After Aimee Mann shocked her followers by announcing she would no longer perform as an opening act for Steely Dan's tour, Donald Fagen is letting his fans know their side of the story; what happened with the band and the singer?
In a statement obtained by Billboard, the musician immediately refuted Mann's claims of not performing due to her being a female singer-songwriter.
Fagen said the idea of making any decision based on the gender of a particular performer is "ridiculous," and it's something that will never happen to him.
He clarified that there was a miscommunication between the two parties, and it mainly came from their end.
"I was misinformed as to how firm the commitment was to any particular opening act," he said.
Even though Fagen commends Mann as a writer and performer and respects her, he thought it wouldn't be the best match-up in terms of "musical style."
The Steely Dan co-founder then bravely took all the blame for what happened and apologized for any "distress" that the situation caused Mann and her supporters.
"Steely Dan has shared the stage with a number of female performers including Rickie Lee Jones and the late Phoebe Snow," he concluded.
Aimee Mann Dropped From Steely Man
Taking to her official Instagram account, Mann shared a comic strip she sketched based on her side of the story when she found out she was removed from the remainder of Steely Dan's summer tour.
In a handwritten caption, the singer said no one is "entirely sure why," but she alleged the band thought concertgoers "wouldn't like a female singer-songwriter."
Although she loves Steely Dan 100% without reservations, it "really sucks" for her, and there are people who are allowed to not like her for "whatever reason."
At the time of this writing, Aimee Mann has not publicly responded to Fagen's statement.
Steely Dan 2022 Summer Tour
According to Jam Bands, Steely Dan has added more shows for their upcoming summer tour.
One of the newly-added dates will start on July 13 at Firstbank Ampitheater in Franklin, Tennessee. They will head over to Durham, North Carolina, on July 19 at Durham Performing Arts Center.
Five additional shows will also occur in the east, with cities like Atlantic City, New Jersey, Bridgeport, Connecticut, and many more.
The band will perform a three-night show at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, for their final run.
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