Bandboy

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title: "Bandboy" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["occupations-in-music", "musical-terminology", "jazz-terminology"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandboy" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

Bandboy (also expressed as band boy) is a bygone term for a job similar to for what now is known as a "roadie." They set up, tear down, and maintain equipment, and music. They help out backstage with tasks such as making sure that towels, drinks, and ice are available.

Unlike a roadie, the bandboy was more like a personal assistant, or au pair, or butler/dresser for the leader — making sure suits were dry cleaned, shoes shined, and the like. On foreign tours a local bandboy would translate, find places to eat, change money, buy train tickets, and perform similar tasks. Often the bandboy would disseminate information for the leader, hand out itineraries, room lists, and set lists. The role of bandboy was different with every band and had different duties than the more senior road manager, who dealt with promoters, booking agents, contracts, payroll, and catering. When times got tough financially, road managers or band members themselves often performed bandboy duties.

Notable bandboy alumni

• Simon Napier-Bell
• Popsie Randolph, Benny Goodman
• George A. "Bullets" Durgom (1915–1992), Tommy Dorsey
• Morris I. (Moishe) Diamond (born 1921), Tommy Dorsey: 1940–1942
• Nifty Vickerson, Frank Sinatra
• Henry Snodgrass, Count Basie
• Willie Bobo, Machito's Afro-Cubans: 1947
• Fred Charap, Count Basie
• Jimmy Thomason (born 1919), Cliff Bruner
• Coke Escovedo, Tito Puente
• Ken Fujiwara, Count Basie, Japan tour: 1980s
• Bob "Little Gate" Walker, Bunny Berigan
• Bernard Arthurneal (Bernie) Mackey (1909–1980), Bunny Berigan
• Edward F. Gabel (1924–2014), Stan Kenton (left Kenton as bandboy to work for Earle Spencer as manager in 1947)

References

References

1. ''Name Dropper or "People I've Schlepped With"'', by Morris I. Diamond, [[BearManor Media]] (publisher) (2011); {{ISBN. 1593936532; {{ISBN. 9781593936532
2. [http://www.beverlyhillsrecordsinc.com/about.html Beverly Hill Records biography of Morris I. Diamond]
3. [http://www.mydesert.com/article/20101208/NEWS13/12070330/Vet-gained-friends-lost-hearing-war "Vet Gained Friends, Lost Hearing in War"] (bio), by Denise Goolsby, ''[[The Desert Sun]],'' December 7, 2010
4. www.allmusic.com]],'' [[Rovi Corporation]]
5. ''The jazz of the Southwest: an Oral History of Western Swing'', by Jean Ann Boyd, [[University of Texas Press]] (1998), pg. 58; {{ISBN. 0292708599; {{ISBN. 9780292708594; {{ISBN. 0292708602; {{ISBN. 9780292708600
6. [http://www.fredstudio.info/en/home-horizontal-slide/horizontal-slide-4/ "Horizontal Slide 2"] {{Webarchive. link. (2014-09-03 , ''website of Fred Charap'')
7. ''Bunny Berigan: Elusive Legend of Jazz'', by Robert Dupius (born 1926), [[Louisiana State University Press]] (1933), pg. 177; {{OCLC. 22662815 {{ISBN. 0807116483 {{ISBN. 9780807116487
8. [http://readperiodicals.com/201006/2101155431.html "Bunny Berigan – Mr. Trumpet: The Golden Boy Moves,"] by Michael Paul Zirpolo, Jr. (born 1950), ''[[IAJRC Journal]]'', June 1, 2010; {{ISSN. 0098-9487
9. ''Mr. Trumpet: The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumph of Bunny Berigan'', by Michael Paul Zirpolo, Jr. (born 1950), [[Scarecrow Press]] (1911) {{ISBN. 0810881527 {{ISBN. 978-0810881525
10. "As Written," ''[[Billboard (magazine). Billboard]]'', pg. 19, col. 1, March 22, 1947

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