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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 A Special Crew Member
SPECIAL THANKS from the Crew.... "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 2009 Mark will be entering into his 28th 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. Pictured here is John mixing the sound for a recent show. 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. Pictured here is Noah preparing to run the light show. Besides running the stage lighting he also is the drum tech for Gary. 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 Brian 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. Brian makes
sure they hear what they need so they can play
the music the way you want to hear it. LOUD AND
STRONG!!! 
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!! 
We would like to give a special hello and thanks to Garry "Mojo" Hensley. Mojo was a long time member of our family until he was hit with a health issue and was forced off the road. He is a unique character and is sorely missed both on the bus and on the stage where he ran the stage monitors. We continue to wish him all the best life has to offer and hope to see him whenever the band hits town.