As the coronavirus pandemic forces the closures of countless businesses across the country, musicians are offering support in any way they can. Rihanna and Jay-Z recently offered $2 million to coronavirus relief efforts and Lizzo donated lunch to hospital workers. Among the charitable has been Taylor Swift, who last year was the highest-paid musician in the world. The singer recently covered the rent of a worried photographer and now Swift is taking it upon herself to help out a local Nashville record store.
For the past two weeks, Grimey’s New & Preloved Music in Nashville has sent its employees home due to the coronavirus. The record store has been worried about being able to support its employees, who are now out of work. Thankfully, Swift quickly offered financial support. The pop singer is graciously paying each employee their salary as well as covering three months’ worth of healthcare costs.
According to Rolling Stone, Grimey co-owner Doyle Davis said they were shocked and thankful for Swift’s generosity:
“We were very surprised, and I would have to say amazed, that Taylor Swift reached out to us through her publicist to offer some relief during the COVID pandemic. I didn’t even know we were on her radar, but she really stepped up to help after the recent tornadoes that struck Nashville and middle Tennessee and now, she’s trying to help a beloved small business in her city. Taylor generously offered some direct relief to my staff and to cover three months of our healthcare costs for our group insurance plan. It’s a huge deal to us and now I have some peace of mind as we apply for [Small Business Association] loans to pay rent, vendors, and other expenses. This assistance from Ms. Swift helps give us a real shot at coming back on the other side of this.”
Read more of Uproxx’s coverage on the coronavirus here.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.