D’Angelo announced on Friday evening that he would not be performing at this year’s Roots Picnic in Philadelphia.
The singer shared his “disappointment” in an Instagram post on the Roots Picnic’s social media. D’Angelo wrote that due to an “unforeseen medical delay” following a surgery he had earlier this year, he was advised by his specialist team that the weekend performance “could further complicate matters.”
In the same post, the festival captioned, “Due to a longer-than-expected surgical recovery, @thedangelo won’t be able to join us at Roots Picnic this year. We’re sending love and keeping him in our thoughts as he continues to heal!”
“It is nearly impossible to express how disappointed [I am] not to be able to play with my Brothers ‘The Roots,’” D’Angelo continued in his statement. “And even more disappointed to not see all of You.” Thanking his fans for “continuing to rock with me” and their support, the musician teased that he was “currently in the Lab” and “can’t wait to serve Up what’s in the Pot!”
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2015, after the release of his acclaimed third album, Black Messiah, D’Angelo said, “I do want to put a lot of music out there.” He added, “I feel like, in a lot of respects, that I’m just getting started.”
D’Angelo was set to appear at the Roots Picnic returning to the Mann in Fairmount Park on May 31 and June 1. He was among the leading artists slated for the fest alongside Lenny Kravitz, Meek Mill, GloRilla, Miguel, Tems, Latto, Kaytranada, and more.
In a separate announcement on Friday, the Roots Picnic revealed that Maxwell would be performing on May 31. Maxwell, whose track “Pretty Wings” was listed among Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the 21st Century, earned his third Grammy for his most recent album, 2016’s blackSUMMERS’night, winning Best R&B song for “Lake by the Ocean.” The artist wrapped his 2024 North American tour back in October, which featured special guests Jazmine Sullivan and October London.
