The Older Ones Keeping the Music Scene Alive

You might think the music industry is all about youth, but there's a group of unsung heroes who are proving that age is just a number. We're talking about roadies, those hardworking folks who make sure the show goes on smoothly. Surprisingly, many of them are in their 60s and 70s! They've been around since the days of Jimmy Carter and earlier, working with big names like U2 and Van Halen. These aren't your average retirees. They're the ones who check the sound, haul guitars, and even crawl under stages to fix cables. Betty Cantor-Jackson, for instance, has been at it since 1968 with the Grateful Dead, and she's not stopping anytime soon. "We don't have to disappear, " she says. "I'll keep doing this until I can't move around anymore. " Their dedication and expertise keep the live music industry running, showing that experience counts for a lot in this business.