James Taylor On Why He Didn’t Perform At DNC Despite Rehearsing On Chicago Stage: “Sorry To Disappoint”

James Taylor is breaking his silence on why he didn’t perform at the Democratic National Convention despite being spotted rehearsing.

The “You’ve Got a Friend” singer was expected to perform at Chicago’s United Center and was seen rehearsing his musical number, but he ended up getting bumped.

“It was exciting to see and hear so many of the speakers at the opening night of the Democratic convention here in Chicago. And we had a great rehearsal with @RickeyMinor and terrific singers, @KenyaHathaway and Mathew Johnson before the event,” Taylor wrote in a statement shared on Instagram.

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He continued, “Lots of friends got in touch, wishing us well: Kim, Owen Young and me. 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 ended his statement by saying, “Anyway, sorry to disappoint. But a great and inspirational, quintessentially American moment. We were honored to be there…”

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The singer has previously lent his talents to the DNC as he performed at the 2012 Democratic convention in Charlotte.

Read Taylor’s full statement below.

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