Thank You To Everybody.
I'm very touched by your taking the time to start and add to this thread. As some of you may know, I also write a column for Harder Beat magazine in Dallas. This is my column for May:
May, 2002 - On Being An Old Rocker.
This month (on May 26th, to be exact), I'll turn 65 years old. For over 51 of those 65 years, I've been involved in music in one form or another, as a producer, engineer, songwriter, performer, arranger, equipment designer, photographer, ad writer, or manufacturer. I've played in folk groups, pop bands, country bands, western swing bands, bluegrass bands, jazz groups, polka bands, blues bands, and I've heard just about every kind of music there is, from string quartets to death metal.
I've hung out with Zappa, Clapton, Hendrix, Morrison, Joplin, Garcia, and a host of other music legends. I've slept on living room floors at times, and I've also had a gorgeous house at the top of Laurel Canyon, while driving
an Eldorado and a Mercedes. Other times, I drove an old, beat-up Renault. I worked for Fender, Gibson, Peavey, Morley, Ross, Acoustic, Charvel, Jackson, JBL, Trayner, and Rhodes. I've played to 40,000 people and I've been on stage at Carnagie Hall. I was at the Monterey Pop Festival, and the Miami Pop Festival, and a ton of other festivals.
Music has taken me to just about every state in the U.S. (except Alaska), and I've been to England, France, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Korea - all as a result of my involvement with music. Was I lucky? Hell, yes. If I had my life to live over again would I do things differently? Hell, no. These days, I'm hearing exciting new groups and still doing what I love best; getting 100% involved in the music business, watching a whole new generation of musicians growing. What other industry has so many rewards? Coming off stage after doing a great set is still one of the biggest rushes of all time.
But every musician faces a time when they hafta decide whether to keep at it, or just take a day job and forget about the music. "Growing up", they call it. Well, the hell with them. If not "growing up" means living and breathing music, then I guess I'm still a kid. Somehow, I've always managed to make my living doing something involved with music. Yeah, there were times when I didn't make the rent, but it always worked out somehow. Usually for the best. If one plan didn't work out, there was always something else waiting, just around the corner.
There are a lot of groups these days that seem to be breaking up for one reason or another. For those musicians that go on and form a new group out of the ashes, I applaud you.You're doing the right thing, and if you stay with it, eventually something will happen. Maybe you won't be a superstar, but if you're playing for people that enjoy your music and you're making a living from it, that's what counts. Even though I've played for huge crowds, some of my best memories were from playing a little beer bar to maybe 15 people.
Every Thursday, in downtown Krum, a bunch of really old farts get together and play country songs for about 2 hours in a sandwich shop. They play pretty badly, although a couple of them were probably pros at some point in their life. Now they just do it for fun, and it doesn't make any difference if nobody else is there, or there's a big crowd of 6 people listening. They play for fun, There's usually one or two members that screw up the chords, or throw in a few extra beats, but they're having fun playing - and that's the important part.
Lately, I've been playing bass with them, and I've been having a ball. Me and the dobro player are the only people in the group that don't need to use a capo, and most of the songs have the same 3 chords, but it's a lot of fun to be playing, just because you love music.
Now, what the hell does this have to do with you? It's all about music, making choices, and enjoying life. If I were to drop dead tomorrow, I've lived a life that most people only dream about, and I don't regret a bit of it. At 65, I'm getting into Linken Park, Korn, Tool, and a lot of the new bands. It's all music and it's all good. Will you be able to say that you wouldn't have done things any different when you're 65? Life is now - in real time. Live it, or do not live it - it's your choice.
