Jack White Named ‘SNL’ Musical Guest After Morgan Wallen Booted Over COVID

Jack White is stepping in as a last-minute replacement on this week’s “Saturday Night Live,” after the NBC show dismissed previously booked artist Morgan Wallen after he violated COVID-19 protocols.

White, frontman of the White Stripes, will make his third solo appearance (and four overall) on “SNL” on Oct. 10, with host Bill Burr. “The White Stripes Greatest Hits” collection will be released Dec. 4.

Wallen on Wednesday posted an Instagram video telling fans that he was informed by “SNL” that he would no longer be able to play the show. He said he had not tested positive for COVID-19, but “my actions from this past weekend were pretty short-sighted, and have obviously affected my long-term goals and my dreams,” he said, referring to TikTok video posts that showed him socializing in Alabama without a mask at a crowded bar and a house party.

“Saturday Night Live,” currently in its 46th season on NBC, is produced in association with Broadway Video, headed by “SNL” creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels. Earlier this month, every season of “SNL” became available NBCUniversal’s Peacock.

This season’s “SNL” premiere on Oct. 3 was hosted by Chris Rock, with musical guest Megan Thee Stallion. Special guest stars Jim Carrey (as Joe Biden), Alec Baldwin (as Donald Trump) and Maya Rudolph (as Kamala Harris) were featured in the cold open, recreating the disastrous first presidential debate in which Trump repeatedly interrupted and insulted Biden.