Taylor Swift Alerts – Taylor Swift’s music idol reveals why he REJECTED Travis Kelce wedding invite

Some of the biggest stars of the music, film and sports industries were gathered to celebrate Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

But one star who has been an icon of Swift’s her whole life was notably missing from the July 3 celebrations in New York City, despite receiving an invitation.

That evening, James Taylor revealed during a performance at the Tanglewood Music Festival that he had been on the guest list but had to turn down the invite.

‘You know, [my wife Kim] and I were invited to a wedding at Madison Square Garden tonight,’ the 78-year-old singer–songwriter announced to the crowd, according to the Berkshire Eagle.

However, Taylor, who was playing the first of a two-night run at the festival, has been performing shows around the Fourth of July at the festival in Lenox, Massachusetts, for the past 52 years in a row dating back to 1974, and he wasn’t willing to break that streak even for Swift and Kelce’s wedding.

Still, the Fire And Rain singer said he wished the newlyweds ‘happiness and smooth sailing’ in their marriage.

Some of the biggest stars of the music, film and sports industries were gathered to celebrate Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding at Madison Square Garden on Friday, but one musical idol of Swift’s was notably missing; Swift and Kelce pictured in NYC on May 16

On Friday, July 3, James Taylor revealed to the crowd of his concert at the Tanglewood Music Festival that he wasn’t able to attend the wedding because of his longstanding obligation to the festival

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Taylor and Swift to request comment but has not yet heard back.

His July 3 and 4 shows were held at the Tanglewood Music Festival’s Koussevitzky Music Shed, and attendees were treated to a fireworks display afterward.

Swift’s connection to the legendary performer technically goes back to before she was born, as her parents named her after Taylor.

In a 2024 interview with USA Today, Taylor recalled his first interaction with Swift around 15 years earlier, in which she confessed to him that she had been named after him.

‘We did a benefit for [the Candie’s Foundation], an organization that tries to help with teenage pregnancy, and it was interesting. We were both just there with guitars and played a couple of songs. I was performing with my wife and may have had a friend of ours playing cello, and Taylor was there just playing by herself,’ he recounted. ‘She was just a teen. 

‘She told me she had listened to my music a lot and that her folks had named her with me in mind,’ Taylor continued.

For her part, Swift hasn’t been shy about her admiration for the Carolina In My Mind singer.

During a concert in 2011 at Madison Square Garden – the future site of her nuptials – Swift confessed to the crowd that she found out she was named after Taylor by chance when she was younger. 

‘You know, [my wife Kim] and I were invited to a wedding at Madison Square Garden tonight,’ Taylor, 78, said, according to the Berkshire Eagle; seen with Swift in 2011 at MSG

He wasn’t willing to skip the concert after performing Fourth of July shows at Tanglewood for the past 52 years; pictured circa 1976

Still, the Fire And Rain singer said he wished the newlyweds ‘happiness and smooth sailing’ in their marriage; pictured in 2015 in London

The Shake It Off singer recounted how she told her mother one day that the only song she liked to sing during her chorus class was Taylor’s tune Fire And Rain. 

‘And then she said, “It’s really funny that you say that, ’cause you’re kind of named after him,”‘ Swift continued, adding that that was the ‘first time’ she had been told the origin of her name.

The digression turned out to be an introduction for Taylor, who made a surprise appearance at the concert to perform Fire And Rain as a duet with the headliner.

Ryan Seacrest recently admitted that he was another star who wasn’t able to attend Swift’s wedding, but unlike Taylor, he had already RSVP’d to the ceremony. 

The television host, 51, said he previously informed the singer and her now-husband Kelce that he would be joining them for their big day, but he ended up not showing up.

Speaking on his radio show, he reflected on how his weekend actually turned out – and shared what the bride told him about the big day leading up to the event. 

He explained to his On Air co-hosts that he was unable to tell them earlier about his wedding invite due to confidentiality reasons, then he recalled how he had a hosting gig come up.

This comes after Seacrest offered to officiate Swift and Kelce’s wedding, but the couple decided to ask Adam Sandler instead.

In 2011, Swift revealed at a Madison Square Garden concert that her mother revealed she was named after Taylor when she said the only song she liked singing in school was his tune Fire And Ice. Then Taylor made a surprise appearance for a duet of the song (pictured)

Ryan Seacrest revealed he went to work a hosting gig instead of attending Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding, even though he had already RSVP’d

The music superstar and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, both 36, married at Madison Square Garden in New York City on the eve of the Fourth of July holiday

‘I RSVP’d to go and then Disney hired me to do the Fourth of July 250 special on the 3rd and the 4th, and so I had to cancel,’ Seacrest said. 

So instead of being in New York City for the singer and the football star’s nuptials, Seacrest was in Nashville and hosted Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th.

His radio show co-hosts then called him out for ‘wasting’ a coveted invite to the it-couple’s star-studded wedding at Madison Square Garden last Friday.

‘It wasn’t a waste! I was actually really excited. I was kind of torn,’ he responded as he defended himself, adding that he could not be in two places at once.

‘I went through the minutes,’ Seacrest continued. ‘I couldn’t have done both. The actual wedding was in the afternoon. I went through the minutes.’

The Emmy-winning producer added that he was excited about Swift and Kelce wanting him to attend their wedding and celebrate their big day with them.

‘But I was so honored and thrilled to be invited,’ he said before revealing that he ran into the couple after he sent back his RSVP.

‘You know, the irony was, after I RSVP’d to the wedding, I saw them at dinner at a restaurant and we talked about “the event,”‘ he recalled. ‘We didn’t say it out loud, “the event.” 

Seacrest said on his radio show recently that he confirmed twice to the couple that he would be in attendance but ended up not being able to go for a Fourth of July work obligation

Seacrest also revealed a happenstance run-in with the couple. Above, Swift and Kelce in March

The 51-year-old, who previously offered to officiate the couple’s nuptials, instead hosted a Disney special for the Fourth of July in Nashville 

‘[Taylor] was like, “It’s going to be so much fun. We’re going to have the best time. It’s going to go late,”‘ he shared. 

In response, Seacrest said he told the couple: ‘I’m like, “I cannot wait. I’m so excited.” 

At that happenstance run-in, the radio show host noted that was when he ‘met Travis for the first time actually.’ 

‘He was sitting in the booth next to me,’ he recalled. 

‘I RSVP’d yes, I saw them a couple weeks later to confirm, then I had to cancel,’ he again reiterated. 

‘I had no choice. It’s part of my job at Disney to do these things. It was work,’ he said before adding that he ‘gave them a shoutout on the show.’

The American Idol host previously put Swift on the spot, asking if he could officiate her wedding to Kelce.

At the time, the Grammy-winning star was making an appearance on his radio show in October, two months after she publicly announced her engagement on social media.

Seacrest and Swift have been longtime friends and the talk show host has had the singer on his radio show many times over the years

The Grammy winner previously went on Seacrest’s show late last year and opened up about her relationship with Kelce. Above, announcing their engagement last August

Seacrest told Swift that he just officiated his co-host Tanya Reid’s wedding before offering his services for her wedding, too. 

‘I took an online course, and I’m allowed to do other weddings. So, I’m just throwing my name out there as officiant,’ he told Swift.

The singer replied that she was ‘honored’ but ended the subject with a polite offering: ‘That is fantastic, you guys are amazing.’ 

Seacrest also inquired about Swift’s wedding date, but she avoided answering.

‘I definitely feel like when I talk about the wedding I get so excited that it makes me just want to like talk about it for like an hour. But it’s just sort of like I won’t stop talking if I start, you know what I mean?’

‘But I’m so happy that you’re… thank you for being excited for us, because I’m excited for us too,’ she added during the same interview where she shared little details about how her football player beau had proposed to her.