Freedom Hall’s building manager retires after 45 years

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Randy Collins has been at Freedom Hall almost since the beginning.

He started working for Johnson City’s Parks & Recreation Department at 16 years old. At 19, he was hired to work at Freedom Hall where he’s been ever since.

“I enjoy the music more than anything and then once I got involved in the setting up of concerts, it just floored me,” Collins said. “I loved it.”

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As the building maintenance manager, he took care of Freedom Hall but most importantly handled the setup for different concerts and events.

“That was my dream come true just to be able to do that and it’s amazing what they ask for, but that’s my job and I love my job,” Collins said.

One of the most elaborate setups ended up being one of his favorites for Elton John.

“He didn’t like concrete floors, he doesn’t like block walls. So we had to cover everything up in black material and carpet,” Collins said.

The long hours to make the icon’s set a dream come true did not go unnoticed. Collins received a special gift: an Elton John bobblehead.

“His production people gave that to me and that just meant a lot to me because I did a lot of hard work and they recognized that,” he said.

That hard work was common.

“Sometimes it’s from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., sometimes a lot longer than that. Back in our heyday in the 70s and 80s, we averaged 22 shows a year and we did a lot of work,” he said. “I mean it was nothing to work 16 to 24 hours in a row.”

From concerts with Glenn Frey and John Mellencamp, rock and roll, country, and other genres, to circuses and wrestling, and even presidents, Collins had a hand in it all.

“I got to do some presidents. I did Jimmy Carter at the airport in 1980,” he said. “We did Donald Trump here of course and that was a great experience.”

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But, after 45 years, the work has taken its toll.

“I’m broke down. I’m just wore out. Forty five years on concrete and the wear and tear on my legs, my back, my arms. This stuff is not easy to do,” he said. “It’s hard work. It’s a lot of heavy lifting.”

While Freedom Hall is leaving a lasting impression on him, Collins is certainly leaving a legacy behind.

“When you have someone like that, it is just a huge hole that’s going to be around,” said Freedom Hall General Manager Mark Stone. “We’re definitely going to miss Randy. His knowledge, his timeliness and his just history of how things work around here. His friendships and connections within the city. All of that together make him just a really outstanding person.”

And there’s nowhere else Collins could have imagined spending his entire career.

“It’s a great town. It’s got a lot of history. And like I say, I’ve been blessed. I really have,” he said.

Collins officially retires from Freedom Hall on Friday.

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