After Sam Fender had to withdraw from Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival due to a hemorrhaged vocal cord, Benson Boone was elevated to headliner on Tuesday (July 15), offering a cover of Fender’s 2021 Top 3 UK hit, “Seventeen Going Under,” for the audience. Boone admitted to the crowd that he was “terrified” to be filling in for Fender, before introducing his cover by saying, “I really hope that the people who came to see Sam today can get just five per cent out of this song. It’s a beautiful song.” Fender also pulled out of upcoming festival appearances at Rock Werchter, Down the Rabbit Hole, and NOS Alive, and shared his disappointment on Instagram: “I’m so sorry to everybody who is coming to those festivals with our show in mind. 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.” (Rolling Stone)
