Eric Church took some major heat from music fans everywhere when he made the decision to cancel his show in San Antonio. The reason? So he could attend the NCAA Final Four game between his beloved North Carolina Tar Heels and their rivals, Duke.
Listen to your favorite Country music now on Audacy and check out Eric Church Radio
As the dust settles after Church’s self-proclaimed “selfish” decision, the Chief is speaking out about all the opinions that pelted him after he revealed his decision.
“After the first weekend, my kids could see the possibility of Duke & Carolina,” Eric told Lon Helton of Country Countdown USA. “Boone, my oldest, was the one doing the brackets. He said ‘If they make the final four, can we go?’ I never looked at the schedule. I said if they make the final four, we’ll be there. The chances were astronomical.”
Related
Caught up in the excitement of March Madness, it wasn’t until six days before his scheduled concert in San Antonio that Eric noticed a big decision would have to be made. Let down his kids and the team he loves, or disappoint his fans with tickets to the show?
“Six days before San Antonio is when I saw it. I realized I can make up that show,” he shared. “But I can’t replicate Duke-Carolina in the Final Four. I can’t get that back. So it was one of those things where I knew I’d disappoint people, I didn’t know it would be as noisy as it was. But I made a decision to do it.”
He continued, “I hated for people who made plans. I’m sorry about that. I’ll make it up to San Antonio. I’ll give them a show they won’t forget. It was because it was that unique an event in my life. In this case, I decided I’d be there.”
Regardless of the outcome, it was a decision Eric stood firmly in, but he admits it did help that his Tar Heels brought home an 81-77 win over Duke.
“I had a Facetime with all of the players after they beat Duke. It was just wild. They felt the heat. They’d been watching Sports Center too,” he said. “They saved my bacon by winning.”
The decision to forego the show is still not something Eric takes lightly and he plans to make it up to any fans still willing to come see him play at a special show in New Braunfels, TX on September 2.
If we know anything about the chief, he takes his relationship with his fans seriously and the show he’ll give them will surely be extraordinary. What exactly that means? We can’t wait to find out!
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign up and follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram