What Ended Your Careers?

Billy Carr · Post by **Billy Carr** » 10 May 2005 12:53 am

Well, here I am at 47 years old. In the 80's and 90's I worked in local clubs playing steel guitar for five and sometimes six nights a week. Along with this I also worked a day job all those years having to be at work at 6:00 a.m. I never tried or used any drugs to keep going. Finally in 1998 in all caught up with me. I was totally burned out. Sold all of my equipment and simply got out of music business. Stayed out until 2001. I woke up one day and it was just as clear as a bell. I was rested and had a new outlook towards music again. I thought about it for a while and decided to start back playing. As far as the "Big Time" playing with the stars and so on goes, I worked in opryland at the Country Music USA show in 1977 during the summer. I learned real quick that wasn't what I wanted to do. At 19, away from Mississippi for the first time I didn't know anyone was about to starve to death and was just making enough to split apartment rent with a horn player from a jazz group. This wasn't my idea of working in Nashville as a steel player. I found out real quick that they were real pickers up there in Tennessee. I was hired to replace Curly Chalker. I didn't know that at the time I was hired or I probably would've turned the job down. I did meet some real nice people at Opryland that were players and singers and many of them were like I was trying to find a place to fit in and make it. Well, to end all this BS there was a girlfriend I had left behind also. So I returned to Mississippi broke with a 72' Ford that actually broke down about a block from my home. Went to work for the state right after that and graduated from the Ms. Law Enforcement Training Academy in 1979. Worked in law enforcement up until 2001. Then I went into business for myself. Now I can play pretty much when I want and where I want to. There's a lot more I could add to this but I'm only going to add one more final thing. Music is a part of the person you sit and watch play. When a person is at peace within themselves then it flows through there music. It took me a long time to find that inner peace. Now I enjoy steel guitar music more than I ever have. I play what I feel. Sometimes it comes out the way I want it and sometimes it doesn't.

Dan Beller-McKenna · Post by **Dan Beller-McKenna** » 10 May 2005 5:37 am

Hey-great thread!

I played steel and guitar in bar bands for about seven or eight years in the late '70s-early '80s, but never for a living. Mostly I did weekends while in high school and college. My downfall was taking a course on music history in college (I was a journalism major). I discovered this whole other planet of music (classical) and actually liked some of it. The final blow was trying to play classical music on the steel. I did this --quite horrendously--for a couple of years, then decided it would make more sense to study classical guitar to learn some discipline and theory, etc. At some point I reached the foolish conclusion that I could only do the classical thing right if I went cold turkey on the country and rock, so I (gulp) (sniffle) sold ALL of my equipment: Martin D-18, early '70s Telecaster, some crappy amp I was using at the time, and eventually my 12 string E-9 steel built by John Zeidler of Philadelphia.

Well, long story made short, I took was only slightly more adept at classical guitar as I had been at classical steel, so I followed my natural appetite for history and became a music historian and have been teaching in college for 11 years. Then, out of the blue, I was overcome with the absolute need to start playing the steel again about two months ago. So I bought a Carter-Starter and it's coming back very quickly. I'm hoping to join the ranks of those of you who have found a way to pick and choose your playing situations.

Dan

Billy Woo · Post by **Billy Woo** » 10 May 2005 7:21 am

" Demon Rum "

Bronco Billy

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 10 May 2005 10:56 am

Career over???........who said dat??? At 67,I'm workin' more NOW,than I did 5 years ago!! And all w/o the "able assistance" of the local AFM,which I,very coincidently,resigned from,5 yrs ago.!!

Fortunately,I don't have to "hit the road" anymore.

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<pre> ~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com</pre>

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 10 May 2005 11:44 am

I've been staying away from this post, but, the idea of my musical career being over, doesn't sit well with me. As of right now, I have 4 gigs to play by Oct. Not much of a schedule I'll admit, but, it's my choice to slow down. I do miss not playing 4-5 nights a week and having all that extra money(Keyword-Extra) in my pocket, but, many other happenings in my life have sent me in this direction.Two wives, children, houses, insurances, vehicles, and sometimes not so good health, have sent me down life's highway just shaking my head and wondering what might have been. Thank God I kept my day job, though. The benefits and insurance have always been there to help. Even though it was really tough burning the candle at both ends, it was worth every minute of it.I, too, would do it all over again. In actuality, I don't consider "my career" as being over yet. I am willing to take any gig that I'm asked to do. Granted, the offers aren't tying up my phone lines any, but, that choice has been mine. I'll always consider myself a musician, but, the carpentry aspect now fills the coffers. I'd like to think that,when I retire from building things, I can then go back to a more active musical career. Not too hective, just enough to keep my hand in the game.

