Country Music Hall of Fame Lays Off / Furloughs Half of Staff
After being forced to close on March 13th due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and now extending their closure to at least June 30th, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has been forced to lay off 73 individuals, and furlough 101 more—roughly 44% of their staff of just under 400 employees. The staff moves take effect June 18th.
“We were forced to make this difficult decision by a challenging business environment unprecedented in the museum’s history,” said Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young. “Since closing March 13, the museum has lost millions of dollars in budgeted revenue. Our economic setbacks, coupled with the uncertainties of the future related to the pandemic, make it necessary to take these measures now to protect the institution and ensure its future.”
The layoffs come at what had been a steady era of growth for the Hall of Fame in both attendance and revenue. In 2019, the Hall of Fame set another attendance record welcoming 1,297,433 visitors to the museum—the 5th year in a row the museum topped the million visitor mark. The Hall of Fame made $40.7 million in 2018, mostly from ticket sales, but also from the facility’s catering and events business that rents out portions of the Hall of Fame complex. The Hall of Fame paid out $16.1 million in salaries and benefits to employees in 2018.
Along with the Hall of Fame itself, Hatch Show Print, the CMA Theater, and the Taylor Swift Education Center on the grounds have also been closed due to the pandemic, as has RCA Studio B on nearby Music Row managed by the institution.
The continued shutdown has also presented uncertainty behind when the new 2020 class for the Hall of Fame inductees will be announced. Usually announced in mid to late March in a press conference held in the Hall of Fame rotunda, the shutdown of the building has delayed the announcement indefinitely. Hall of Fame members are not selected by the Hall of Fame itself, but a select committee fielded by the CMA.
“Our friends at the Country Music Association are working on announcement plans in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Hall of Fame said recently. “Please know that we will communicate plans for the announcement as soon as we are able.”
Country Music Association CEO Sarah Trahern said to Billboard Country Update recently that the reveal of the new inductees will happen in “about a month or so.” And though it appears the 2020 inductees have already been selected, “Maybe they don’t all know,” she notes.
Announcing the 2020 class of Hall of Fame inductees might make for the perfect occasion to open up the Hall of Fame once again. Though the cautiousness is understandable, the Hall of Fame should be able to open up to take advantage of some of the summer tourist season, even if limiting capacity and promoting social distance guidelines is part of the protocols. For the remaining staff and the institution itself, it may depend on it.
READ: Country Music Hall of Fame Picks & Predictions for 2020
Big Tex
June 3, 2020 @ 11:58 am
Such a shame, particularly when it is now recognized by cooler and wiser heads that there was absolutely no reason to shut down our economy over COVID-19. None!
AdamAmericana
June 3, 2020 @ 12:06 pm
What kind of crap are you spewing?
Big Tex
June 3, 2020 @ 2:18 pm
Umm . . . none. Why, pray tell, do you ask?
AdamAmericana
June 3, 2020 @ 6:54 pm
When people post crap and lie they need to get called out. No one who should be taken seriously has said the reaction to COVID-19 was or has been an overreaction.
Big Tex
June 3, 2020 @ 8:02 pm
You must broaden your research, because numerous, well-respected researchers have stated that the various governments overreacted.
Jake Cutter
June 4, 2020 @ 7:35 am
@ Big Tex. Yep, not to mention the country of Sweden. What’s sad is that the people you are likely mentioning were discussing this weeks and even months ago, but the herd mentality that Adam portrays here is a powerful force and now here we are.
Anyway, the lockdown is over for many. A week ago you were killing grandma if you weren’t social distancing, but it’s ok now for the right cause.
AdamAmericana
June 4, 2020 @ 7:58 am
Sweden you say? https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-03/man-behind-sweden-s-virus-strategy-says-he-got-some-things-wrong
But hey, y’all keep drinking the contrarian Kool-Aid.
Jake Cutter
June 4, 2020 @ 8:39 am
That’s interesting, in all seriousness – I hadn’t seen that yet. He is an important voice to note but he doesn’t represent the government – as described in the article. Also “Clearly, there is potential for improvement in what we have done in Sweden,” Tegnell said” could be said by any government. They still have less deaths per population than the UK, Belgium, Italy and Spain ALL while trying not to contribute to the problem of over 100 million people being added to the world starvation list and millions of predicted deaths as the results of the lockdowns. All of these discussions about successful strategies conveniently leave out the long term effects. Do those people not matter? I can easily admit that Swedens strategy isn’t perfect but hopefully you can admit that the millions of people predicted to die from the lockdowns themselves are important too. If you go back and read at the early comments from government officials in Sweden, they didn’t say that would have less deaths in the short term. They were worried about the long term effects. The story isn’t over yet. I’ve watched the press flip flop on the Swedish approach numerous times. Making snap decisions based on a sensational story without waiting for this to unfold and measure the true costs of the lockdowns is a symptom of herd mentality.
Big Tex
June 4, 2020 @ 9:20 am
Where I reside we ignored virtually all the hysterical instructions. We did take steps to shut down access to our nursing homes, and some folks put hand sanitizer out, but we continued to socialize, particularly at my club.
The result? Fewer than 1 in 1000 have been diagnosed with coronavirus, and no deaths.
The doors are open and it is business as usual.
Jake Cutter
June 4, 2020 @ 9:57 pm
Glad to hear it. I have the pleasure of being out of work. Watching our stores burn is the icing on the cake.
