First thanks to everyone who responded to my post. It is hard to throw away something that has been part of my life for nearly 75 years. There is a back story here. When world war II ended I was still only 5 years old. During that time and the following 5 years my mother was the director of the USO in Belleville, Illinois - the home of Scott Field Air Force Base. During that time I got to see and hear the countries most famous singers and bands when they played at the Belleville USO. I often sat on the stage with them. You see, in the 1930's my mother and father travelled with one of the top vaudeville troops. They played next to Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, and many others from that time. Because of their relationship with these people they would come to the Belleville USO and stayed at our house on the visit. Of course I was to young to understand what all this meant and who these people were. Later my mother provided me with the best of teachers for piano and voice until I gradated from high school.
That was my intro to professional music. At age 12 I got to go to the Hollywood Canteen with my Mother. They had a special weekend for all the USO directors. By this time I knew who was who and all I can say is wow! At age 14 I started playing live gigs playing piano and singing at small dinner places until the Musicians Union in St. Louis raised a fuss because I was not a member. I bet some here remember the days when the Musicians union ran everything. But all turned out ok.

Today is Mothers Day and I could not pass it by without remembering how much she, and my father, did to provide me with a musical upbringing. Every time I play certain songs from the 30's and 40's my mind wonders back to some very special memories of my Mother and how much I appreciate all she, and my father, did to make sure my life would be a good one.


Wow - sorry for the vent. Again I appreciate the responses to my post.

Deane

Sorry?...I can read 'vents' like that 50 times a day. What a rich, rich early life. You are very lucky to have been blessed with the parents you had. Those memories are precious, believe me, I know. Good luck in your future endeavors.

chas

Deane, yes, you have been blessed in many ways ... my mom was my musical influence also, although not nearly to the same extent ... but she did ingrain in me the appreciation of all genres of music ...

At 16 years of age I was booked for a party with a friend of mine - both on accordion - we told the client that we were not in the union, but she booked us any way ... sure enough the union delegate came in and said if we didn't stop playing he was going to pull all the wait staff, bartenders and two bands that were playing in other rooms out ... the client paid us for the gig, and had us stay for the dinner, so we made out ok ...

Best of luck to you ...

Been thinking of not going back to playing live after the virus is gone.

Still into the score business, but there's something sad about giving up something I started in 1955, with 9 weeks off (until
recently).

Already taken on a huge writing job that will last two years, so I was looking for something to drop.

We'll see.

R.

Russ
I and many others are amazed at the schedule you have kept for many years,and very successfully,I may add. No one has more of a reason than you,IMO.

Bernie

Ah! The Musician's union ... joined in 1957. There wasn't any question at that time, if you played music, you had to join the union.

Oh,yes, as soon as they let us we were in ...

In the 60's I was hired to play with a band in Wildwood, NJ. First night on the job a union official came in and told me in order to play there I had to join the union. So I joined a NJ local. Then I was told I owed travel dues because Wildwood, NJ was in the Philadelphia, PA jurisdiction. The union did not enforce scale on that job, so it wasn't very profitable.

Nothing but bad experiences with the union here. It was an "old-boy" group and they never did anything to help me, but they were always there with their hand out at the end of the week. Twice when I needed them they sided with the club owners, so I quit. They gave all the jobs to the "insiders".
By then they didn't have any power as it was a "right to work" state.
They are still trying to get me to join again. I tell them I don't need them and they say but we need YOU. Right, they need my money. By not standing by me, and believe me I was in the right, they cost themselves 35 years of work dues.
Still makes me mad to think about it, but it's sort of a long story.