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Roadie: [slang] a person hired to travel with a group of rock musicians while they are on the road, for the purpose of handling the equipment, running errands, etc.
"In my mind, these guys really aren't just your typical "roadies".... They're all highly skilled personnel and are EXTREMELY appreciated and respected for pulling off show after show......" ~ Don Barnes
From left to right:
~Debbie Lee
"To Jim and Jan and all the fine people at Sound Check studios in Nashville for taking such good care of us."
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At left is Tour Manager Mark Rogers. In 2008 Mark will be entering into his 27th year with 38 Special!! With a background in the martial arts, Mark was originally brought aboard as band security. Now Mark is totally in charge of all aspects of the band while they are out on the road. It is a formidable task to say the least but Mark makes it look easy. His dedication to the band and the crew is an amazing thing to witness. He also is the tour manager for The VanZants while they are touring. Juggling TWO national touring bands is an awesome task that he manages to pull off with style. 
38 Special is known for giving the fans their money's worth at every single one of their shows. The band always gives 110% and it shows in their energetic live performance. However, behind all the lights, sound, and action lies a ton of preparation and hard work. That's where the 38 Special Road Crew come in. At right is John tuning a very special guitar named "Miss Mary." While John has many duties out on the road he is the one primarily responsible for making sure that you can hear the clarity of every note and the blend of vocals no matter where you are sitting in the audience. It is not an easy thing to do since every venue has it's own challenges but he is more than up to the task. John also does the Front Of House sound for The VanZants when they are out performing. 
These special guys are a team of dedicated professionals whose job it is to make sure that each concert goes off without a hitch. They are a well-oiled machine, with different members specializing in a specific task. At left is Noah tuning a drum head before the show. Besides setting up the drum kit for Gary he also handles the stage lighting during the shows. It is amazing to watch him actually "Play" the lighting console as if it were an instrument. It might look great and easy from the audience but a lot of work and concentration is needed to pull off a great visual show as well as a great sounding one. Noah also is the drummer for The VanZants when they are touring. 
On the right is "Mojo" preparing for the show.
He also wears many hats but his main duty during
the show is to make sure that the on stage monitors
and inner ear monitors that the band members wear
are adjusted perfectly for each so they can not
only hear themselves while on stage but so they
can hear the others at an appropriate level. They
get a lot of noise tossed at them during a show
and the wrong noise at the wrong time can throw
them off just enough to mess up a song. Mojo makes
sure they hear what they need so they can play
the music the way you want to hear it. LOUD AND
STRONG!!! A great Bass player in his own right,
Mojo is the Bassist for the VanZant Band. 
Haley
Johnson returned in 2007 as the 38 Special Guitar
Tech after taking some time off to help his wife
after the birth of thier first child. Whether
it's making sure the band can hear themselves
onstage, to tuning a guitar, or driving the equipment
truck, every job is important, and critical, to
the success of the band's performance that night.
At left is Haley with his Custom Designed guitar
tuning and repair case.
So
the next time you are at a 38 Special show make
sure that you give a thank you and a smile to
these "Unsung" Heros of the road. They deserve
it!!