Dozens of concert tours have been cancelled or postponed while the world hunkers down amid the coronavirus scare. And when the show isn’t on the road, the roadies can’t get paid.
Zac Brown made the heartbreaking decision to let nearly all of his crew members go. Some of them are friends who have been with him since he first started performing songs like “Toes” and “Chicken Fried” more than a decade ago.
“It was a hard day today. For the last 15 years, my crew and who I carry with me out on the road to play my shows and do what we do, I’ve had to let go of about 90 percent of my family,” Brown said while becoming emotional in an Instagram video. “The people that I travel with and grew my business with. The people I high five on the way out to the stage. The people that have done all their jobs and done them well. I hate having to make this call, but I can’t generate out there and I can’t tour because of the coronavirus.”
Brown then shifted his emotion from upset to angry about those who he didn’t think were taking the threat of coronavirus seriously enough. He urged people to stay indoors and socially distance themselves from others as urged by health experts. Brown also criticized the government’s response to the pandemic.
“No one can tell us what to do. We have to decide for ourselves as Americans and we have to look out for the future of all of our jobs and for the economy and for each other,” he said. “I love to spread music and spread to love in song and share music with the world. I’m going to do my best to do that from closed doors. But if we’re going to heal from this and we’re going to get back to doing what we were doing before this hit, then everyone’s gotta take this seriously.”
Zac Brown Band postponed the spring leg of The Owl Tour. As of now, their summer Roar with the Lions Tour is still on. It is scheduled to begin May 24th in Gilford, NH.
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