in bad taste to say, ‘No,’" he was quoted as saying by the Hollywood Reporter, adding, "It’s not political."
3 Doors Down
The rock group 3 Doors Down confirmed on Instagram that they will be performing at the pre-inauguration concert. They have not issued any further comment on their decision.
The Piano Guys
YouTube stars The Piano Guys will be at the pre-inauguration concert. Facing backlash after the announcement, they posted a statement to their website saying, "We love you. You give our music wings! We sincerely hope and pray for your understanding."
DJ Ravidrums
According to his website, Ravidrums "invented the live re-mix." He’s appeared on a few different reality TV shows and was briefly the music producer for the short-lived TV show Howie Do It, but he is perhaps best known for his drum solo at Nintendo's 2008 presentation of Wii Music. DJ Ravidrums will be performing at the pre-inauguration concert, but he has not made a public statement about his performance.
The Frontmen of Country
The Frontmen of Country is a trio that features Tim Rushlow, Larry Stewart, and Richie McDonald. They have not publicly commented on their scheduled performance at the pre-inauguration concert.
Jackie Evancho
America’s Got Talent finalist Jackie Evancho was the first performer to sign on to perform at the inauguration. A 16-year-old classical singer, she’ll be singing the national anthem.
Evancho, who has an 18-year-old transgender sister, has been called a "traitor" for agreeing to appear at the inauguration. "I just kind of thought that this is for my country," Evancho said. "So if people are going to hate on me, it's for the wrong reason."
The final tally, as of now, has Jackie Evancho, Lee Greenwood, 3 Doors Down, Toby Keith, the Piano Guys, DJ Ravidrums, the Frontmen of Country and Jon Voight performing at the inauguration festivities this weekend.
There may be some more last minute additions in the list.
Latest list of entertainers who will perform at Inaugural: pic.twitter.com/rUH352Ajqj
— West Wing Reports (@WestWingReport) January 19, 2017
