In just a couple weeks, President-Elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. The inauguration is usually a star-studded event, with a celebrity singer normally belting the National Anthem. This year, 16-year-old America’s Got Talent alum Jackie Evancho will be singing our nation’s anthem.
Since the announcement of her performance, she has received loads of backlash, but lots of album sales. Her Christmas album, Someday at Christmas, went to No. 1 on the Billboard Classical chart and her record sales have doubled, according to Fox News. They also reported that Evancho got “three record label offers after the announcement”.
Country music will be well-represented at Inauguration events. The Randy Rogers Band is slated to perform at the 2017 Black Tie and Boot Presidential Inaugural Ball on January 19, one day before the inauguration. This particular ball is one that has been held since the early 1950s, and is regarded as a huge tradition in Washington, D.C.
It was recently announced that duo Big & Rich will be performing at a major charity event on Inauguration night (Jan. 20). Their presence makes total sense, since band member John Rich previously competed on Trump’s television show The Celebrity Apprentice in 2011. Rich actually won his season and helped raise $1.5 million for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital during his time on the show.
Rich recently revealed that people were trying to get Trump to run for President back then when he was on the show!
Big & Rich is scheduled as the headliners of the Record Industry Association of America’s charity event, which will benefit Musicians On Call, an organization with “the mission of bringing live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities ranging from children’s hospitals to adult facilities, VA hospitals and hospices.”
A press release issued on Jan. 3 revealed that this will not be the only inauguration event Big & Rich will be performing at. They will also be headlining the Great America Alliance Inaugural Gala on Jan. 19, along with country singer-songwriter Cowboy Troy.
According to the release, “Great America Alliance is a new research and issue advocacy organization, structured as a 501(c)4 entity under federal tax code. Its mission is to advocate for a stronger economy, a more secure nation, and society with less government intrusion and more freedom for American citizens.”
While some folks aren’t too pleased with any artist agreeing to perform at any inauguration event, this couldn’t be further from Big & Rich’s sentiments.
“We’re thrilled to be performing in our nation’s capital during this historic moment in time,” Rich said in a statement. “A presidential inauguration is a uniquely American event, so we are honored to be a part of it and hope to help make it a memorable event.”
Perhaps Cowboy Troy and Big & Rich will team up for a song at the gala. See their collaboration on “I Plat Chicken With The Train” below.