Who is Chuck Redd? Judge awards $252,000 to musician who canceled performance over Trump-Led Kennedy Center name change

A Washington, DC, superior court judge has ordered the Kennedy Center to pay more than $250,000 to jazz musician Chuck Redd, who canceled his annual Christmas Eve performance there last December. Redd, a vibraphonist and drummer, withdrew from the nearly 20-year tradition after US President Donald Trump’s name was added to the center’s facade.

The Kennedy Center later threatened a $1 million lawsuit. In June, Judge Tanya M Jones Bosier dismissed the breach-of-contract case under the district’s anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) law, designed to stop legal action being taken just to silence opposing points of view on matters of public interest.

Redd had been scheduled to perform with the National Symphony Orchestra but withdrew from the event, citing his opposition to the change. The Kennedy Center filed a lawsuit against Redd in March, accusing him of breaching his contract by withdrawing from the concert. However, in June, Judge Bosier dismissed the case, ruling that the center’s officials had failed to demonstrate that they had a legally binding agreement with the musician.


In her ruling Monday, the judge ordered the Kennedy Center to pay Redd $252,479.70 in attorneys’ fees and other legal expenses.

Lisa J. Banks, one of Redd’s attorneys, said in an email to NPR on Tuesday that the judge’s ruling was appropriate.

"No citizen should have to spend time and money fending off baseless and politically motivated lawsuits filed by the Trump Administration," she said.

In June, the Kennedy Center removed Trump’s name from its facade following a federal court ruling. Trump had removed the center’s previous president, board chair and board members in February 2025 and replaced them with allies and supporters. He continues to serve as the Kennedy Center’s chairman.