Singer-songwriter James Taylor, country singer Mickey Guyton, and folk/Americana star Jason Isbell will perform at the Democratic National Convention on Monday.
Convention officials confirmed the Night 1 performers to The Hollywood Reporter on Monday afternoon. Photos of Taylor and Guyton rehearsing inside Chicago's United Center have also been uploaded by The Associated Press and Getty Images.
James Taylor
THR reports Taylor, 76, will be the final performer of the night. For the 2012 DNC, he performed "Carolina In My Mind," You've Got a Friend," and "How Sweet It Is" from the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"I'm a lifelong Democrat, and I pay a lot of taxes, and I want a government that I paid for," Taylor has previously said, per THR. "I do feel as a citizen, I just feel compelled to respond when I'm asked for support."
Mickey Guyton
Guyton, 41, confirmed her 2024 DNC appearance on Instagram, writing Monday, "I'm so honored to be performing TONIGHT on the DNC. Y'all tune in! Any guesses as to what I'll be singing??"
The Home Movies singer's attendance will represent a successful Black woman who trailblazed her way into country music, which has long been considered to be run by white men.
"There's so many people — women, Black women, Indigenous, Latinx, LGBTQIA+ — that have a unique story that's important to be heard and when you're not giving people that platform, that is just flat out wrong in my personal opinion," she told E! News in 2021.
"That's why representation matters, because there's a little 7-year-old girl out there that looks like me that has these dreams, and when she doesn't see herself, she doesn't get to pursue that and she doesn't get to live a life that could have been destined for her."
Jason Isbell
Isbell, 45, wrote about suffering under a Donald Trump presidency in his 2017 songs White Man's World and Hope the High Road. He told The Independent in February that he feels "as bad as you could possibly feel" about a possible second Trump term.
"Scared and angry and disgusted, and that's it," he told the outlet.
The DNC will be held at the United Center and at McCormick Place from August 19 to 22.
Monday's musicians add to the growing list of famous people expected to be in Chicago for the event's kick-off. President Joe Biden is set to deliver the keynote speech and will be introduced by his daughter, Ashley Biden. First Lady Jill Biden will also speak, as will Hillary Clinton, Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and Senator Raphael G. Warnock.
Famed civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, 82, whose powerful voice has been largely silenced by Parkinson's disease, will be honored at the DNC on Monday alongside his son and fellow delegate Rep. Jonathan Jackson.
Follow Newsweek's live updates here.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
