Lorne Michaels SaysSNLHas Never Banned Musical Guests: 'We're Way Too Crass and Opportunistic'

Mar. 15, 2025

Lorne Michaels; Ashlee Simpson.Photo:Steven Ferdman/Getty; Dana Edelson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Steven Ferdman/Getty; Dana Edelson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Lorne Michaelsis disputing any rumors aboutSaturday Night Livebanning musicians.

According to the creator of the long-running comedy sketch show, musical guests had never been barred from performing on the show. In the documentaryLadies & Gentleman… 50 Years of SNL Music, Michaels, 80, explained the show’s mentality when it came to picking artists.

“I’ll read it sometimes in thePost, ‘So and so’s banned for life,' " Michaels said. “And no, we’ve never banned anyone. We’re way too crass and opportunistic. If something’s hot, we’re going to go for it and have it on.”

Among the musical guests that had been reportedly banned fromSNLfor controversial appearances areElvis Costello,Ashlee Simpson, and the lateSinéad O’Connor.

Elvis Costello in ‘Saturday night Live’ in 1989.Raymond Bonar/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Raymond Bonar/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Costello, now 70, hadcaused a stir during his first appearance on the showfor changing up his setlist last minute in 1977. Instead of “Less Than Zero” Costello sang “Radio Radio” as an effort to criticize broadcast commercialization that the song’s lyrics delve into.

“I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but there’s no reason to do this song here,” he said before playing the opening notes to “Radio Radio.”

Legend has it that a confused Michaels had given Costello the middle finger throughout the song.

He would wind up performing onSNLagain in 1989, 1991 and 1999 — where he would poke fun his initial appearance with theBeastie Boys.

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In 2004, Simpson, now 40,was caught lip-synching on the show. During her appearance, the vocals to her song “Pieces of Me” started playing on the speakers before she even opened her mouth to sing. She was meant to sing “Autobiography” next instead.

She appeared confused and danced before walking offstage and was soon criticized for appearing to not perform live. She said she experienced an acid reflux flare-up and wound up redeeming herself when she came back to appear as a musical guest in 2005.

Speaking about the incident, Simpson said that it taught her humility. “It taught me so much about myself and my own personal strength,” she said during a 2024 appearance onBroad Ideas with Rachel Bilson & Olivia Allen.

Reflecting on the snafu, Michaels told60 Minutes’ Lesley Stahl in 2024, “I think accidents happen. I think that’s the nature of live television,”

Lorne Michaels in New York City in December 2024.Cindy Ord/Getty

Cindy Ord/Getty

O’Connor made the gesture in response to the Catholic Church allegedly covering up the sexual abuse of children. In 2021,she told PEOPLEthat she knew her gesture would get a strong reaction.

“I had a pretty good feeling. And part to me just as an artist, particularly an Irish artist — there’s a tradition in Irish art, particularly among playwrights, there used to be riots in the streets over the plays,” she explained.

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“This is a tradition in Irish art of the type of, ‘Let’s see what happens if.’ So there was a part of me that was curious to see what would happen.”

In the newSNLdocumentary, Michaels said, “there was a part of me that admired the bravery of what she’d done and also the absolute sincerity of it.”

Ladies and Gentleman…50 Years of SNL Musicis available to stream on Peacock.

source: people.com