{"id":1262,"date":"2014-05-21T01:20:12","date_gmt":"2014-05-21T06:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/garyhayescountry.com\/?p=1262"},"modified":"2023-09-04T00:12:07","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T00:12:07","slug":"gary-hayes-salutes-the-worlds-oldest-roadie-ben-dorsey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/garyhayescountry.com\/?p=1262","title":{"rendered":"Gary Hayes Salutes The Worlds Oldest Roadie Ben Dorsey"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"th7A2C5YDM\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I have always said this about Country Music..it has three fundamentals or “Building Blocks”.
\nSongwriters, Publishers and Steel Guitarists. And pretty much in that order to be honest.
\nBut there are so many behind the scenes that make the show so special to us.
\nHow bout the lighting guy or the sound man? How about the TEAM of people it takes
\nto put on a show?<\/p>\n

I want to tell you about THIS MAN Ben Dorsey..and I promise you probably ninety five
\npercent of other “country music” websites couldn’t tell you who he is.
\nI CAN and I WILL, because I think he needs to be loved.
\nJust as much as you love your old crackly vinyls and the warmth of your
\nneedle.<\/p>\n

Ben Dorsey is now 84 years old AND STILL TRAVELS for bands like Jason Boland
\nand the Stragglers and Merle Haggard.
\nHe has worked shows and tours for over 200 artists and bands.<\/p>\n

Charley Pride, Willie Nelson and even the mighty Waylon Jennings have been
\nset up and broke down by Old Ben.
\nBrooks And Dunn and several borderline pop country acts and Traditional country
\nacts have also hired him.<\/p>\n

He has been nominated “Roadie For Life” by Willie Nelson and his entourage
\ncalled “Family”.
\nHe has reportedly worked more shows and tour than any other person in the world.
\nAnd he’s been to all seven continents and couldn’t remember a country he has
\nNOT been to accept North Korea.<\/p>\n

Red Sovine named a song after him on his compilation album “Phantom 309”
\nthat was released in 1987. NOT to be confused with the 1968 Starday album
\nof the same name.
\nThe song was called “Big Ben Dorsey The Third”.<\/p>\n

He tells many stories of working with Ray Price in the 1940’s for six years.
\nAnd he actually worked for Hank Williams and Ben is the only roadie to have
\nworked in three different centuries.
\nHe was at the opening of the original Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop on Broadway
\nin 1947 and he flipped the switch that turned on the iconic neon sign
\nthat still glows and warms up Broadway.<\/p>\n

To this day Ben Dorsey still travels America’s highways setting up
\nthe show and busting it down and moving on to the next big town.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have always said this about Country Music..it has three fundamentals or “Building Blocks”. Songwriters, Publishers and Steel Guitarists. And pretty much in that order to be honest. But there are so many behind the scenes that make the show so special to us. How bout the lighting guy or the sound man? How about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3092,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t