Then, Donny, you would NOT want to come see me. On the other side of the coin, I see tons of "lightweights" masking a lack of ability by playing fluff tunes, singing poorly and generally embarrasing themselves. They're not a problem for me because they are all fighting with the others for those $75.00 jobs.

Two of the top venues here ban Jimmy Buffet music, for example. The owners don't like it, personally, believe it is not right for the image of their establishments and don't want "parrot heads" as customers.

Again, we're talking semantics. On the one hand, there are "fluff" entertainers who will do almost anything for recognition/audience response. On the other, there are serious players who have real trouble relating to audiences and working steady jobs. I suspect that most of us are somewhere in the middle. In my case, I place the emphasis on the material and find places that value that skill set. I wish I were more of an entertainer...I just don't have that skill set, so I have to compensate.

In the 70's, I worked with the highest paid entertainer in this area. The job paid $1000.00 a week. I got $250 and appreciated it. This fellow, Preston Weber, was a super entertainer who never rehearsed, didn't know anything but sing alongs, folk and country. But, man, as an entertainer, he earned every dollar he made. I played the first and third set as a single on keyboards and backed him on a variety of instruments during his shorter sets. He knocked em dead. He worked 1/2 the time and earned three times the money. I could never do what he did and didn't want to.

I guess I'll have to be content to be...


Russ (Dead Beat) Lay

Oh Well....