Roadie was a 1980 musical comedy conceived as a showcase for a new kind of American hero: Travis W. Redfish, a highly skilled Texan equipment fixer drawn into the rock-and-roll world. Now regarded as a chaotic cult film, it brought together prominent musicians including Meat Loaf, Blondie, Alice Cooper and Roy Orbison, reflecting the close links between music management and film promotion at the time.

The project emerged after Blondie signed with Alice Cooper’s manager, Shep Gordon, in 1979 following the recording of Eat To The Beat. Gordon proposed a cameo for the band and had already recruited Cooper; he also suggested Meat Loaf for the central role. The film was produced by Carolyn Pfeiffer, a former publicist with experience working for figures including The Beatles, Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand, and a business partner in Gordon’s management company.