Kennedy Center President Demands $1 Million from Jazz Drummer after Concert Cancellation
Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell has demanded $1 million in damages from drummer Chuck Redd after Redd canceled a Christmas Eve Jazz Jam. The cancellation was a response to the center's recent renaming to honor Donald Trump. Grenell called the cancellation a political stunt and said it was costly to the nonprofit arts institution.
Chuck Redd, who has led the annual Jazz Jam since 2006, decided to cancel the concert after noticing the Kennedy Center's name change on both the website and the building. The renaming, approved by the White House–appointed board, has been controversial. Scholars have pointed out that it may violate the law governing the center’s memorial status, which prohibits the board from turning the center into a memorial for someone else or placing another person’s name on the building’s exterior without congressional approval.
Kerry Kennedy has vowed to remove Trump's name from the building after he leaves office, with experts noting that any alteration would require congressional action.
