Why James Taylor didn’t take the Democratic National Convention stage

The show must go on for James Taylor.
The acclaimed singer-songwriter was scheduled to perform at the opening night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday. Taylor was slated to take the stage at the United Center alongside appearances from country music star Mickey Guyton and Americana singer Jason Isbell.
But while Guyton and Isbell delivered their DNC performances as promised, Taylor was notably absent from the Day 1 lineup.
The “Fire and Rain” singer was set to be a part of the 9 p.m. block of programming, which featured remarks from first lady Jill Biden followed by daughter Ashley Biden, who introduced President Joe Biden at the event with a heartwarming speech.
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DNC officials later issued a statement acknowledging schedule delays in Monday night’s program, though Taylor’s performance was not mentioned.
“Because of the raucous applause interrupting speaker after speaker, we ultimately skipped elements of our program to ensure we could get to President Biden as quickly as possible so that he could speak directly to the American people,” the statement read, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.
“We are proud of the electric atmosphere in our convention hall and proud that our convention is showcasing the broad and diverse coalition behind the Harris-Walz ticket throughout the week on and off the stage.”
Taylor was spotted at the DNC earlier in the day, according to footage shared on social media. The Grammy-winning singer could be seen strumming his guitar as he rehearsed a performance of his 1971 hit “You’ve Got a Friend.”
In an Instagram post Tuesday, Taylor addressed his absence from the DNC lineup Monday night.
“We had a great rehearsal with @RickeyMinor and terrific singers, @KenyaHathaway and Mathew Johnson before the event,” Taylor wrote. “But it became clear, as the evening unfolded, that there wouldn’t be time for our ‘You’ve Got a Friend’ with cello and voices. Maybe the organizers couldn’t anticipate the wild response from the floor of the United Center…”
Taylor’s publicist Allison Elbl told USA TODAY in an email Tuesday that “there are no plans to reschedule” the singer’s performance.
“Anyway, sorry to disappoint,” Taylor concluded. “But a great and inspirational, quintessentially American moment. We were honored to be there…”
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Day 2 of the DNC will start at 5:30 p.m. CT/6:30 p.m. ET. Speakers will include former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and second gentleman Dough Emhoff. 
Contributing: Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY; Hannah Kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel