Are you a former road crew member for Mama's Pride? If so, this is your
page.
This was suggested to me by Jack Dedert who wrote:
"Thanks for putting this together. I wish I could access all of the acts
that I've worked for this easily. Anyhow, wonderful job!
Anyway, the myriad of guys who crewed the Pride's shows over the years were
(are?) a colorful bunch (present company exluded). I wonder what happened
to many of them. Any idea where Jerry Kovac or Ed Birch ended up? Maybe
you could include a small info page--contact info mostly, I'd think--just
enough so those we knew could get in touch and vice versa.
I know where a couple of the later (circa 78-84, my era) guys are, but I
wonder about the rest."
Jack added "One of the things about the band was the feeling of 'family' that pervaded
the whole experience. I think that must be somewhat unusual--at least in my
experience since leaving St. Loo. I'd like to see some of the 'family'
again, or at least find out what happened to them all."
So, thanks for the idea and getting it started Jack. We'll see if we can round up the others. If you are
a former road crew member for Mama's Pride, please
e-mail the webmaster.
I mixed front of house and monitor sound for M.P. from (I think) 78-82 and
worked for "The Pride" for a while in 84 before I left St. Louis forever.
Before that and in between, I worked with "The Action," which Danny lists in
his bio. I still think back fondly on those days.....
Anyway, I'm in Nashville these days, running an event staffing operation.
We supply technicians of all sorts, stagehands and riggers for concerts,
conventions, trade shows and the like.
Other bio stuff: Married (since 90) two girls since then (10yo
& 4yo), two older ones that came with the deal, 16yo girl and 24yo boy(?).
Living in Nashville full time since 87. Before that dividing my time evenly
between here, Missouri and Europe.
Jack Dedert
InLabor, Inc.
Nashville, TN
Jim Egan, who worked with the group in the end days of the early 80's is still living in St. Louis and traveling with the group Alabama among others.
I was the lighting designer for a local band that opened for The Pride in a
club in Jackson TN and their Road Manager David Cloud asked for my contact
info. Shortly thereafter he called and asked me to go with them on their
stint with Greg Allman, which was about 1978. I stayed on until around
1982. I was the guy who's Harley got hit in front of Cahokia Downs if
anyone got the license number! I went back to Tennessee and worked with a
band called The Windows that toured regionally, and wrote the words to a
song on their self-produced album. I started feeling too old to push gear
in and out of trucks around 1991 and got married to Karen, who I met in
Pensacola FL, and after setting up my own shop and trying the consumer
electronics repair business, I was offered the position as Communications
and Electronics Technician at the Department of Computer Services of the
University of Tennessee in Martin in 1992, where I've been since. I still
have my lighting gear, which I store on campus and use to supplement their
system for various university events ranging from fraternity shows to rap
concerts. When larger events come in I'll take a break from my *real* job,
and you can find me driving the fork lift, ramrodding the student crews and
hooking up the power for the acts. I guess I'll always be a roadie...
Boring home pages at:
http://www.utm.edu/~relmore
When I quit my job as an electrical draftsman/designer in June of 1978 to
join the Mama's Pride road crew, my family, friends and even some band
members thought I was making a big mistake. Why leave a decent career to go
on the road with a rock band?
Looking back, I wouldn't change a thing. What a great experience. I
learned a lot about life, friendship, loyalty, God, teamwork and myself.
What a great group of guys to be around. We laughed long, hard and often.
It was a great life for a single guy with limited responsibilities. Free
beer, free girls and free road trips! Could it get any better?
My how things change! I am now married and have been blessed with a great
family. My wife Anne, our 2 kids (a son, Michael, born in 1987 and a
daughter, Abigail, born in 1990) and I live in Webster Groves. I left the
band in December of 1980 and went back to my previous profession and now am
a senior electrical designer for a consulting engineering firm in St. Louis
specializing in electrical systems design for telecommunication companies
facilities. Life is very good.
I look back fondly on my days with"The Pride" and am glad I don't have to
wonder "what if?"
I'd enjoy hearing from any band members, crew or fans that remember the
great time that we all shared. Or even those who, for various reasons,
don't or can't remember.
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