Donald Fagen has issued a statement in response to Aimee Mann sharing she was dropped from Steely Dan’s upcoming tour because “…it seems they thought their audience wouldn’t like a female singer-songwriter.”
Fagen told Rolling Stone, “Well, first of all, the idea that I would make any decision based on the gender of a performer is ridiculous. That’s something that would never even occur to me…There was a communication problem on our end. I was misinformed as to how firm the commitment was to any particular opening act.”
He added, “And, although I have the greatest respect for Aimee as a writer and performer, I thought it might not be the best matchup in terms of musical style. But I can’t pass the buck. I’ll take the blame for the screwup. I apologize for any distress this has caused Aimee and her fans.”
For her part, Mann seems to be rolling with this situation and said via Twitter, “All is forgiven if Donald just tells me what ‘Brooklyn’ is about.”
Steely Dan’s Can’t Buy a Thrill & 41 Albums That Turn 50 in 2022
