James Taylor: The Show Must Not Go On

Oh, for crying out loud, even the Democratic National Convention can't manage to keep their stars in line. The so-called "acclaimed singer-songwriter" James Taylor was supposed to croon his way through the opening night in Chicago on Monday. Alongside country queen Mickey Guyton and Americana darling Jason Isbell, it was meant to be a music fest no one could ignore.

But, shocker: Guyton and Isbell showed up, did their thing, and vanished, leaving Taylor to fend for himself. The "Fire and Rain" dude was supposed to be part of the evening’s highlight, with first lady Jill Biden and daughter Ashley Biden setting the perfect stage for President Joe Biden.

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Where the Hell Was James Taylor?

DNC officials, in typical political fashion, couldn't even muster a coherent excuse. They issued some lame statement about "schedule delays" and "raucous applause." Yeah, sure. Because people cheering upstaged a literal music legend.

"Blah blah electric atmosphere, blah blah diverse coalition, blah blah running late," the statement read, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Oh, but we're supposed to believe Taylor was there earlier, according to footage shared on social media. Grammy-winning James Taylor strumming away during rehearsal. Aw, how touching.

James Taylor's Apology: A Real Doozy

In an Instagram post, Taylor finally admitted he bailed. "We had a great rehearsal with @RickeyMinor and terrific singers, @KenyaHathaway and Mathew Johnson before the event," he 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…"

Allison Elbl, Taylor’s publicist, told USA TODAY there are "no plans to reschedule." Of course not. Why bother?

"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. Brace yourselves for more empty promises from former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and a bunch of other politicians no one really cares about.

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