Wow, what an appropos story. This is EXACTLY what I have discussed on some forums... something like live karaoke. Because it's so hard to make any money anymore. But I've never gone through with it because I really don't know if I could take it. I mean, again, last week, I let a girl sing a song and she was just terrible. That one guest was enough to ruin me again. I can't imagine a whole evening, much less a career of that. Wow.

Of course, the reason Preston could do it was maybe he just didn't have a very good ear. If you were even close, he probably enjoyed it.

Did Preston drink?

When we have discussed this on forums, I came up with the idea that the only way I could see it being tolerable is that you have only x-number of guest songs per set and the rest of the time, you could play your music. So they wouldn't take over and hog every song.

Now that I think back, I don't know if I've ever had any guest singer who was worth a flip.

A biggie for me is people up there around my gear. Tripping over cords, drunks leaning into equipment. Yikes. That makes me very nervous. I keep thinking I'll string up that black and yellow "Danger" tape around the stage.

I've done a lot of it, particularly when I had "piano" bars. I don't like it at all.
I've had many sit-ins who were very good, and I wish there was a way to invite them and exclude the others, but it's a touchy situation.
It's even worse now that Karaoke is so big, because people come up thinking that's what I do and some of them really can't understand that I'm playing the songs myself.
I've had several come up and say "let me see your book", thinking I have those lists that the K-guys hand out.
DonM

Right On, Don!!!

I don't know which is worse: A) having a guest singer that makes the crowd groan, or B) having one that is better than me.
Hey! It happens.

Tonight I am filling in for a guy at private club where the format for the evening is "open mic" and encouragement of group singing. Management knows this is a departure from what I normally do...but they fully explained the program to me and I appreciate knowing in advance what it is all about. So, no one will be turned away..and what happens, happens. They even video tape the singers and play it back during breaks to jeers and cheers at the bar.

Yeah, its kinda Karaoke-ish...but at least they hired a live player to do the job.

Eddie

I cut my first record in 1958 at the age of 18...I had made a demo in 57 singing lead in
a vocal group consisting of 4 Afro-Americans
and myself...before the record was released, I was voted out of the group and replaced with a friend of the baritone also Afro- American...total pay received $125.00...such
is life....did a lot of Doo Wop back then...
still do...the folks like it and ask for it
a lot....I then tried to jump to swing and standards recording "Satin Doll" in 1959...
should've studied the piano.....didn't, so here I am at age 65 starting to learn how to play the key board...I am working hard at it...maybe one day I'll get it....the point being, I've traveled and performed all over
entertaining since I was 18...I have been here in Mexico for 20 years where I can't get good musicians....had to resort to using
karaoke discs to continue singing and entertaining my customers in my restaurant...
I've had to endure the "Shower Singers" many times, some good and most well, just say they
were here and tried....I do everything here from Willie Nelson to Phantom all in the original keys...so the Karaoke concept will
work with a plan...remember, all of the musicians show up on time, all play in the same key and tempo...no drunks or drug users
no personal conflicts or who is the star and they all work for the same pay...But, I will master this Psr 3000 before I leave this place and when I go, I will leave the legacy
to my now 7 year daughter Francesca who will take over....opps, sorry for babbling, I just want to share the karaoke concept with you all....BTW, DO YOU KNOW WHAT KARAOKE MEANS IN JAPANESE????......

TONE DEAF...HEHEHE

Eddie, be sure and take a "cheapo" guest mic.
Not only because they might drop it, but because they will infect it with bad notes.
DonM

".I have been here in Mexico for 20 years where I can't get good musicians...."

I'm not that far away from you...and for hire!
A couple weeks in Mexico sounds good to me.
DonM

Don...what I would like to do is get about 10 or 12 guys and put together a "Big Band"
for down here...it would be an instant success and a money maker....IMHO...you have any players in mind????

Preston drank on stage....Coke in a coctail glass. He would stop periodically and invite everyone to have a drink with him. It made the cash register ring and that's what he was all about. He got a percentage of sales in addition to an exorbitant (for this area)
salary. In the mid-60's, he was making $1000.00 a week plus a 10% override (10% of bar sales over $1000.00 during the 4 hours he worked), room, meals, drinks, entertainment allowance and laundry. I was making $300.00 and lucky to get it.

He worked the room...knowing just how many drinks one table would buy waiting to get up on stage before they left. Just before the table reached that point he would invite the "performer" at that table to "come on up".

Preston was just marginally better than the awful guests musically, but that was the point. He created a party every night. Many people were there 3-4 nights per week.

Sadly, in 1994, Preston developed tongue cancer (wasn't a smoker...probably the years in a smokey lounge) and had to have 1/2 his tongue removed, along with skin from his left forearm to repair the damage. The operation took 23 1/2 hours, and he was given a 25% chance of surviving 5 years. He is still alive, living on disability and gambling. He has a feeding tube and is impossible to understand. Never could play much guitar, but left arm damage makes any playing impossible. Eating, singing and entertaining was what this guy's life was all about and now he can't do any of it.

He was a unique performer...not my style, but it worked


Russ

It happened again last night - second time this week that someone decided that they would sing with me. This elderly guy walked up on stage and said "I want to see your songlist so I can pick out some songs that I can sing with you". My reply was "no, I don't do that" and I took a break and left. Earlier in the week it was an elderly lady.

There are karaoke bars, open jam nights, and other local groups/bars that invite singers... there is no lack of places for this. I think that's what driving this - people really do assume that they can sing anywhere. I'm the exception rather than the rule I think. Fortunately management supports me 100% - another guy who plays where I do allows singers and word is that it always sucks and it always empties the seats.

I want to get a sign with a microphone and a red slash circle on it.

In an earlier post I mentioned the "open mic" gig I was to play tonight.

Well....I guess what actually happened at the job should go under a lesson called, "Don't assume anything".

I was prepared for the just about anything and expecting a lot of "guest singers". I had a guest mic set up but out of view. I used a headset mic for myself. Apparantly the headset with no other mic in view gave the impression there was not another mic available.

As the evening progressed one lady asked if I had another mic, and I gave it to her. She was pretty good. When I prompted the audience for a show of support...the response was minimal. In spite of that, she came up and asked to sing four other times.

Later, the bar manager told me the members were sick and tired of her and others who sing the same songs week after week. Several members told the bar manager that tonight was much more enjoyable than most Fridays because I kept it very tight...not giving much time for anyone to ask to sing.

He plans to tell the guy I filled in for to get a headset and not even bring another mic.

That could be a rough call in light of the fact that he has been caving to singer's requests for the last two years.

Eddie