Kid Rock and Billy Ray Cyrus will play the “Victory Rally” the night before the inauguration, and Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts are expected to perform at the inaugural ball following the swearing in, per Axios.
Michelle Obama will not attend
At Trump's first inauguration in 2017, all the living former U.S. presidents and their wives were in attendance, save for George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara, who were both in their nineties and in poor health. Both of the Bushes have since passed away, as have Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter, leaving President Obama and first lady Michelle, President George W. Bush and first lady Laura, and President Clinton and first lady Hillary as the only living former POTUS couples.
In addition to outgoing President Biden and first lady Jill, all are expected to attend except for Michelle Obama, who is skipping the event for unknown reasons. Notably, she was also absent from Carter's recent state funeral.
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Who performed in 2017?
After Trump's shocking win in 2016, his inaugural committee struggled to find big-name acts willing to be associated with his presidency, and a number of artists declined invitations to participate in the Trump inauguration.
Singer Jackie Evancho sang the National Anthem on the actual day, and the previous night, Three Doors Down and Toby Keith were among the performers at the “Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration” for Trump's supporters.
For additional context, Biden's inauguration in 2021 included Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez, and that night there was a primetime TV special featuring Katy Perry, Garth Brooks, Tom Hanks, Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, Tim McGraw and more.
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