AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 14: Chrisette Michelle performs during BET Music Matters Showcase at SXSW at Brazos Hall on March 14, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for BET)
Chrisette Michele joined Donald Trump‘s small celebrity list of performers for his inauguration night.
It appears the deal was reached a week ago, but representatives for Michele did not want to spread the news for fear of backlash and criticism. Especially after seeing how fans reacted when Jennifer Holliday said she would perform, and ultimately withdrew, citing a “lapse in judgement.”
Michele apparently agreed to perform as long as she could do an R&B set. She joins country singers Toby Keith and Lee Greenwood, as well as 81-year-old Motown singer Sam Moore and rock band 3 Doors Down as inauguration performers.
“Today, I hope that Great Moments begin in peaceful & progressive conversation,” she said in an attempt to explain her decision. “I am willing to be a bridge. I don’t mind ‘These Stones,’ if they allow me to be a voice for the voiceless. I am here.”
Michele won a Grammy in 2009, and recently left Motown to start her own label. Mere minutes after the announcement that she would perform for Trump, the Starland Ballroom in New Jersey canceled her upcoming gig that was supposed to be on Thursday. The Tonight Show bandleader Questlove even reached out to the singer and said he would pay her not to perform.
Despite these pleas, Michele’s reps have confirmed her plan to sing. She will reportedly be reimbursed $750,000 for the performance.
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