Boone was named headliner at Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival after Sam Fender pulled out of the appearance following a vocal cord hemorrhage
A hemorrhaged vocal cord kept Sam Fender from taking the stage at Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival for his headlining performance. But the injury proved to be beneficial for Benson Boone, who was bumped up to the headlining tier in his place. It wasn’t an exact one-to-one parallel, but the Fender fans in the audience still got to hear “Seventeen Going Under” live — just not from its original singer.
“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?” Boone asked the audience, noting that he expected them to be angry about being stuck with him instead and was “terrified” to be filling in for Fender. But they were welcoming enough for the singer to feel comfortable performing a cover for them. “I really hope that the people who came to see Sam today can get just five per cent out of this song,” Boone said. “It’s a beautiful song.”
Boone sent a message to Fender from the stage, saying, “We hope you’re doing well, we all love you out here.” Fender similarly hemorrhaged his vocal cords at the end of 2024 ahead of performances preceding his latest album, People Watching. At the time, doctors warned the singer that he could endure “lasting damage” to his voice should he still try to perform.
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In his statement addressing his departure from the Montreux Jazz Festival lineup, Fender echoed the same warning. “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 on Instagram. “If I were to play at these next shows I would risk causing lasting damage to my vocal cords.”
He also pulled out of the festivals Rock Werchter, Down the Rabbit Hole, and NOS Alive. “I’m so sorry to everybody who is coming to those festivals with our show in mind,” Fender added. “Our fans are the most important thing to us, I hate letting people down and I hate not being able to sing for weeks as it is my only real passion in life. I hope that I’m able to make it up to you down the line. Until then I’m gonna work on getting this voice fixed.”
