Troubadour GoFundMe: Beloved West Hollywood Music Venue Needs Donations To Help Pay Staff, Remain Open
WEST HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA) — West Hollywood's iconic Troubadour club has created a GoFundMe to help pay staff members as their doors remain temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The historic venue, with a stage that has hosted hundreds of music legends, has been unable to operate since the shutdowns began leaving their staff out of work.
"We are a small, independently-owned, venue and have an hourly staff of over 20 people. Our team consists of bartenders, security, sound and lighting engineers and box office personnel. These are the people welcoming you into the venue and bringing you great experiences inside the showroom," the club wrote on their GoFundMe page.
"We are reaching out to our community for support and are asking you to please donate if you can. If you are unable to donate at this time, please share our GoFundMe link. Anything helps!"
Manager Christine Karayan said the last concert played at the location was on March 11. Karayan's family has owned and operated the club since the 1980s.
"The Troubadour has had its ups and downs financially, musically, but we've always weathered the storm, but I don't think anyone has seen a storm like this," she said.
The beloved venue is where a 20-year-old Elton John performed in the 1970s, becoming a superstar overnight as depicted in the film Rocket Man.
"At the end of that show, Elton was a superstar, and before the show, no one had ever heard of him," said Grammy Award-winning producer Peter Asher.
Asher was there the night Elton John performed, and on many other extraordinary nights in music history, representing artists like Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor.
"Already the Troubadour was legendary," Asher said. "We knew that it was the place to play, and we played there a number of times. I think James Taylor we did four times altogether."
The Troubadour could remain closed for months before concert venues reopen under Gov. Newsom's final and fourth phase, but even then capacity will have to be limited.
The Troubadour is not the only iconic music hub to be hit by the pandemic.
Last week, Amoeba Music announced that the massive impact from the pandemic has forced the closure of the original Hollywood location at the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga.
The music store will remain closed until it can move into its new Hollywood location this fall.
According to the page, 100% of the donations will go towards helping their staff and the venue.
To donate to or share the Troubadour's GoFundMe, click here.
