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New Orleans Mayor Seeks To Ban Lauren Daigle From 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve'
December 16, 2020 at 1:20 AM (PT)
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LOUISIANA officials, including Lieutenant Governor BILLY NUNGESSER and NEW ORLEANS Mayor LATOYA CANTRELL, are arguing over whether LAUREN DAIGLE should be allowed to perform at DICK CLARK's NEW YEAR'S ROCKIN EVE because she reportedly violated COVID-19-inspired health standards during a recent local performance.
While the announcement of DAIGLE being a performer for the NEW YEAR'S EVE celebration had not been made official, CANTRELL urged DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS in a letter last week to not "reward [DAIGLE] with national media exposure and a public spotlight."
DAIGLE appeared at a NOVEMBER 7th rally and concert in the FRENCH QUARTER, which CANTRELL insisted was unpermitted and in violation of public health guidelines.
NUNGESSER said that CANTRELL's actions "cost not just NEW ORLEANS the opportunity at invaluable, worldwide promotion at a time when it's needed most, they also cost every city in LOUISIANA that had a chance at hosting the event."
He added that when the mayor's "personal feelings toward DAIGLE being tapped to promote her city came to light," officials attempted to move the celebration outside of NEW ORLEANS and ORLEANS PARISH, considering a riverboat in GRETNA with NEW ORLEANS as a background as a possible location.
Added NUNGESSER, "The result of CANTRELL's actions was a decision by DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS to pull LAUREN DAIGLE from the lineup and any celebration from LOUISIANA to be broadcast worldwide. In the long run, this action will not only hamper any efforts for NEW ORLEANS to recover from the pandemic, but also every city in the state which offered to host the event, and the state as a whole.
"To have invested so much into the promotion of our great state, along with promotion of the city of NEW ORLEANS, and see one of the biggest opportunities squandered over what can only be described as a retaliation is beyond belief. I assure you, the LOUISIANA OFFICE OF TOURISM and my office will never waver in our passion for this state and its cities, nor will we let personal feelings interfere with the promotion of LOUISIANA. We will work tirelessly to return LOUISIANA to record-breaking tourism years ahead."