Venue Crew Member Dies During Festival – Chris Janson & Dustin Lynch Sets Cancelled
on Mar 09, 2020 • Updated Jan 15, 2025
On March 7, 2020, country fans who attended the Rib Round Up Festival in South Florida were not able to see two of the seven main artists.
Uproot Hootenany, Travis Denning, Matt Stell, Carly Pearce, and Michael Ray had already performed on Rib Round Up’s Main Stage when the festival – and local radio station – took to Facebook to ask fans to leave the iThink Financial Ampitheatre.
https://www.facebook.com/RibRoundUp/photos/a.1501644943406846/2548757188695611/?type=3&theater
Normally, these abrupt cancellations are due to inclement weather, but as the festival posted earlier in the day, it was a “beautiful day” to enjoy country music and eat some ribs.
https://www.facebook.com/RibRoundUp/photos/a.1556180194619987/2549057005332296/?type=3&theater
Unfortunately, it was disclosed that there was “a medical emergency with a crew member” and the show was not able to go on.
https://www.facebook.com/WIRKNewCountry1031/posts/3015345235221682?__tn__=-R
Later on, Rib Round Up Festival confirmed that the crew member had passed away from the medical emergency.
“During the Rib Round Up Music Festival, a local crew member had a medical emergency and unfortunately passed away. Because of the nature and location of the incident, we had to end the festival earlier than planned. Out of respect and privacy to the family involved we are choosing not to discuss further details about what happened,” they wrote.
https://www.facebook.com/RibRoundUp/posts/2551447778426552
The festival also offered a ticket exchange for the upcoming Brad Paisley or Rascal Flatts shows.
Facebook user India Hayes confirmed that the crew member who passed away was her father, Delmas O’dell Hayes.
According to South Florida Country Music, Hayes was a spotlight operator at the venue and was employed by Live Nation, and not a crew member to any of the country music acts.
Dustin Lynch and Chris Janson both made statements about the sudden cancellation of their sets on social media.
https://www.facebook.com/dustinlynchmusic/photos/a.10151783014104334/10158068832634334/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/chrisjansonmusic/posts/10157861962241826
Our thoughts and prayers are with India and the rest of the Hayes family as they mourn the sudden loss of Delmas.
See India’s post about her father below.
