Chuck Redd in the Groove: Legendary jazz vibraphonist and drummer Chuck Redd delivers a soulful performance, bringing timeless swing and improvisational brilliance to the stage. Source: Chuck Redd
Chuck Redd cancels the planned Christmas Eve jazz concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington after the institution’s name is changed to include former President Donald Trump.
The annual holiday performance had been a cultural tradition for more than two decades. Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player who has led the concert since 2006, confirmed in an email to The Associated Press that he made the decision after seeing the renaming reflected both on the Kennedy Center’s website and on the building itself.
Redd’s Statement to AP:
“After seeing the new signage and website update, I feel I cannot in good conscience go forward with this year’s concert. This was a difficult decision because this event has been such a meaningful part of the holiday season for so many people, including myself.”
The building now reads The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, after a board of trustees appointed by President Trump voted to adopt the new name. The Kennedy Center’s official website lists the Christmas Eve event as canceled. The center did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A 1964 law established the Kennedy Center as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and bars the board of trustees from adding another person’s name or turning the center into a memorial for someone else without congressional approval. Critics including Kennedy’s family and historians have said the name change may violate that statute.
The cancellation comes as legal and political challenges to the renaming continue. Congressional representatives and cultural advocates are reviewing options to contest the board’s decision, and it remains unclear whether future performances at the center will proceed under the new name or if further cancellations may occur.
