Garth Brooks performing at Joe Biden inauguration

Inauguration is Jan 20th

Garth Brooks has been added as a performer for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, January 20th. The country superstar made the announcement during a Zoom press conference on Monday (Jan 18th), saying he may be the only Republican performing, but it’s an “honor” to be asked.

“This is a great day in our household. This is not a political statement. This is a statement of unity,” Brooks said during the event. “I’m so tired of being divided. There’s a common theme in every presidential election. New beginnings. New starts. We’re all together in this one, but truly I think the word unity, the word love, the word that we belong to each other. … We can’t just take extreme left and extreme right, because there’s a silent majority in the middle. It’s going to dwarf both of those.”

Details of his performance were not revealed, but Brooks said he likely wouldn’t perform “We Shall Be Free” as he did for Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009. Brooks joins Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen and Jennifer Lopez as performers. Lady Gaga will sing the National Anthem.

A 90-minute CBS primetime special, Celebrating America, airs from 8:30-10 pm ET/PT on January 20th to celebrate the beginning of a new national journey toward an America united. The special is hosted by Tom Hanks and will feature remarks from President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris, and include remarks and performances that represent the rich diversity and extensive talent America offers, including the aforementioned performers. The inauguration will also be livestreamed on a variety of platforms.

The news comes less than a week after Brooks was named a Honoree at the 43rd Annual Kennedy Center Honors. Brooks joins Joan Baez, choreographer and actress Debbie Allen, violinist Midori; and actor Dick Van Dyke on Sunday, June 6th from 9-11 pm ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com