![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_left_1.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_left_2.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_span.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_right_1.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_right_2.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/left_span.gif) |
#86150 - 01/28/05 07:07 AM
Re: The dreaded guest singer
|
Senior Member
Registered: 08/28/04
Posts: 2206
Loc: Louisiana, USA
|
Originally posted by captain Russ: Preston leveraged egos into a lifetime career. 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.
_________________________
~ ~ ~ Bill
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/right_span.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_left_1.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_left_2.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_span.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_right_1.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_right_2.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_left_1.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_left_2.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_span.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_right_1.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_right_2.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/left_span.gif) |
#86153 - 01/28/05 09:27 AM
Re: The dreaded guest singer
|
Member
Registered: 12/11/04
Posts: 1374
Loc: Cozumel Mexico
|
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
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/right_span.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_left_1.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_left_2.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_span.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_right_1.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_right_2.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_left_1.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_left_2.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_span.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_right_1.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/top_right_2.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/left_span.gif) |
#86157 - 01/28/05 12:29 PM
Re: The dreaded guest singer
|
Senior Member
Registered: 01/02/04
Posts: 7294
Loc: Lexington, Ky, USA
|
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
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/right_span.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_left_1.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_left_2.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_span.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_right_1.gif) |
![](http://www.synthzone.com/forum/styles/images/black_and_gold/bottom_right_2.gif) |
|
|