Country Music Star Apologizes
Should Eric Church do more?
Country music star Eric Church is lucky that his lapse in judgement happened in the same week of the Will Smith lapse in judgement.
The Cancellation
Church canceled his sold out April 2 concert in San Antonio, to stay home and watch the Duke Blue Devils take on his North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA Final Four. It was the first time in Final Four history the two teams matched up against each other, even though they played each other every year.
On the air, I mentioned this story, siding against Church. A listener tweeted, Jaybeau, you’re just out of touch with the historical significance of the game.
It’s Entertainment
My point: it’s a game. I wrote back to the listener and politely said: No one knows more about the significance of sports to a fan, than a New Englander. While this is a lame comparison, what Church did, is like me calling my boss and saying, “I’m not coming in to work, Tom Brady is playing against the Patriots, and I need to put my listeners second.”
Eric Church basically, told his paid customers who bought tickets months in advance, with little notice, that he’s not coming to work because of sports. It wasn’t a family emergency, or Covid 19, or a car accident.
After the negative reaction from colleagues’ Travis Tritt and Jason Aldean, the press and thousands of fans, Church saw the light and is offering a FREE show, to fans that BOUGHT tickets somewhere in Texas. Sources say it’s a SMALLER venue. So this PR disaster may not be over.
Why Am I Bugged?
This story really got to me. I have been on the air coming out of a radio since I was sixteen. My colleagues on ROR and next door at Country WKLB commit to excellence to create a product that fans can count on.
Years ago from a mentor, I was told: It takes years to build brand loyalty, and a day to destroy it.
I hope Eric Church can see and feel that he made a big mistake and works harder to make this up to his disappointed fans.
