For Billy Strings, family always comes first. On Tuesday, Strings announced that Renewal Fest attendees will be getting a full refund after he missed his headlining sets at the festival to be with his wife Ally Apostol as she went into labor with their first child. (Strings and his wife welcomed their baby Monday morning.)
“We want to extend our deepest gratitude for being a part of an extraordinary Renewal,” Strings wrote on Tuesday, before promising the refunds. “Your overwhelming show of support, kindness, and positivity truly made this year an unforgettable experience. We are deeply moved by the spirit of our community and the legendary performances brought to you by some of our closest friends.”
“We recognize that this year was not what you expected, and we truly appreciate you sticking with us,” continued the statement. “On Friday, October 4th, we will begin processing refunds for all GA and VIP tickets.”
Strings was originally scheduled to perform a total of four sets at Renewal: two on Friday, and another two Saturday. Instead, Friday night saw his band rock out for him, and on Saturday, artists Molly Tuttle, Jerry Douglas, Jarrod Walker, and other acts at the fest took his place to perform as the “Renewal Family Band.”
In a post on Saturday morning, he gave festivalgoers an update about his absence from the festival. Strings said he arrived in Buan Vista Thursday “ready to rock out” knowing that there was “a chance” he’d have to return if his wife went into labor.
“We were really hoping that baby boy would wait till Sunday morning at least but he had plans of his own,” Strings wrote in his post, sharing a selfie from the hospital. “Friday morning I got to the festival site and did a soundcheck and a quick Q&A set about the album. I was hanging out backstage getting ready to rehearse for our set when my wife called and told me her water broke.”
Strings said he “immediately hopped on a jet,” borrowing Ringo Starr’s private plane, to go back home to be with his wife.
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“I was mortified to leave the fans hanging and to leave the responsibility of the gig to my band and friends who stepped up and kicked ass in my absence. ( I owe you all a cold beer! ) but I was so excited to get back to my wife because she needed me,” he wrote. “Ally is doing amazing! She is so strong. I’ve never witnessed anything like it. There is an unbelievable amount of strength and courage in that woman.”
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Strings got to Michigan Friday night, and his wife spent nearly the entire weekend in labor before they announced the arrival of their firstborn Monday morning. Sharing a selfie with the baby, Strings wrote on Instagram, “He’s here! Mommy and baby are both doing great ❤️ I’m a dad.”
After learning of the upcoming refunds Tuesday, festivalgoers rallied in the comments saying they would be donating the money they got back to flood relief funds in Western North Carolina. “This is incredibly generous,” wrote one attendee. “I’ll be donating my refund to everyone affected by Helene. It was still an awesome weekend.”
