Multiple artists drop out of US Freedom 250 concert

Multiple artists drop out of US Freedom 250 concertJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleRebecka PiederGetty ImagesRapper Young MC was one of the first artists to withdraw from the eventMultiple performers booked for a festival celebrating America's 250th birthday have dropped out, many saying they were misled saying about the political affiliation of the event.Freedom 250, the group behind the Great American State Fair, unveiled the artists on Wednesday for the 16-day event planned on the National Mall in Washington DC between 25 June and 10 July.Artists including Young MC, Morris Day, the Commodores, Poison frontman Bret Michaels and country singer Martina McBride have all since said they will not be participating. The organiser, Freedom 250, has denied the fair is politically affiliated, and said that while it respected artists' decisions to withdraw, it is non-partisan.It has said it is a nonprofit "dedicated to uniting Americans around the nation's 250th anniversary". Freedom 250 was launched last year by the Trump administration and has scheduled events across the country to celebrate the nation's semiquincentennial. Its CEO Keith Krach was appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the organisation.Rappers Morris Day and Young MC were first to announce they would not be participating.Young MC, best know for his 1989 hit Bust a move, said on his social media that artists were not told about any "political involvement with the event" and that he looked forward to performing in DC in the future at an event that "is not so politically charged".Morris Day posted an image on Instagram with the text "Contrary To Rumor, Morris Day & The Time Will Not Be Performing At The 'GREAT AMERICAN STATE FAIR'". The post was captioned "It's A No For Me."The next day, other artists followed suit."The Commodores will not be performing at the Great American State Fair," the grou...