Suzanne Vega, the acclaimed singer-songwriter known for hits like “Luka” and “Tom’s Diner,” was urged by police to withdraw from headlining Glastonbury Festival after receiving death threats. In 1989, Vega was set to become the first female artist to headline the iconic music event, but her performance nearly didn’t happen due to threats targeting her and her touring bassist.
Speaking to The i newspaper, Vega revealed, “They had included me in the threats. Scotland Yard sat me down and said, ‘We advise you not to do the show.’ I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?'” Despite these warnings, she refused to back down and insisted on performing.
For her own safety, police requested she wear a bulletproof vest during her set. Vega recounted, “A man from Scotland Yard took his and said, ‘You’ll have to wear this.’ He was twice my size, so I had to gaffer tape myself into this giant bulletproof vest, and then put a denim jacket over it. It felt like every song was 20 minutes long. It was not comfortable. We were all nervous.”
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Despite the unease, Vega takes pride in her historic performance. “I’m proud of being the first woman to headline. There’s nothing diminished about that,” she said.
Recently marking the 40th anniversary of her self-titled debut album, Vega reflected on her unexpected success. “I had expected to remain underground for most of my life. And it still may happen that I’m discovered after my death,” she mused. “Emily Dickinson sitting at her desk, what were her thoughts? Now we have schools named after her. So you don’t know. I just prefer to think about what’s going on right now.”
Her latest album, “Flying with Angels,” explores themes of struggle with a hopeful perspective. Originally considering the title “Survival of the Fittest,” she chose the more uplifting name because “we need this now. We need protection. We need guidance.”