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Rock singer and Poison frontman Bret Michaels announced early on Friday that he is pulling out of the \u201cGreat American State Fair\u201d later this month, becoming the fifth act to drop out of the event, which is being held as part of the Trump administration’s \u201cFreedom 250\u201d celebrations.<\/p>\n Bret Michaels performs before the second night of the NFL football draft in Pittsburgh.<\/span><\/p>\n Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Michaels announced his decision in a long Instagram post<\/a>, saying the event was originally described to him as a \u201ccelebration of our country through music\u201d and a chance to honor \u201chardworking Americans from all walks of life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The singer noted that the event had evolved into something \u201cmuch more divisive\u201d and this has prompted him to pull out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n McBride also announced<\/a> her plan to drop out in a lengthy social media statement saying she was initially asked to \u201cperform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Commodores made the announcement across their social media profiles, saying in a statement<\/a> they will not \u201cpublicly affiliate with any single political party.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The band\u2019s exit is the third dropout from the music acts scheduled to perform at the Great American State Fair, which now only has six of its original nine performers listed for the event.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Young MC and Morris Day and The Time have also dropped from the concert series\u2019 lineup.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Michaels said his shows have \u201cnever been about politics,\u201d and \u201cUnfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of.\u201d The singer noted that concerns were also raised about the safety of his \u201cfans, band, crew, family and myself\u201d and \u201ccompletely unfounded and unforgivable\u201d threats were made. Michaels added: \u201cThis isn’t about politics\u2026Everyone is entitled to their own opinions\u2026But as a father, friend and bandmate, I have to take threats and safety concerns seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n McBride said she believe the event was going to be \u201cjust a bigger version of so many state fairs\u201d she\u2019s performed at and something \u201cwholesome\u201d but \u201cYesterday things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening.\u201d She added: \u201cI’ve spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real issues\u2026It greatly upsets me that any fan who has been moved by my music may now feel like I’m abandoning the meaning behind those songs. I assure you, that is not the case.\u201d<\/p>\n The lineup for the event, announced by Freedom 250 on Wednesday, still includes C+C Music Factory, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli and Flo Rida. On Thursday, Vanilla Ice put out a video on his Instagram page talking about how honored and excited he was to perform at the event. In the caption he wrote<\/a>: \u201cI\u2019m tired of all the news channels dividing this country\u2026This is not a political platform. This is celebrating America\u2019s birthday. Nothing too serious just enjoying some fun, dancing and great memories. \u201d C+C Music Factory said in an Instagram post<\/a> Wednesday he initially planned to drop out of the Great American State Fair, but decided against it after receiving backlash for being part of the event\u2019s billing.<\/p>\n The Great American State Fair is free, though organizers have encouraged those interested in attending to register for tickets ahead of time. The fair is one of several events being spearheaded by a task force created by Trump for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. In addition to the music performances, the celebration in Washington, D.C., will include speeches, flyovers and a \u201cbreathtaking fireworks finale,\u201d according to the Freedom 250 website. While not a direct competitor to the fair\u2019s own concert series, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello announced Thursday a \u201cPower To The People Festival\u201d scheduled for October in Maryland, near the nation\u2019s capital. Performers for the event include Bruce Springsteen, the Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Joan Baez, System of a Down lead singer Serj Tankian, Cypress Hill and Killer Mike. Tickets for the event start at $125. <\/p>\nKey Facts<\/h2>\n
What Else Did Michaels Say In His Statement?<\/h2>\n
What Did Mcbride Say In Her Statement?<\/h2>\n
What Performers Are Still Participating At The Great American State Fair?<\/h2>\n
Key Background<\/h2>\n
Further Reading<\/h2>\n