I could have made a lot more money in another field. (In fact I did on a couple of occasions.) However there's something about succeeding, at least at some level, at what you love doing that's really satisfying.
Most people who try to make it as an entertainer don't really treat it as a job. You have to take care of business, in addition to being at least a passable musician or singer.
I learned to read music as a trumpet player, and that skill helped me in learning to play keyboard, but it's not the way I play now. Just learn the chord structure and play the melody and/or fills around that. Sounds simple now.