As if the entertainment industry hasn’t been hit enough, now music fans of the legendary Bob Dylan are now hit with another disappointment since the singer has decided to cancel his American tour due to the roaming threat of COVID-19.
In a report from The Washington Times’ Andrew Blake, “Bob Dylan called off his upcoming U.S. tour on Tuesday, making the legendary musician among the latest major artists to cancel shows because of the coronavirus pandemic.” In an official statement by the singer, Dylan stated that “In the interest of public health and safety and after many attempts to try and reschedule these shows for a workable timeframe this year, it is with deep regret that we announce the US Bob Dylan shows originally scheduled for June/July are cancelled.” The statement continued to highlight the fact that there are active efforts to declare future dates however, and that “We hope to be back out on the road at the earliest possible time once we are confident that it is safe for both fans and concert staff.”
Dylan announced his original US tour dates back in March, “including two dozen performances culminating in a summer concert held near the site of the famed Woodstock festival in 1969.” According to official reports from the CDC, they were aware of “fewer than 1,000 domestic cases of COVID-19 [back in March when the original tour dates were announced], the contagious disease caused by the coronavirus, when Mr. Dylan announced the tour dates.” Obviously a lot has changed in the US since March, with many states and cities either beginning to open up in phases soon while some like Los Angeles are extending their stay at home and lockdown orders.
The number of COVID-19 cases now has “exceeded more than 1.3 million in the two months since, with the number of U.S. deaths from COVID-19 surpassing 80,000 this week, according to the CDC’S latest figures,” which is a massive acceleration compared to the numbers reported when the original tour dates were announced.
Dylan isn’t the only artist to disappoint fans to do this virus outside of anyone’s control. “Countless concerts and music festivals have been canceled or postponed in the months since the COVID-19 outbreak started and public health officials subsequently began urging people to practice social distancing to slow the disease’s spread.”