Wayne Morgan · Post by **Wayne Morgan** » 10 May 2005 2:08 pm

well,,,my musical life started off slow and just tapered off. Music has been a great part of my life,, but I always played when it was fun and went home when it was work.
now I play once a week at a community deal and haveing a lot of fun. Always had to have a day job to suport my habbit of eating.

Wayne

Ian Finlay · Post by **Ian Finlay** » 10 May 2005 2:46 pm

I spent a year or so as a full time FOH engineer at a well-known London venue. Working 3 days/nights from 2pm to 2am made me ill, even though it paid good money. Got back into computers, and that has made a very lucrative career. Sometimes it's even fun, but the more I get promoted the less fun it is.

Now I sit in meetings figuring out licks in my head, and picturing them on guitar and steel, and figuring out the theory behind why they work. Like Bob said, empty inside.

I still play with my DooWop band every couple of months, and do some backing jobs too. Maybe I'll get to play steel live sometime as well, but at least I can pick what I want to play!

Ian

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 10 May 2005 5:37 pm

I guess my story is about like most of the others allready posted..

I fell into the "full time" status accidently, had no thoughts about playing music for a living.. In 1972 while working on a construction job, the client locked the gates and said that's it!!! While wondering what I was gonna do,[2,500 miles from home] the band leader at this bar I was at offered me a job playing Bass 6 nights a week.. Ahhh, I get to eat this
week!!!
After about 6 months with this band I put my own group together, [had visions of being a star] Even went to Nashville and cut a 45, ya'll remember them!!! [co-written by Joe Green, and Joe Terry] Incidently this cut has some nice steel on it,, although I'm ashamed to admitt, that after 2 divorces, and a house fire, and all the bad booze, I don't even remember who done the steel work, all the material on it was lost, all I have left is the 1 copy my mother had.

After a lot of miles, bad food, bad booze, and yeah,, bad women, I finally ended up back home in Oka. in 1980, burned out, fed up, and just plain wore out. Oh yeah, did I mention "broke"??

Well, after about a 5 yr. break, I couldn't stand it any more,, but this time, with a wife and kids to support, I done it as a side line, for my enjoyment, and kept my day job!!!

In 1998, jobs got a little tight, and I tried one more "fling" on the road [about 5 months], this time as the Steel Guitarist for a good solid 5 pc. club band. Once more, I nearly starved to death!! Hell, made more $$$$ in the 70's.

So now I choose the jobs I want, and the places I want to play, And they are WEEK-END ONLY jobs..

Career over???? If I ever had one,,, I like to think it's just begining!!

Larry

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Emmons S/D-10, 3/4, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

[This message was edited by Larry Strawn on 10 May 2005 at 06:42 PM.][This message was edited by Larry Strawn on 10 May 2005 at 06:59 PM.]

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 10 May 2005 8:19 pm

Thank God I kept my day job...

"Day job"??.......whazzat???

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<pre> ~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com</pre>

Jennings Ward · Post by **Jennings Ward** » 10 May 2005 8:19 pm

I HATE TO ADMIT IT , BUT I HAD TO QUIT FOR ALL THE REASONS MENTIONED ABOVE AND THEN SOME.PLUS I DONT LIKE TO BE SHOT AT... FACT IS , AFTER TALKING TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO PLAY REGULARY , I MADE MORE MONEY IN THE 1950'S AND 60'S THAN MOST OF THEM MAKE NOW. 50 BUCKS A NITE IN THE 50/60'S WAS DAM GOOD MONEY...NOW THEY TELL ME THAT THEY ARE LUCKY TO GET THAT.....WHERE IS THE BENIFIT.... I ONLY PAID 25 BUCKS A WEEK FOR APT WITH WVERY THING FURNISHED, IN A GOOD PART OF TOWN....... DRANK TO EVERYONES HEALTH SO MUCH THAT IT RUINED MINE..........NOW I SUFFER..... GOOD LUCK YA'LL ........JENNINGS.
NOW YOU KNOW WHY I LIKE POSSUM SO MUCH......GOT POWERFUL HONGARY TOO MANY TIMES...

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EMMONS D10 10-10 profex 2 deltafex ne1000 pv1000, pv 31 bd eq, +

Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 10 May 2005 8:23 pm

Lack of talent.

