James Taylor Missing from DNC Opening Night Lineup

Singer-songwriter James Taylor was notably absent from the opening night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Monday. Taylor was scheduled to perform at the United Center alongside country music star Mickey Guyton and Americana singer Jason Isbell, both of whom delivered their performances as planned.

Taylor was set to perform during the 9 p.m. block, which also featured remarks from first lady Jill Biden and her daughter Ashley Biden, who introduced President Joe Biden.

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Reasons Behind Taylor's Absence

DNC officials later issued a statement acknowledging scheduling delays but did not mention Taylor's performance explicitly.

"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.

Taylor was spotted at the DNC earlier in the day, rehearsing his 1971 hit "You've Got a Friend," as seen in footage shared on social media.

Taylor's Apology for Missed Performance

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Taylor addressed his absence:

"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 that "there are no plans to reschedule" the 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, featuring speakers such as former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Contributing: Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY; Hannah Kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel