John Fogerty and Jay-Z pull out of Woodstock 50 as anniversary festival flounders

John Fogerty of  Creedence Clearwater Revival and US rap star Jay-Z both pulled out of the 50th anniversary Woodstock festival on Friday, just weeks before the troubled event is supposed to take place.

A person familiar with the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that Jay-Z will no longer close the three-day festival scheduled for August 16-18.

A representative for Fogerty, who performed at the original 1969 festival with Creedence Clearwater Revival, said the musician would now perform only at  Woodstock's original site in Bethel, New York, in a smaller anniversary event not connected to Woodstock 50.

Fogerty had appeared in March alongside the original festival's co-founder, Michael Lang, to announce that Jay-Z, Dead & Company and the Killers would perform at  Woodstock  50.

But the festival has faced a series of setbacks in the last few months, including permit denials and the loss of a financial partner and a production company. The event doesn't have a venue and tickets have yet to go on sale.

The festivities were supposed to take place at Watkins Glen International racetrack in Watkins Glen, New York, about 115 miles northwest of the original site, but the venue pulled out.

Bloomberg reported on Thursday that the event will now take place at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, an outdoor amphitheater in Columbia, Maryland. A representative for Woodstock 50 told The Associated Press that she couldn't confirm the report.

The Black Keys, originally scheduled to perform at Woodstock 50, announced in April that they had to cancel their performance due to a scheduling conflict.

Other artists announced for Woodstock 50 include Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters, David Crosby, Janelle Monae, Brandi Carlile, Country Joe McDonald, Halsey, the Lumineers and India Arie.