NEW ORLEANS — Meters bassist and iconic New Orleans musician George Porter Jr. has cancelled all his performances for the second weekend of Jazz Fest after catching COVID-19.
Porter made the announcement in a video posted to his Facebook page Friday afternoon.
Jazz Fest is always a busy time of year for Porter, who plays with several bands both during and after the festival every year. He was scheduled to perform Friday night at the Howlin' Wold, Saturday night at the Saenger Theater and at the Fillmore.
Porter said the discomfort is mostly in his head, but that he feels better today than he did yesterday and hopes to feel even better tomorrow.
"Hopefully — maybe — I'll be out of this by Monday," Porter said. "Y'all be safe out there man, that stuff is still happening. Happy jazz fest."
Willie Nelson also had to cancel his appearance at Jazz Fest this Sunday after a member of his band tested positive for COVID-19.
Nelson's team made the announcement on his social media channels on Friday. The announcement includes postponements for other appearances in Tennessee and Mississippi.
The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate reports that the festival has not yet announced a replacement for Nelson, who was scheduled to close the Shell Gentilly Stage on Sunday, the 2022 festival's final day.
Nelson's cancellation is among other last-minute changes to the festival's lineup. On Thursday, organizers said that Mavis Staples would appear at The Blues Tent on Saturday, May 7 at 5:55 p.m., replacing Melissa Etheridge who was previously scheduled to perform.
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