roadie

American  

[roh-dee] / ˈroʊ di /

noun

Slang.

1. a member of a crew for a traveling group of musicians or other entertainers, whose work usually includes the setting up of equipment.

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roadie British  

/ ˈrəʊdɪ /

noun

1. informal a person who transports and sets up equipment for a band or group

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Etymology

Origin of roadie

1965–70; road (from the idiom on the road ) + -ie; analogous to groupie

Example Sentences

In 1984, Kershaw first anchored the BBC's flagship TV rock programme, The Old Grey Whistle Test, having been spotted while he was working a roadie and driver for performer Billy Bragg.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

As the roadie puts it in “Wayne’s World 2,” “Keith cannot be killed by conventional weapons.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025

They were there to hear from Shaul Magid, 65, whose long, thin white beard and shaved head made him look more like a roadie than a rabbi.

From New York Times • Jan. 14, 2024

A machine-learning neural network dubbed MAL in homage to the Beatles’ beloved roadie Mal Evans, the technology provides the capability for separating audio tracks into their component parts.

From Salon • Nov. 10, 2023

If Gene Johnson were to put on a black leather jacket, he could pass for a roadie with the Grateful Dead.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston