Anita Baker’s loyal fanbase is wishing her the best amid reactions to her recent concert being canceled at the last minute. The soulful singer was scheduled to perform at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on Saturday (May 11) as part of her ongoing tour, “An Evening With Anita Baker.”
The doors to the venue opened to guests at 6 p.m. and lights were expected to go down at 7 p.m. But the latter never happened. “Due to late, unforeseen circumstances, tonight’s ‘An Evening with Anita Baker’ event featuring eight-time Grammy Award-winning superstar Anita Baker set to take place at State Farm Arena has been canceled,” read the email sent out to ticket holders less than 15 minutes before she was expected to grace the stage. Purchasers have been guaranteed a full refund.
Updates regarding the cancellation have not been addressed by the singer online, and her team has not issued any statements to the media. At first, an outpour of confusion and disappointment spilled out into the public from hopeful attendees. However, compassion and grace were soon expressed by fans who simply wanted to know that the veteran artist was doing well despite their foiled Mother's Day weekend plans that included witnessing the legendary set.
“Is Anita Baker okay? I hope she’s okay. Canceling a show minutes before start time is concerning,” read a reaction to the news. One concerned supporter tweeted, “People should stop being weird about Anita Baker canceling a concert. If a senior citizen needs to call out now and then, just say okay and leave them alone.” Another Twitter user wrote, “Anita Baker hasn’t posted in [two] days. I follow her and she at least retweets if she [doesn’t] say anything herself. Let’s hope she’s okay [for real]. I see a lot of jokes and criticism, but not enough concern. Remember, she’s not that young.”
In June 2023, Baker faced a barrage of critics and backlash when she became embroiled in a feud with Babyface’s fans. The crooner was a special guest on “The Songstress Tour.” Their show at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, experienced technical difficulties that prevented the famed singer-songwriter from entertaining the crowd to allow Baker her full time to perform.
For weeks, the “Giving You the Best That I Got” vocalist endured heated Twitter exchanges and tried with little success to defend herself against flagrant online attacks from supposed Babyface fans. He was later removed from the tour due to the cyberbullying she faced.
The 12-time Grammy Award-winner spoke about the debacle when he appeared on REVOLT’S “The Jason Lee Show.” Hear what he had to say in the full interview below.