News Flash Wed., Sep 17, 1997	Direct bookmark: http://HyperRust.org/News/?f-FACanceled (updated )

Farm Aid Canceled

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Also See:
Associated Press story
The MTV News story

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Wednesday September 17 2:50 PM EDT

Willie Nelson Cancels Farm Aid '97 Concert

DALLAS (Reuter) - Country music star Willie Nelson
has canceled his Farm Aid '97 fund-raising concert
to benefit family farmers because of slow ticket
sales and weak coroprate support, organizers said
Tuesday. 

The Farm Aid concert -- which was to feature Nelson,
John Mellencamp, Neil Young, the Dave Matthews Band
and John Fogerty -- had been scheduled for Oct. 4 at
Texas Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys
football team. 

"We decided to cancel the show primarily due to low
ticket sales and a lack of overall fund-raising
opportunities in the area," Farm Aid program
director Harry Smith said. 

Nelson, Mellencamp and Young set up Farm Aid in
1985 and have since held nine benefit concerts.
This year's is the first to be canceled. 

Nelson personally decided to call off the show on
Tuesday. "He was disappointed, obviously all of us
are disappointed, but we're all just going to keep
moving on," Smith said. 

Apart from the concerts, Farm Aid also raises money
with merchandise sales, promotions and private
donations and has distributed more than $13 million
to family farm groups across the country over the
past 12 years. 

The funds are used to provide legal asistance and
financial counselling to family farmers. 

Ticketholders for the Farm Aid '97 show will be
refunded.