A truck driver who has worked on a number of Taylor Swift’s tours has spoken about the singer’s “life-changing” generosity.
Mike Scherkenbach, who runs concert transportation company Shomotion and is currently working on Swift’s ‘Eras’ tour, was one of many production crew members to receive bonuses of $100,000 (£77,000) each, as revealed earlier this week.
In total, Swift handed out over $55million (£43million) in bonuses to the crew for their efforts and commitment to the tour. Now, Scherkenbach has said in an interview with Rolling Stone that Swift’s generosity has affected her crew members in “life-changing” ways.
“She’s giving a sum of money that is life-changing for these people,” Scherkenbach said. “A lot of these drivers are not homeowners, and a lump sum like this gives you the ability to put a down payment on a home. That’s what makes me really happy. That generosity is a game changer for these people.”
He also spoke of the negative comments that have been circulating social media surrounding the bonuses: “The comments that I read that bother me the most are when they’re comparing [what she gives] to her net worth. That’s irrelevant. There are a lot of very wealthy people who choose not to share a dime of it. We work with all kinds of wealthy people, but this is not the norm.”
According to Scherkenbach, performers of Swift’s calibre and stature typically hand out $5,000 to $10,000 bonuses, which makes her generosity all the more impactful.
But besides the monetary bonuses, Scherkenbach also expressed his gratitude for Swift’s inclusion of her drivers’ names in her ‘Reputation’ documentary. “They did the documentary on the last tour, Reputation, for Netflix, and she listed my drivers in the credits,” he said. “To put the drivers’ names in the movie credits? That shows the character of a person.”
Following her US tour dates, Swift is set to head across the pond and around the world next year, playing shows in Europe, Asia and Australia. The UK and European leg of the tour kicks off in Paris on May 9 next year and wraps on August 17, 2024 in London.
Taylor Swift most recently teased ‘Reputation (Taylor’s Version)’ with a snippet of ‘Delicate (Taylor’s Version)’ being used in the latest season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. ‘Reputation (Taylor’s Version)’ has yet to be officially announced.
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