Joe Walsh Cancels GOP-tied Concert

CNN.com reports that Joe Walsh of Eagles fame has pulled out of a concert scheduled for July 18 in Cleveland, Ohio, after he said he learned of the show's ties to the Republican National Convention.

"It was my understanding that I was playing a concert which was a nonpartisan event to benefit the families of American veterans on Monday, July 18 in Cleveland," Walsh said in a statement he released Wednesday. "Today it was announced that this event is, in fact, a launch for the Republican National Convention."

Walsh said he also discovered that his name would be used "to raise sponsorship dollars for convention-related purposes" and therefore he felt forced to withdraw from the event.

"I am very concerned about the rampant vitriol, fear-mongering and bullying coming from the current Republican campaigns," Walsh said. "It is both isolationist and spiteful. I cannot in good conscience endorse the Republican party in any way."

He apologized to any fans or veterans who may have been disappointed over his decision on the Cleveland gig and promised to do a benefit concert for vets later in the year.

Joe Walsh is an American singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Walsh has been a member of five successful rock bands: James Gang, Barnstorm, the Eagles, The Party Boys, and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. In the 1990s, he was also a member of the short-lived supergroup The Best. He has also experienced success both as a solo artist and prolific session musician, being featured on a wide array of other artists' recordings. In 2011, Rolling Stone placed Walsh at the number 54 spot on its list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."

PHOTO CREDIT: Joe Walsh's Official Facebook Page

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