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Saturday, June 5, 2010
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Original Roadie Dean Kilpatrick July 1977
Jacksonville Journal, Friday August 30, 1974
THE MEN BEHIND SKYNYRD
Report On Rocking Roadies
by Doreen Dube-Staff Writer
The entire exciting world of rock music seems to fascinate today’s youth. The first of the musical caravan to hit a town is the t-shirted, blue-jeaned roadie, one of the most fascinating, yet unresearched species of that world. The roadie can be seen laboring about the stage long before the stars are to appear, arranging and rearranging equipment. Confidant, friend, mother and employee of the celebrated musicians, the roadie holds an enviable position, with status plus, with the young audience.
Sitting in the apartment of Dean Kilpatrick, roadie for Jacksonville’s Lynyrd Skynyrd, he and his co-workers, Kevin Elson, Chuck Flowers and Craig Reed, discussed their jobs as roadmen for the popular rock group.
Elson, the unofficial spokesman for the group explained the basics of the job. “There’s six of us plus our road manager, Russ Emerick. Dean and John Butler stay with the group to make sure the guys are on time for the shows and take care of the dressing rooms. Craig takes care of the drums. Chuck manages the side of the stage that Allen (guitarist) and Billy (keyboard) play on, while Joe Barnes takes care of the other side where Ed, Gary (guitarists) and Leon (bass) play. I take care of mixing the sound and the piano”
A former musician, Elson expressed satisfaction with his present position at the sound controls, “If I was just doing roadwork, y’know, I’d definitely want to play again, but I’m really into mixing. That’s what I’d like to do in the future. In the past two years I’ve learned so much that now I just want to do that and eventually get into studio work.”
What would the roadies do if something happened causing Lynyrd Skynyrd to split up? Reed was the first to answer, “It won’t happen. They won’t break up.” Elson smiled slowly, “Well…. I’d take a long vacation. Seriously, I’d probably see what the rest of the guys were doing and stick with the ones who were staying in music or otherwise I’d go work for a sound studio.” And Kilpatrick, the comedian of the roadies piped in with, “I’d be a go-go girl! NO, really, we’ve been together for so long. We’re going to stay together for a long while yet!”
The schedule of touring is grinding, especially for the roadie who is the first to arrive in each city, the last one to leave the hall after each concert, yet the first the first to leave each town. Elson explained, “We get early flights when we fly – like six in the morning so we can get to the halls to set up by noon. Our day starts at noon and ends at twelve that night. We have to coordinate all the lighting systems, and the sound and make sure the show goes off on time. We do sound checks every day so it’s really like doing two shows a day.”
Usually the roadies drive the equipment from gig to gig. Skynyrd carries 4,000 pounds of equipment, which fills four cases, packed into three trucks. With shows set on a nightly schedule, it’s not uncommon for the road crew to go four or five days without sleep, or drive 1400 miles in two days.
Reed enjoys the gruelling schedule though, “I’ve only been in town now for three weeks and I’m absolutely going crazy. I don’t mean because of this town, it’s any town – staying anywhere for that long now is a drag. What other job can you do that you could be in a different city every day? It beats an 8 to 5 job.”
The problems for the road crew have diminished somewhat with the rise in popularity of Lynyrd Skynyrd. “There’s not as many problems now,” Elson said. “Like before, it was just me and Dean, (agonizing groan from Dean Kilpatrick), taking care of all the equipment. It was ridiculous. Now there’s specific people to do specific things. And now if we need a new piece of equipment, we can get it. Before we had to use whatever we had until we could afford something new. I’d say as far as my part goes it’s a lot easier now.”
Elson went on to tell how their popularity has made it easier for them to work with the roadies of other rock groups. “We don’t have much trouble with other groups now either like we did when we first went on the road. There was only two of us then. Skynyrd had to open all the shows and had to use whatever stage space the headliner would give up. Like bits of stage here and there. With seven men in a group, we need a lot of space. But, it’s easier now because we headline most of our shows, so we set up and the group playing with us sets up in front of us and if they give us any trouble…..” But this statement was cut short by Kilpatrick who piped in laughing, “THEY have to get back now.” Elson shook his head and went on, “No, we’re real easy to work with. We try to help everyone like the Who helped us when we first were getting rolling.”
There’s a lighter side to roadwork though. The travelling from city to city, meeting all types of people from all walks of life is interesting for the road crew. There are the parties after a good performance that help to relieve anxieties and there is always the practical joke that helps lift any tensions that might be in the air.
It’s a tiring job sometimes, but it is a way of life that the Lynyrd Skynyrd roadies would not easily give up. Maybe it’s the close relationship they have with the musicians, or that burning ambition to work for the number one group in the country, or maybe it’s just that these six fellows are a bit daft calling the 24 hour a day job fun.
They don’t seem to know themselves why they enjoy their lifestyle, but as Kevin Elson simply put it, “It’s a lot better then sitting around no matter how tired you get.”
Lynyrd Skynyrd pause for a promotional photo in 1977.
Lynyrd Skynyrd at the height of their fame in 1977
Lynyrd Skynyrd pose during photo shoot in Jonesboro, Georgia 1973