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 10 May 2005 8:31 pm

I was a weekend warrior for many years, playing the local VFW dances, was in a house band for 7 years at a Music Barn, plus a lot of other one nighters. Most of the time, made $50 to $60 per night. With the investment in equiptment, travel expenses, clothes, etc. I always considered music a hobby. The places we were playing started wanting our social security numbers to issue us an IRS form 1099 reporting our earnings. Everybody in the band refused, so we were out of a job. Everybody felt that when the day comes that the IRS gets involved in our hobby and we have to start keeping records and filing reports on our earnings is the day we hang it up. That was 10 years ago and I still feel the same way. I play at home and don't have to move my equiptment or play in a smoke filled enviroment.

Wayne Brown · Post by **Wayne Brown** » 11 May 2005 3:59 am

All these stories are wonderful and got me thinking. I’m 44 years old and have been on a guitar since I was 10 or 12 years old. I can’t seam to remember that far back. when exactly I started. I have always loved anything to do with music. I remember in the early 70’s when my parents had taken in a boarder and he caught me singing to records down in the basement one day. He gave me the best advice I have ever got. He said. If you love music so much you should always try to do it for a living. At 12 or 14 years old that type of advice coming from an old guy. (Remember I was a kid and anybody older than 20 was an old guy). Anyways I blew it off never really thought about it again until now. I guess without knowing it, I took his advice. I always played. Weather it was full or part time. That never stopped. I think I approached it backwards. (How do I supplement my playing? Rather than getting a day gig, and play for a hobby). So to this day I still do this. I always have my fingers in some portion of music. I drive school bus in the days for handicap kids. Between the school runs and at night I work as a recording engineer. I’m a manufacturer of cases, rack units and cabinets etc. I teach musical theory, steel guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar and bass. And I work on and restore steel guitars, all out of my home or shop, and of coarse I play. As a country artist in Calgary, there are a lot of venues that I can play within a short driving distance from my home. A road musician never really interested me as I have to be more involved than that. It’s hard to explain, but when I get a thrill out of seeing the look on a students face when he/she finally gets that one lick they’ve been working so hard on, or understanding chord progressions clicks in. it’s like I lifted a screen or something and then there off at a full run. As for manufacturing and restorations? The look on customers faces when there happy with the product you’ve built. Or the instrument that was bound for the grave has been brought back to near mint condition. I must admit that I’ve been blessed with the ability to understand physics and mechanical issues. So I say to you, do what your heart tells you when it comes to music. If you love music stay in it, play it, build it, teach it and share it and I promise it will warm your heart and soul. And if you need a little reminder just ask little Jonathon in Arizona or David Wright. I promise all the good in music will shine through
Thanks for listening to my ramblings
Wayne brown
c/o out west country entertainment and sound

Jim Hinton · Post by **Jim Hinton** » 11 May 2005 4:21 pm

Simple ... after 20 years of playing, it wasn't fun anymore, and the money sucked.

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 11 May 2005 4:29 pm

Nothing yet, but there's still plenty of time left in the day...

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 11 May 2005 7:05 pm

...maybe it was those last 16 choruses of"Chicken Shack"...

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 11 May 2005 7:15 pm

"Shack it".. god.. I remember tagging sets with Chicken Shack for a couple years on end.. I think that might have been "it" for me too now that I think about it...

EJL

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 11 May 2005 10:07 pm

...or was it just too many requests for "Boot Scoot Boogie"...

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 12 May 2005 10:37 am

It may been the endless requests to play "Achy Breaky Heart"!

www.genejones.com [This message was edited by Gene Jones on 19 May 2005 at 04:39 AM.]

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 12 May 2005 4:38 pm

Gene J.

I can sympathize with ya on that one!!!

I think one more time would of got me too!!!

Larry

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Emmons S/D-10, 3/4, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 12 May 2005 5:16 pm

You ever had to play, "Don't mess with my toot-toot"?

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 12 May 2005 5:50 pm

Jim,,NOOOOOOOO,,LOL..

But it's been requested!!!
Larry

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 12 May 2005 5:57 pm

Let's see, my "career", huh? ...Hmmmm... My "career"? Uh-huh. Yeah. Well,... um, can I get back to you on that...?

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 15 May 2005 5:13 am

Nothing...

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 15 May 2005 9:14 am

The thing that ended my career playing in the country cover band scene was the word "sasified" from the song "strokin".

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Bob
intonation help