The star-studded event the royals were aiming for at the coronation of King Charles III is allegedly not working out as hoped. Elton John and many of Britain’s top stars have declined to perform at the upcoming ceremony.
Elton John and other major stars decline to perform at King Charles coronation
I guess that’s why they call it the blues…Elton John and a number of other A-list musical stars have declined to perform at the upcoming Windsor Castle coronation ceremony of Charles III for a variety of reasons. Here’s a look at which stars won’t be performing.
It would have been quite a musical lineup and a concert for the ages, but now the royals are scrambling to put together an A-list concert after being forced to go to Plan B after their first artist choices declined.
Elton John, Harry Styles, Robbie Williams, and the Spice Girls reportedly have all declined to perform at the coronation concert planned for May 7 on the grounds of Windsor Castle, according to multiple reports, Fox reported.
The concert was scheduled a day after The King and his wife Camilla, Queen Consort, are to be crowned on May 6.
And it turns out even those four artists weren’t the first choices. Before they said “no,” previous reports claimed that Adele and Ed Sheeran also declined the historical gig.
There was various speculation as to why Elton John turned down the gig. Some pointed out that, as one of Princess Diana’s closest friends, it would have been odd for Elton to sing at her ex-husband and his former mistress’ big day. He performed her funeral in 1997. At the same time, Elton is embarking on his farewell tour, Yahoo reported.
Likewise, Harry Styles is also in the midst of a global tour, and Adele is currently performing at her long-awaited Las Vegas residency.
Who might the royals get to perform now?
Another Brit on the list is Joss Stone. “Joss Stone is a friend of the younger royals and can usually be counted on,” said Christopher Andersen, author of The King.
However, the royals may be forced to look across the pond to find musical acts.
“There is also a long list of American pop stars chomping at the bit to perform,” Anderson added, saying some of the artists who performed at the late queen’s Platinum Jubilee last year and would likely get invited back, which includes Diana Ross, Alicia Keys, and Andrea Bocelli.
“They’d be crazy not to ask Madonna, who has a massive 40th-anniversary tour this summer,” Anderson continued. “I’m sure Madonna wouldn’t mind the opportunity to perform for the king.”
“As far as lining up performers for the coronation concert, I wouldn’t panic quite yet,” Anderson concluded. “Plenty of options. People are reading way too much into what really amounts to scheduling conflicts. It’s highly doubtful that anyone would turn down the invitation to perform at the coronation. It’s a singular moment in history, and, frankly, just too massive a gig!”
