James Taylor has seen fire and he has seen rain. But like the rest of us, he’s seen nothing like coronavirus.
Last we connected with the homegrown singer-songwriter, he and his wife Kim had made a $1 million donation to Massachusetts General Hospital. That was excellent news, but today (April 3) it’s followed up with the sad, but relatively expected, word that Taylor has postponed his summer tour due to the ongoing pandemic.
That includes a June 21 show at Fenway Park, which included special guests Brandi Carlile and Shawn Colvin. There is no word, just yet, however on Taylor’s July 4 show at Tanglewood.
All of the dates on Taylor’s summer run, except the Fenway show, would feature Jackson Browne as the opener. Potential new show dates are currently being explored, and those could land as soon as later in the summer.
“As this summer’s tour of 27 towns and cities across the US drew near, we’ve been increasingly excited to hit the road again,” say Taylor and Browne in a joint statement. “So it’s deeply disappointing for both of us to have to call it off and reschedule (and reschedule we WILL)! As we all now realize, COVID-19 is a serious, real and present danger. Moreover, our public health is all of our responsibility. So let us listen to and follow the directions of our public healthcare people and support their efforts in this unprecedented time of global pandemic. Love those around you and, above all, stay safe and healthy.”
James Taylor released his most recent record, American Standard, in February.
There has been no word, just yet, about the rest of the Fenway Park 2020 summer concert slate, which includes Lady Gaga, Guns N’ Roses, Green Day, and others. We’ll pass along news as it becomes available.