Brown had laid off 90% of his touring crew the day before
Zac Brown Band has canceled all remaining 2020 due dates due to the coronavirus pandemic. The multi-genre band sent an email and published the news to social media sharing that the current state of worldly affairs has forced the decision.
“Zac Brown Band has made the very difficult decision to not move forward with the remaining 2020 tour dates including ‘The Own Towl’ and ‘Roar With The Lions Tour.’ We are deeply disappointed this has happened, touring is our life blood and performing live for our fans is the best part of this job. Bottom line though, we want to take every precaution to put the health and safety of our fans and crew first,” they share.
The statement continues, “We are in unprecedented times which requires unprecedented decisions. It is up to all of us to change the course of this pandemic and make sacrifices for the sake of our fellow man. The sooner we all do our part, the sooner we can get past this. To those of you taking proper steps to keep yourself and those around you healthy, thank you. To those of you still out there not taking this seriously, it’s time to wake up. The longer you wait to self-isolate, the longer entire communities will be out of work and the longer it will take our country to recover.
“Because of this difficult decision to cancel, all fans who purchased tickets to any of our 2020 shows are entitled to a refund. If you purchased tickets Ticketmaster, full refunds will be issued automatically and no additional action is needed. If you purchased through another source, please reach out to your point of purchase to issue a refund.
“We are grateful to our fans for understanding this decision as well as everyone on the front lines who can’t stay at home because their work is essential. We believe we can all overcome this together. As soon as it’s safe, we’ll see you back out on the road again. Until then, stay safe, healthy and do your part.”
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The news comes a day after frontman Zac Brown unveiled that he let go 90% of his touring crew due to the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday (March 19th), he shared a lengthy but emotional social media video that also called for a change in the attitude’s of people about the outbreak, much like the above statement.
“It was a hard day today for the last 15 years, my crew and who I carried with me out on the road to play my shows and do what we do, I’ve had to let go of about 90% of my family, the people that I traveled with and grew my business with, the people I high five on the way out to the stage the people that have done 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. And everyone’s safety, and I’m fine with that,” he shares in an emotional voice.
Every major concert, festival and event have either been postponed or canceled due to the pandemic the World Health Organization (WHO) declared last week. More than 270k cases have been reported in 110 countries with over 11k deaths. Nearly 100k people have contracted and survived the virus that was discovered last year, forcing much of the world to shut down or reduce hours.
Every hour seems to bring different ideas around the country. New York and California have issued “Stay at Home” orders with other states quickly following. Only essential businesses, such as grocery stores, banks and gas stations, remain open until further notice. Schools are out for at least a month, but possibly through the end of the school year. International travel has also been restricted for the time being.