Garth Brooks will perform at Joe Biden's inauguration: 'This is a statement of unity'
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Garth Brooks will be performing at Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' inauguration on Wednesday, as part of the swearing-in ceremony, and the country star made it clear that his decision to participate in the event was not political.
"This is a great day in our household. This is not a political statement, this is a statement of unity," he said during a press conference Monday. "This is history. And it's an honor, this is how I get to serve this country."
Brooks will be joining previously announced performers Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, and more. The musician, who is a Republican and joked that he "might be the only Republican at this place," performed at Barack Obama's first inauguration in 2009 and was invited to perform at President Trump's 2017 inauguration, but bowed out due to a conflict with his tour schedule.
"I've played for every president there is since Carter, with the exception of Reagan. This is an honor for me to get to serve," he added. "And it's one of the things that, if my family is around, no matter who the new president-elect is... it's pretty cool to be asked."
As for what he'll sing on Wednesday, Brooks only said he wouldn't likely be repeating "We Shall Be Free," which he performed for Obama's inauguration, and wants to choose music reflecting "love and unity."
Brooks also spoke about what it was like to see the Capitol breach unfold two weeks ago, as he prepares to go to Washington, D.C.
"So I think what happened was we saw people in the heat of the moment, and we've seen it on television before," he told reporters. "I felt like it was in some other country, but it was here. And now we deal with it, take responsibility, we claim it, and now we do our best to make sure something like that doesn't happen again."
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