Joe Walsh has canceled the 2024 edition of his annual VetsAid concert. The classic rock legend and event organizers citied “reasons beyond their control.” This year’s event was to take place on November 11 at the UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY, with announced guests Toto, Kool & the Gang, Eric Church, and Post Malone. Despite the cancellation, however, VetsAid confirmed that they will disburse $400,000 in grants to the recently announced grant recipients.
In a statement released today (October 25), Walsh wrote, “The wellbeing of our veterans and their families remains my foremost concern and the primary mission of VetsAid. While I am disappointed in the cancellation of this year’s event and apologize for any inconvenience to our fans, I am thrilled to share that VetsAid will provide $400,000 in grants to these fine organizations who will focus these funds on the ground in New York and New Jersey to veterans who have sacrificed so much and asked for so little in return.”
Joe Walsh (Photo: Myram Santos; used with permission)
Veterans and their wellbeing have always been important to Walsh, a Gold Star son himself. His father was a flight instructor for the first U.S. operational jet powered aircraft, the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star, and died while stationed and on active duty on Okinawa when Walsh was 20 months old.
VetsAid hosted its inaugural show on September 20, 2017 with a concert in Fairfax, VA featuring performances by Walsh, Zac Brown Band, Keith Urban and Gary Clark Jr. The 2024 edition is the first in the eastern U.S. since that first event. Walsh’s wife, Marjorie Bach Walsh, a VetsAid co-founder, is from Queens, NY, and the daughter of a WWII Air Force veteran and Purple Heart recipient.
This was to be the eighth year of the benefit concert. 2023’s rocking event featured fellow classic rock legends Stephen Stills and Jeff Lynne.
In a statement shared on August 12, Walsh said, “VetsAid 2024 is all about family, friends and faith. I honor my wife’s family and their legacy of service in her home borough of Queens. I honor our collective faith in the power of music to bring fans of diverse backgrounds together in celebration and our faith in the power of love to unite us all as Americans to support a population of veterans that has sacrificed so much and asked for so little in return. We’ve got something for everyone at VetsAid this year — country, pop, rock, funk and gospel — so all aboard!”
Related: Links to 100s of current classic rock tours
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationNo I refuse to accept this !! I was so looking forward to this concert!!