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Jennifer Holliday Plans to Sing at Trump’s Inauguration ‘for the People’ Jennifer Holliday Plans to Sing at Trump’s Inauguration ‘for the People’
(about 17 hours later)
Jennifer Holliday sang for the Reagans. She sang for the Bushes (father and son). And she sang for the Clintons.Jennifer Holliday sang for the Reagans. She sang for the Bushes (father and son). And she sang for the Clintons.
So when the planners of this year’s presidential inauguration reached out to the Tony-winning singer this week to ask if she would sing during a welcome concert the day before Donald J. Trump is to be sworn in as president, she said yes.So when the planners of this year’s presidential inauguration reached out to the Tony-winning singer this week to ask if she would sing during a welcome concert the day before Donald J. Trump is to be sworn in as president, she said yes.
“I’m singing on the mall for the people,” she said. “I don’t have a dog in this fight — I’m just a singer, and it’s a welcome concert for the people on the mall.”“I’m singing on the mall for the people,” she said. “I don’t have a dog in this fight — I’m just a singer, and it’s a welcome concert for the people on the mall.”
Ms. Holliday, speaking during a telephone interview Friday afternoon, said she had not supported Mr. Trump’s candidacy — “I voted for Mrs. Clinton, and they knew that.” But, she said, “if someone wants me to sing a national anthem or something, we think about America, and we go.”Ms. Holliday, speaking during a telephone interview Friday afternoon, said she had not supported Mr. Trump’s candidacy — “I voted for Mrs. Clinton, and they knew that.” But, she said, “if someone wants me to sing a national anthem or something, we think about America, and we go.”
Ms. Holliday sounded certain about her choice, but her spokesman, William Carpenter, suggested in a subsequent email that the decision was not set in stone. “I just spoke to her and she still hadn’t made up her mind about doing the event,” he wrote.Ms. Holliday sounded certain about her choice, but her spokesman, William Carpenter, suggested in a subsequent email that the decision was not set in stone. “I just spoke to her and she still hadn’t made up her mind about doing the event,” he wrote.
Ms. Holliday is a Broadway icon, renowned for her performance as Effie in the original cast of “Dreamgirls,” and she returned to Broadway this year as a replacement Shug Avery in the revival of “The Color Purple.” The final performance of that show was Sunday, and the Clintons were in the audience. Ms. Holliday is a Broadway icon, renowned for her performance as Effie in the original cast of “Dreamgirls,” and she returned to Broadway this season as a replacement Shug Avery in the revival of “The Color Purple.” The final performance of that show was Sunday, and the Clintons were in the audience.
Ms. Holliday said she was asked on Wednesday if she would sing at the concert scheduled for Jan. 19, and she agreed, seeing the request as similar to those she received to sing at the White House during past Republican and Democratic presidencies. “I just thought of the history part of it, and about singing on the mall where Marian Anderson paved the way for me to sing as a black American,” she said, referring to a 1939 concert that Ms. Anderson, a popular singer, performed from the Lincoln Memorial after being denied permission to sing at Constitution Hall because she was black.Ms. Holliday said she was asked on Wednesday if she would sing at the concert scheduled for Jan. 19, and she agreed, seeing the request as similar to those she received to sing at the White House during past Republican and Democratic presidencies. “I just thought of the history part of it, and about singing on the mall where Marian Anderson paved the way for me to sing as a black American,” she said, referring to a 1939 concert that Ms. Anderson, a popular singer, performed from the Lincoln Memorial after being denied permission to sing at Constitution Hall because she was black.
Ms. Holliday said she had been startled and disheartened on Friday by the venom that greeted the news of her participation.Ms. Holliday said she had been startled and disheartened on Friday by the venom that greeted the news of her participation.
“It brought a lot of threats from people already saying I’ll never work again,” she said. “If that’s what America has come to, where we all hate and bully people, there’s no more freedom of speech.”“It brought a lot of threats from people already saying I’ll never work again,” she said. “If that’s what America has come to, where we all hate and bully people, there’s no more freedom of speech.”
She added, “I know everybody hates me now, but that shows we are all just hateful people now — we don’t even want to work together.”She added, “I know everybody hates me now, but that shows we are all just hateful people now — we don’t even want to work together.”
And, she said, “If it’s the end of everything for me, then it has to be the end of everything for me. I would hope that’s not how it ends up, but right now I would like to be a part of a welcoming part of America. If we’re only going to let Trump be the face of America, I say let’s not let him be the only face of America — someone else could stand and show a light of love or hope or forgiveness.”And, she said, “If it’s the end of everything for me, then it has to be the end of everything for me. I would hope that’s not how it ends up, but right now I would like to be a part of a welcoming part of America. If we’re only going to let Trump be the face of America, I say let’s not let him be the only face of America — someone else could stand and show a light of love or hope or forgiveness.”
She noted that the Carters and the Clintons, as well as the Obamas, are expected at the inauguration.She noted that the Carters and the Clintons, as well as the Obamas, are expected at the inauguration.
“We’ve become such a polarized country — we’re not listening to what the Obamas have said,” she said. “They told us to move forward with hope — they didn’t tell us to stop participating — I didn’t hear that in Obama’s speech.”“We’ve become such a polarized country — we’re not listening to what the Obamas have said,” she said. “They told us to move forward with hope — they didn’t tell us to stop participating — I didn’t hear that in Obama’s speech.”
Ms. Holliday said she did not see herself, or her singing, as political, a sentiment echoed by Jackie Evancho, the 16-year-old classical-crossover singer who will perform the national anthem at Mr. Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.Ms. Holliday said she did not see herself, or her singing, as political, a sentiment echoed by Jackie Evancho, the 16-year-old classical-crossover singer who will perform the national anthem at Mr. Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
“I just kind of thought that this is for my country,” Ms. Evancho said. “So if people are going to hate on me it’s for the wrong reason.”“I just kind of thought that this is for my country,” Ms. Evancho said. “So if people are going to hate on me it’s for the wrong reason.”
Ms. Holliday said her goal is to support America: “Are we saying that if there is anything that could be done for America in four or eight years or however long Trump is there, we’re not supposed to participate or help anybody?” she asked. “Shouldn’t we all be praying for the success of America? I would like to sing some hope and have my voice not be associated with some kind of label, but I guess that’s where we are now.”Ms. Holliday said her goal is to support America: “Are we saying that if there is anything that could be done for America in four or eight years or however long Trump is there, we’re not supposed to participate or help anybody?” she asked. “Shouldn’t we all be praying for the success of America? I would like to sing some hope and have my voice not be associated with some kind of label, but I guess that’s where we are now.”