India Arie, Graham Nash to remove music from Spotify over Joe Rogan
India Arie and Graham Nash are joining Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and other musicians and podcasters in pulling their content off Spotify to protest the streamer’s support of support of antivaxer Joe Rogan.
“Neil Young opened a door that I must walk through,” Arie wrote on Instagram. “I believe in freedom of speech. However, I find Joe Rogan problematic for reasons other than his Covid interviews. For me, it’s also his language around race.”
As for Graham Nash, “Having heard the Covid disinformation spread by Joe Rogan on Spotify, I completely agree with and support my friend Neil Young and I am requesting that my solo recordings be removed from the service,”statement of solidarity with his friend and longtime bandmate,” he said in a statement to Rolling Stone.
“There is a difference between being open to varying viewpoints on a matter and knowingly spreading false information which some 270 medical professionals have derided as not only false but dangerous,” said Nash. “Likewise, there is a difference between misinformation, in which one is unaware that what is being said is false, versus disinformation which is knowingly false and intended to mislead and sway public opinion.
“The opinions publicized by Rogan are so dishonest and unsupported by solid facts that Spotify becomes an enabler in a way that costs people their lives,” he added.
