Freedom 250 unveiled the first wave of performers for The Great American State Fair on Washington's National Mall on Wednesday, but two of the names on the poster quickly said they were not coming. Milli Vanilli and Morris Day both disputed the billing, turning what was meant to be a celebratory rollout into a public scramble over who actually agreed to play.
The dispute matters because the event is set for June 25 to July 10 and was being promoted as part of the buildup to America’s 250th birthday. The announced lineup included the Commodores, Flo Rida and Martina McBride, with Milli Vanilli and Young MC listed for June 26 and Day for June 27. At least one act from the I Love the 90s package, Vanilla Ice, said he would take part, underscoring that the lineup is not collapsing, even as some performers push back on how it was assembled.
Jodie Rocco told The that neither she, her sister Linda Rocco nor any of the other group members had been asked to come, saying she was shocked to see the Milli Vanilli name included. Young MC wrote on Instagram that the artists were never told about any political involvement with the event and said he wanted to perform in Washington in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged. Morris Day posted on Instagram that Morris Day & The Time will not be performing at The Great American State Fair, directly contradicting the Wednesday announcement.
Freedom 250 says it is a national, non-partisan organization leading the celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday. Trump launched the group late last year and appointed Keith Krach, who served as an under secretary of state during his first term, as CEO. The organization also circulated a representative’s remarks saying he is proud to help celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary and that everyone is welcome to attend and celebrate USA’s Birthday and our Freedom.
The friction is familiar. Trump and his supporters have long had a contentious relationship with the music community, and artists including Celine Dion, Elton John and Guns N' Roses have objected to their music being played at Trump rallies. This latest dispute does not look like a minor booking mix-up so much as another reminder that the fight over the nation’s semiquincentennial is already running through pop culture, with some artists eager to participate and others refusing the association outright.
A Freedom 250 spokesperson did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment. What remains to be settled is not whether the fair will go on — it will — but which names on the schedule survive contact with the artists themselves.
