Benson Boone has offered up a cover of Sam Fender‘s “Seventeen Going Under” at Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival after the U.K. artist was forced to pull out of the event.
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Fender had been scheduled to headline the July 15 edition of the event, performing on a bill that also included Boone and Mark Ambor. However, he announced earlier this month (July 4) that he would be unable to perform after being diagnosed with a “haemorrhage on one of [his] vocal cords” and advised to rest for two weeks.
“This is incredibly frustrating as I have been so careful with my vocal health and this year so far has been the best of my career,” he wrote. “If I were to play at these next shows I would risk causing lasting damage to my vocal cords.”
While no replacement act stepped in to fill Fender’s shoes, Boone instead was ultimately relegated to headliner status. “He’s an artist that I look up to and an artist I think is incredibly talented, but did anyone come here to see Sam Fender today?” he asked the crowd.
As Boone continued, he explained that he was “terrified” of the prospect of taking over Fender’s slot, and had been “expecting a bunch of angry people” instead of adoring fans.
However, to appease those who had anticipated Fender’s presence, Boone paid tribute to the absent artist by offering up a rendition of the 2021 single “Seventeen Going Under.”
“I really hope that the people who came to see Sam today can get just five per cent out of this song,” he explained. “It’s a beautiful song.”
Fender’s most recent album, People Watching, was released in February and served as the follow-up to Seventeen Going Under. However, its release was also marred by a hemorrhaging of his vocal cord, which had caused Fender to cancel a handful of shows months earlier.
“I’ve had two separate ENT doctors say if I perform tonight I’m risking lasting damage to my voice and I have been advised to be on vocal rest and not use my voice for a prolonged length of time until it heals,” Fender told fans on Dec. 17.
Fender is currently scheduled to return to the stage on Aug. 8, with a headline performance at Denmark’s Syd For Solen festival.
