John Rich continuing to pay employees at shuttered Nashville bar
Country music star John Rich tells 'Fox & Friends' that he is committed to taking care of his Redneck Riviera employees out of work during the coronavirus pandemic.
Fox Nation host and country music star John Rich encouraged business owners to keep paying their employees, as American businesses are shuttered, amid the coronavirus outbreak. And Rich is leading by example.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced measures on Sunday to slow the spread of the virus, by closing bars and limiting how many people would be allowed in restaurants. The new rules hit Nashville's downtown hotspots hard.
Rich and other prominent country music personalities have opened businesses there in recent years, as tourism has exploded. Rich co-owns "Redneck Riviera Bar & BBQ" in the heart of the downtown district.
"Me and my partners... had a meeting hours after they shut our bars down and said, 'You know, it's going to hurt our bottom line, but really to us, people are the bottom line," he said on "Fox and Friends" Friday.
Rich told The Tennessean on Wednesday that his restaurant would continue to pay employees despite the businesses slowdown, and he urged others to do that same.
"I would even go so far as to challenge other business owners on Broadway in my entertainment bar/nightclub sector, to reach into your pocket and take care of your people," he said.
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"We have moms, dads, veterans, active duty that work at Redneck Riviera," he said on "Fox and Friends." "We decided to make the commitment that no matter what, we are going to make sure that those folks are taken care of, and that's exactly what we did."
Redneck Riviera Bar & BBC will also be live streaming the performances of their bands, and people can leave "tips" for the musicians through a Venmo account set up on their Facebook page.
Rich noted that legislation out of Washington D.C.would support employers, providing incentives to continue paying employees through a downturn in business.
"This country is tough, this country works hard, this country plays hard, this country sticks together," said Rich. "We love our families, our military, we love our Constitution, and, at times like this, I hope that our Democrats and Republicans can get together and come up with something that works."
Hard work and resilience is also a theme of Rich's show on Fox Nation, "The Pursuit."
In this new Fox Nation series, Rich sits down with fellow Americans, whom he believes to be personifications of the constitutional right to pursue happiness.
"The whole idea for this show... is the Constitution does not guarantee us happiness," said Rich in a recent episode. "It guarantees us the right to pursue happiness. It's what we call the American dream. You know why we call it the American dream? Because it is limitless and we all have a right to it."
Rich has spoken to fellow musicians like Wynonna Judd and Gretchen Wilson, and American heroes like wounded veteran Sgt. Noah Galloway.
Galloway opened up about his battle to overcome devastating physical injuries sustained on the battlefield in Iraq and the lingering mental health issues that he confronted after returning home.
"I always encourage people to get mental health ... we thought that admitting that you needed help was weakness," he said, "Now, I see it as, after going through five years of depression, letting that darkness take over ... that's weakness. It takes real strength to stand up and get help. It took me five years."
To watch all of "The Pursuit! with John Rich" go to Fox Nation and sign up today.
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