American singer Mickey Guyton performs on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images Hide caption
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Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
The NPR Network will be covering the Democratic National Convention live from Chicago throughout the week.
Political conventions often feature celebrities and musicians, and this week’s Democratic National Convention was no exception. Though James Taylor’s performance was postponed due to time constraints, two musicians enlivened the event’s opening night with songs that set the theme for the night.
Country singer Mickey Guyton, Monday night’s first celebrity musical guest, delivered a rousing rendition of her 2021 song “All American.” The song, which appears on Guyton’s debut album, Remember Her Name, is a fairly straightforward, list-of-things country song — “We are the stars in the Texas sky / And the records in the jukebox / We are the lights of New York / And the bibles in the hotel” — that fit neatly into a night meant to project unity across the country and party, as Guyton sang, “Aren’t we all Americans?”
A four-time Grammy nominee, Guyton has been a pioneer in the rise of Black artists in country music, producing chart-topping country music hits for both Beyoncé and Shaboozie in 2024.
Watch: Mickey Guyton’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
Later that night, Guyton was replaced by country artist Jason Isbell, an Alabama native who first gained fame as a member of the Drive-By Truckers.
Dressed in a smart tuxedo and cheering on Alabama’s national team at the convention, Isbell sang the title track from his fifth solo album, 2015’s Something More Than Free. It’s a song about more than just survival, a willingness to put in the hard work necessary. “I don’t wonder why I’m here or what hurts/I’m just lucky to have a job,” he sang, adding, “Sunday morning I’m too tired to go to church/But I thank God for a job.”
Watch: Jason Isbell’s Tiny Desk Concert
Both performances served as a subdued contrast to the most prominent musician to take the stage at last month’s Republican National Convention, Kid Rock, who performed the rap-rock anthem “American Bad Ass” on the event’s final night.
American musician James Taylor performs during a sound check on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Taylor was removed from the program due to time constraints. Andrew Caballero Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images Hide caption
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Andrew Caballero Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
Veteran singer-songwriter James Taylor was scheduled to perform but canceled due to time constraints as the night dragged on, and we’ll never know if he could have matched Kid Rock’s energy.
