Musicians, DJs, and vendors accuse Jingle KC of owing unpaid wages
“There are a ton of entertainers that might not get paid. So many musicians and artists who built their entire Christmas around these gigs. I’m owed $3
By Krista Tatschl
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KANSAS CITY (KMBC) — “This is a shame … what a horrible company to work for,” said Jingle KC musician Cally Beckman.
“I was also promised I would be paid every week. I am still waiting on pay from my performance back on Dec. 6, plus every one since then.”
Beckman was hired as a pianist and singer to play at Jingle KC this year. She said she last received a paycheck on Dec. 12 for playing in November. Beckman said she is owed $600 and has been emailing Jingle KC’s accounting team for an explanation but has not received a response.
She apparently is not alone.
“There are a ton of entertainers that might not get paid. So many musicians and artists who built their entire Christmas around these gigs. I’m owed $3,600,” said Jingle KC musician Kelsie Clark Massey.
Some, like DJ Joseph Straws III, are calling it “JingleGate.”
Straws, a local DJ, said he was asked to provide quotes for performances and stage setups for six stages in Kansas City, six in St. Louis, and five in Springfield by Jingle KC CEO Mark McKee.
Straws was contracted twice a week to DJ and run karaoke for patrons.
He said his contracts for lighting, staging, and audio for the main stage in St. Louis totaled $10,000 for a 45-day contract. In Kansas City, Straws said the contract for lighting, audio, and staging totaled $5,000.
Additionally, he was contracted for DJ services on Sundays and Thursdays at Jingle KC, which totaled $3,600.
Straws said he sent invoices before Thanksgiving, which were accepted by Jingle KC, but he has not yet received any payment.
“I do Boulevardia, I hire the DJs for the Super Bowl Parade, and I am used to dealing with big clients, but this is the first time I have ever had to deal with something like this,” he said.
Jingle KC CEO Mark McKee sent an email statement to employees last week:
“We understand how distressing and frustrating this news must be … we are working tirelessly to secure the funds and are fully committed to keeping you informed every step of the way. We anticipate having an update on the situation by the end of the day this Wednesday [Jan. 8].”
Some employees have taken to social media to try to force the organization to pay what is allegedly owed.
Jingle KC worker Rhonda Sutton said she woke up a day ago without pay and was not able to pay her rent.
“It was hard. I have three kids, and for them to send us an email like that was just crazy,” she said.
Jingle KC is one of three Jingle! holiday events that are collaborations with Enchant Christmas, which, in 2023, was largely considered a successful event in Kansas City.
There are Jingle! locations in Kansas City, Springfield, and St. Louis. The Kansas City event was held at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kan.
The KC Monarchs organization released a statement, as its fields housed Jingle KC, saying:
“Unfortunately, like many vendors and partners, we have not been compensated for the costs associated with renting Legends Field for the event, as stipulated in our contract.”
Jingle! public relations firm Will Gregory Public Relations sent out the following statement on Saturday, Jan. 4:
“The Jingle Holiday Festival has encountered substantial financial challenges since opening weekend and is actively working to ensure all vendors and staff are compensated promptly. The festival faced significant setbacks when its flagship attraction, the ice-skating trail, was delivered three weeks late due to a shipping port strike. This unexpected delay caused severe disruptions, resulting in both financial losses and reputational harm … Further complicating matters, the event’s licensor redirected funds intended for payroll to address other expenses. We are vigorously pursuing the recovery of these funds through legal channels to ensure timely payment to our dedicated staff.”
Many performers said they are contacting the Kansas Department of Labor and the Better Business Bureau to complain about the Jingle! organization as a whole.
Others said they are considering taking Jingle! to court to try to reclaim alleged money owed.
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