Wow Tom! (TAE). Similar life experiences.
My first job was the silly paper route at 11 years old. Uphill both ways... lol! Even had a basket trailer behind my bicycle to deliver. Then it was a car wash/gas station attendant at 13 or so. Back then you could work as a child legally..
Many kitchen prep/dishwasher/busboy jobs came after. Then started playing in bands with older members and got some more hookups for better jobs. First was a union sheet metal Local 9 job where I became 'lead man' over people twice my age when I was 18. That ended when I got busted in the shower in the company weight room by the owner having sex with one of his female employees. She was married and the owner was deeply religious. I was one of those rock n roll slutty guys back then...
I then started working with my guitar player for my 'almost got famous' band doing tile installations. That band did awesome for a while. Barry Fey and Bill Bass (Fey Concerts) was our bands managers. They got us really big opening gigs. Best was opening at Mile High Stadium in 1992 for Kings X, Damn Yankees, REO Speedwagon.... We had a group of music attorneys that got us a record deal with tour support for a German record company. It fell through when the record label was sold and the band broke up over silly shit like girls, drugs and other personal issues. The usual band bullshit...
Over the next 2 decades after the breakup of my somewhat popular band, I switched from bass to drums and played with a few local bands. One with the big personality FM radio DJ. That got us gigs opening for sold out shows for the likes of Pantera, Suicidal, POD, and many others at larger venues. Hell, I played a theater show with Jim Brewer as the band backing his impersonations of Hetfield and AC/DC. That was actually one of the most fun gigs I have ever played just because of the premise. Well, the Mile High Stadium show is the most important because that is the day I conceived my oldest daughter that I just met a couple years ago. LOVE! The band thing never really paid the bills. Only covered expenses and the drugs/alcohol were cheap or free. Had to actually work to pay for food and a place to live.
Through out this trying to be a rock star, I had been installing tile and remodeling bathrooms since like 1990. Have had my own business since 1995. It pays the bills.
Don't play out much anymore other than reunion shows or guest fill ins, as I have family and I grew tired of the band drama crap. In order to keep my souls need to have music in my life, I built a home studio. I have always through the years helped produce other bands. I recorded the first demo in 1990 on an AKAI 4 track recorder in a storage facility with corrugated aluminum walls and a bbq grill for a heater.
I make a decent living still doing bathroom remodeling and as a retirement plan, I record other peoples broken dreams... LMAO! I think that funny, but I do take it seriously now and have been getting better every project.
Oh shit, I just went into a personal bio huh? Sorry, I forgot it was a 'first job' thread.
Merry Christmas to all of you! May covid not ruin your life!