Anita Baker’s Cancelled Mother’s Day Concert Sparks Mixed Reactions From Fans

Mya Abraham
·3 min read
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Black people don’t play about their mothers. So, imagine their surprise when hundreds of patrons gathered at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Saturday (May 11) to see Anita Baker for Mother’s Day—only for the show to be cancelled minutes before it was set to start.

News anchor Marissa Mitchell shared footage of angry concertgoers leaving the venue that evening. State Farm Arena released a statement that said the show was cancelled due to “late, unforeseen circumstances.”

Baker has not publicly acknowledged the matter. There’s no word if whether or not the show will be rescheduled, but Atlanta’s WBS-TV reported that refunds will be issued.

As reports of the cancellation began to circulate, attendees took to social media to call out the songstress.

One woman on TikTok expressed, “I’m pissed! Anita bald-headed a** done cancelled the concert. I been waiting for her since January […] We all standing out here, ready, waiting and her bald-headed a** done cancelled the concert last minute. PISSED!! Pissed, Anita. Run me my money.”

In the caption of her post, she explained how excited she was to see Anita Baker. “This was my Mother’s Day gift to myself and how about she canceled the concert while we were standing in line! I spent $180 for the ticket and $55 for parking! This is trash,” the woman wrote.

Others took to Twitter—Baker’s preferred method of communication—to share their vitriol and other assorted reactions.

One person tweeted, “Y’all… Anita Baker cancelled her show minutes before it was supposed to start and my aunty (who’s at the arena for the show) texted the family group chat and said ‘this why she was always getting cheated on, she’s an unreliable b***h.’ OMG sjsjsjffkkksaff.”

Another reacted to the news using a meme of Luther Vandross as a means to reference the late singer’s beef with Baker. Elsewhere, one fan used a “reaction” from Babyface, who was set to tour with the Rapture singer before their fallout last year.

However, it wasn’t a hate train solely running rampant. Some fans extended grace to Baker amid rumors that her health has worsened in recent years. “Many aging and disabled artists are forced to work in old age, not because they want to but are forced to due to mounting bills,” tweeted disability lifestyle expert Ola Ojewumi.

Another fan chimed in, “Not sure what’s going on with Anita Baker and I hope that she’s well. Older stars touring (which seems grueling) to make money is tough to watch. Frankie Beverly literally cannot sing anymore but is still on the road. A true indictment of the industry.”

Baker concluded her Songstress Tour in late 2023 and a July 2024 show that was supposed to happen in Toronto has been marked cancelled on Ticketmaster.

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