Jake Cutter
June 7, 2020 @ 7:31 am
@ Adam. Case in point:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/06/06/sometimes-feel-like-punchbag-architect-swedens-virus-model-another/
Again, the story isn’t over yet..we shouldn’t knee jerk react to sensationalist stories. That behavior is causing a lot of problems.
King Honky Of Crackershire
June 3, 2020 @ 3:23 pm
Yes, most definitely cooler and wiser.
Cobra
June 3, 2020 @ 4:36 pm
Can I have some of whatever it is you’re smoking?
Tex Hex
June 3, 2020 @ 3:29 pm
Real shame. I’ve spent hours in there and took their RCA studios tour. The guide was excellent. Admission fees were well worth it.
Can’t imagine why they can’t allow limited admission and require masks. It isn’t exactly an interactive museum. People don’t need to touch things. It can be done.
Jim
June 3, 2020 @ 6:31 pm
Sorry , but are they finally going to induct Gram Parsons next??
And can one of you explain the entire Hank Jr. snub , it seems to be multi-layered and is frankly unthinkable.
Vern Gosdin??? Really was the ” Voice” of country music.
Kevin Smith
June 4, 2020 @ 4:35 am
Hank Jr wrote a song a few years back where he said he doesn’t care about the Hall of Fame. The powers that be know he belongs there, but they worry if inducted , Jr will snub them. Probably a realistic possibility. So they don’t induct him. They aren’t gonna induct someone who says their institution isn’t worth anything. Personally, I’ve been saying for years to put Jr in.Hes the elephant in the middle of the room. He belongs there , no question. His catalog of music speaks for itself.
Gram? Just my take, I do like him. He was pretty great, but an industry outsider all the way. If he had lived, I like to imagine he’d have moved to Austin with the Outlaw gang in 73 and made more great records. But we’ll never know what could have been. So he’s an outlier at best right now. Too many conspicuous big names who had radio hits and grand ole opry membership are waiting to get in.
Vern Gosdin is a voice thats in the elite category. But so is Gene Watson and ditto Keith Whitley. All in due time , im hoping. But, voice quality alone isn’t the sole criteria, i have to think record sales, radio hits, awards etc are part of the equation too. Who knows. And speaking of voice, I’m a huge proponent for Johnny Bush, but I think he’s a long shot as well.
Jim
June 4, 2020 @ 11:44 am
Tremendous response , thank you!!
And Gram`s contribution to a genre of music he basically invented and contributed to…
I agree on Johnny Bush , well said…An exceptional Artist and great human being!!
Anna
June 11, 2020 @ 4:24 am
Folks were blending country and rock ‘n’ roll long before Parsons came on the scene. If Parsons gets inducted, so too should Chris Hillman.
Rooster
June 27, 2020 @ 5:54 pm
Waylon made a snub statement towards the Hall of Fame,way before he was in it. He said it was all Political. And that they would never Induct someone like David Allen Coe. When Waylon finally did get Elected, Shooter went in his place to accept Dad’s place. The Excuse by Nashville for Waylon not attending, was his Diabetes.
glendel
June 3, 2020 @ 7:22 pm
am visualizing whispering bill anderson sitting on a folding chair outside of a closed country music hall of fame, playing old songs for passersby, who throw bills and coins into a hat he has set on the ground.
Big Tex
June 3, 2020 @ 7:28 pm
Could be a good gig, as long as they pay once a day, every day, all day long.
wayne
June 3, 2020 @ 9:07 pm
“Taylor Swift Education Center”
That was kinda hard to digest.
Trigger
June 3, 2020 @ 9:22 pm
Well, she donated $4 million to have it built, so that’s how she got her name on it. I’ve always regarded it as her parting gift to country music. Sort of a “no hard feelings” kind of thing that she paid for right before she switched to pop. I’ve been in it for a few functions. It’s quite nice.
Anthony
June 10, 2020 @ 7:27 pm
The CMHoF is one of my very favorite places in Nashville. Hope it’s open again soon, and the majority of its lay offs can return to their jobs.
Richie
June 30, 2020 @ 3:30 pm
Trigger,
The Hall of Fame & Museum announced yesterday that it will remain closed to the public through Friday, July 31, but they once again updated their fans on Facebook today about the announcement of the 2020 Hall of Fame inductees and here’s what they said about it:
Our friends at the Country Music Association are working on announcement plans. Please stay tuned. We will share the announcement as soon as we are able.
What do you think?.
Trigger
June 30, 2020 @ 4:29 pm
I think we wait some more.
Richie
August 2, 2020 @ 9:54 pm
Trigger,
I emailed The Hall of Fame on Wednesday about the announcement of the 2020 Hall of Fame inductees and they replied back to me on Friday and they said:
Our friends at the CMA are working on announcement plans in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please know we will communicate plans for the future announcement as soon as we are able.
Then I emailed someone from the CMA yesterday and he replied back to me today and he said:
We should be announcing in the next month or so.
What do you think?.
Richie
August 14, 2020 @ 9:35 am
Trigger,
Now with Hank Williams, Jr. now finally in, Who do you now see as the most obvious glaring omission from the Hall of Fame?.
Trigger
August 14, 2020 @ 9:43 am
I’m not sure that there’s one specifically, but my focus definitely turns towards the artists who I hope are still living to see their induction, which puts Jerry Lee Lewis, and The Maddox Brothers & Rose (Don Maddox) at the top of my particular list.