Name Jack Warlitner | ||
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James Thomas 'Jack’ Warlitner, Jr. (September 9, 1925 - September 23, 2013) was the original head rigger for McManus Enterprises, a concert producer in the Philadelphia, PA area. He toured with many major tours in the 1970s. He became known as "Jack the Rigger" within the entertainment rigging industry. He was the first person to invert a CM Lodestar chain hoist to fly a lighting truss.
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Early years
Jack Warlitner was born in Clifton Forge, VA in 1925. In 1942 he joined the United States Navy where he served for 20 years. Following his retirement from the navy he worked in the Newport shipyards.
Head rigger for McManus Enterprises
Stage and production manager William McManus hired Warlitner in 1970 after seeing him climb the high steel of Hampton Coliseum to install chain motors (Hoist) hundreds of feet in the air. He toured with musicians hanging rigging for lighting trusses and loud speakers. He was head rigger for tours by Elton John, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, KISS and ZZ Top. He was also head rigger for many HBO events and Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
Comcast Sportsnet named him a MVP. He was declared "Oldest Working Rigger in the United States". He retired at age 79.