One of the longest-running acts at Carnegie Hall doesn't sing or play an instrument. He's an usher who has been inspecting tickets for a half century. His name is Joseph Reid. He’s 80 years old, and he’s been on the job since 1968.

When did Reid start?

Reid started on September 11, 1968. At the time, he had a full-time job, but was looking for a second paycheck to help support his wife and three kids. “You have to make extra money,” Reid told us. “You know, with three kids, you have to make sure they have the right things aside from food.”

When he arrived for his interview, he was told to put on a uniform and get to work. Prior to that day, the Harlem native had never been to Carnegie Hall, and he was expecting it to be a little different.  “People didn’t dress up,” Reid recalled. “I thought they came in gowns and stuff. But that didn’t happen. I got over it right away.”

What does he do day-to-day?

Since 1978, Reid has been Carnegie’s head usher. He’s responsible for overseeing a team of more than 70 ushers. Most days, he arrives at 4 p.m. He quickly switches into a tuxedo adorned with a shiny pin that reads “Head Usher,” and then gets to work. He makes sure the programs are ready and that the ushers know their marching orders. During the shows, he usually walks between Carnegie’s three auditoriums and handles the backstage guest lists. Carnegie Hall estimates that he has ushered more than 28,000 concerts!

Are all the ushers part-time?

About half of the ushers consider it a part-time job. All of them are unionized. They get paid for each performance they work and receive health care. Some ushers are theater students who love music, while others are like Reid, who are just looking to earn some extra money.

Reid has probably seen some amazing concerts, right?

Reid isn’t the type of employee to sit still for a few minutes, but he does admit to perking up when some performers have come on stage – including pianist Vladimir Horowitz, Frank Sinatra, Dionne Warwick and Liza Minnelli. “I always liked Liza,” he said. “She was great. If you’ve ever seen any of her shows, she was just on her feet. She was going, going, going. And I had never personally met her, but one time she came in and I happened to get into the elevator with her and I must have made some kind of joke, and she put her head on my shoulder. I said ‘wow.’”

Does Reid have any retirement plans?

Not yet. He loves his job. He also likes that it keeps him active. He jokes that he has kept working because he has enjoyed seeing how all the renovation projects have turned out.

His hard work has paid off. Earlier this month, Carnegie Hall named a seat in his honor. “It's like I'll be here forever after I leave,” Reid told us. “This will be here as long as Carnegie Hall is here. I have a chair at Carnegie Hall.”

Michael is always looking for interesting people to profile. If you know someone, please email him at nycstories@ny1.com