Alan’s job requires that he spend countless hours organizing his own schedule around, with no time to spare. He has the once and a lifetime job of being the tour manager to the one and only: Mrs. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.
My mom and Alan first met at the Chase Park Plaza hotel. It was Beyonce’s first time being in St. Louis in 2007 and also one of her first major tours. It was called “The Beyonce Experience.” My mom was working at the front desk as Alan approached her to check in. Quite simply, the two sparked up a conversation, he offered her tickets to the hottest show in town, and the rest is history.
So, how did Alan Floyd get to this enviable place in life? Was it his dream or just being in the right place at the right time? Since Alan is a friend of my mothers and I’ve known him for years, I picked up the phone to ask. Alan explained that though he loves music, he never intended to become a tour manager or even study music.
He attended Florida A&M University and Tennessee State University and studied Journalism.“I begun writing songs at the age of six,” Alan told me. He had been strongly influenced by his father, Eddie Floyd, one of the original Soul Men, who also produced one of the number one hits of the sixties, “Knock On Wood.” “I realized that music was what I really wanted to be involved in,” Alan told me. With the help of his father Eddie, major opportunities arose for him. No longer did he want anything to do with journalism.
Anyone backstage at some of the biggest shows ever for Yolanda Adams, Frank Ocean, Destiny’s Child, TLC, or Keith Sweat (all of whom he has worked for) know exactly who Alan is. Over the years, he has made a name for himself managing artists. Most recently, working for Beyonce for the past seventeen years unexpectedly. “The opportunity came up after working with TLC,” Alan said. As he stood backstage of the TLC show, he received a call from a friend asking if he was interested in working temporarily for Destiny’s Child. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, so, of course, he accepted it. They were the new hip-hop craze.
“It was supposed to be a job for only a little while, but here I am nearly seventeen years later.”
“There are definitely perks to working for Beyonce, but it is stressful working for the most popular female artist in the world,” Alan tells me. Being her tour manager, he is in charge of just about everything. From the moment that she leaves one city and goes to the next; it is nothing but craziness. He has to be in the next location the day before her to get things set up, but the day of the concert is the craziest, as he has to be up early to ensure she makes it from the airport safely, all of the special effects and lights are working properly, and most importantly, make sure that she is paid for performing.
With all of the chaoticness that goes along with his job, fortunately, there has been some very unforgettable moments to go along with it. Some of these special moments include performing at the Super Bowl, which they’ve done twice, and performing at the VMA’s. Alan said, “We used to visit McDonald’s houses to boost the kid’s morale before we did the show.” He also included, “I loved to do that. I’ve made so many children happy.”
Besides being a great tour manager, he does, in fact, make so many people happy, myself included. From the moment I met him, I’ve had the opportunity to attend each show in St. Louis, in the closest row possible. When the tour eventually comes to an end, after being on the road for nearly a year, the work may stop for Beyonce, but it’s a never ending process for Alan. If he’s not on tour, then he’s planning for a big music awards show; for instance, the VMA’s. “Everything has to be perfect,” Alan finished.
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