For the Eagles’ Joe Walsh, the show must not go on.
The musician pulled out of a concert scheduled for July 18 in Cleveland, Ohio, after he said he learned of the show’s ties to the Republican National Convention.
“It was my understanding that I was playing a concert which was a nonpartisan event to benefit the families of American veterans on Monday, July 18 in Cleveland,” Walsh said in a statement he released Wednesday. “Today it was announced that this event is, in fact, a launch for the Republican National Convention.”
Walsh said he also discovered that his name would be used “to raise sponsorship dollars for convention-related purposes” and therefore he felt forced to withdraw from the event.
“I am very concerned about the rampant vitriol, fear-mongering and bullying coming from the current Republican campaigns,” Walsh said. “It is both isolationist and spiteful. I cannot in good conscience endorse the Republican party in any way.”
Walsh is scheduled to co-headline the “One Hell of a Night Tour” with Bad Company, which kicks off May 12 in Dallas. He apologized to any fans or veterans who may have been disappointed over his decision on the Cleveland gig and promised to do a benefit concert for vets later in the year.
By Lisa Respers France, CNN
