The Future (and Past)

Alan Tanner · From: Near Dayton, Ohio

I am kind of curious as to what todays steelers, or any musicians for that matter, do about the future for themselves. Many years ago when I first got out of the military and was much lighter (bar room tan AND gravity related) and had a lot of hair, I played full time for a few years. of course, there was a lot more work then, and playing 7 nights a week in some night club, and picking up a few day time gigs was pretty common. I made a lot of cash, but never seemed to have any. Always seemed to be partying or some such extra ciricular activities that drained away the bux. So many of the guys I knew back then, after they got older and never pursued any other life goals, have ended up pretty much destitute, no insurance, and not even enuff to bury them in a lot of cases. Has the union stepped in and set up anything?? Do the fulltime guys manage to have 401K's (now 201) or insurance or anything like that??? Most of the fellers I knew/know, if they have anything at all, it's thru a wife's job, as the money just doesnt seem to be there anymore from club work. And when yer young, you think you are bullett proof and are never going to fall on ill health or death. I think R.O.P.E. was trying to do something along these lines, but I dropped out of that years ago, so dont know where they are either. So many of our favorite pickers die, and the next thing we hear is that the widow is selling off stuff to pay for medical/funeral expenses. Maybe things have changed??? Just curious as to what the pro's do too. I saw the handwriting on the wall (and my liver) and pursued a trade. (toolmaking) I now am in buisiness for myself, and "hope" I have covered some of the bases. But I often wonder "what if". Comments???

Allan Thompson · From: Scotland.

Great post Alan, I'm looking forward to reading the replies.

Ken Thompson · From: Great Falls, Montana, USA

That is a very good question and the answers should be interesting. I always chose to and did have a full time job. I kind of envied the musicians that could play every night and have, what appeared to be, a very easy and fun lifestyle. I could not imagine how good life would be to play music at night and have all day to lay around waiting to have fun again. Unlike going to a "job" every day.

However, as time has passed by I see that the decision I made for myself was certainly the right decision. I also see some of those musicians with absolutly nothing to show for themselves in terms of ownership or security. Others saw what was ahead of them and made the change. I am blessed.

Bo Legg · Posted 20 Oct 2009 11:45 am

Alan, it sounds like you're doing OK and don't need to second guess yourself.
The question you ask should be the question we ask before the first time we open up the case and screw the legs onto that PSG.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Steel guitar playing is not a good career choice.
That really leaves very few other options and all are great choices.

1. Don’t do it
2. Do it for a hobby
3. Do it as advertisement for some real money making endeavor.

Since I’m into sales, I chose number three.

Walter Bowden · From: Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

I know I've gladly played quite a few benefits for musician friends and families who need to cover medical bills, groceries, rent etc. because of the fickle nature of the biz and not enough regular gigs to stash some bucks away. I loved the full time music lifestyle mostly, but if I hadn't found a regular job w/benefits my buddies would probably be playing fund raisers for me now.
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Jody Sanders · From: Magnolia,Texas, R.I.P.

Alan, like you, at age 35 I noticed the so-called stars getting richer and richer and the musicians getting poorer and poorer. I went to work for a large company and started playing part time. Weekends and occassionally a 5 niter in a club subbing. Sometime taking a few days vacation and touring with an old friend trying a comeback. I retired from this company with an excellent retirement package. a check each month and health care. The guys who got in to studio work, and a couple who opened their own business made a good living. The studio musicians have done well as they have made a good living. Hopefully they participated in the union retirement fund. I retired at age 58, so was able to work the road again for a while. To all you younger players who want to work full time, the odds are against you. Think it over.Part time ain't bad. Get you a good education and a good day job. Don't wind up broke in your old age. I am 79, and still get a few gigs and steel guitar shows. Jody.

Bobby Hearn · From: Henrietta, Tx

Humans were meant to work every day, but government, greed, and pop culture turned it into where everyone has to go and do what they hate all day so they can buy their scooby doos and bs they don't need. Why does the wife have to work today just to make ends meet in a moderate income family. I say if the work is there go play for a living if that is your passion. I know it's easier said than done though. Sidemen, unknown sidemen, don't get the brakes that top session guys do.

Jack Dougherty · From: Spring Hill, Florida, USA

Musicians and money management.....Now there's an oxymoron. This is an unfortunate and on going saga.
Nothing new here. As much as we would like to blame the current economy, this is ageless.

Very few of the Pro's have compensation packages. So its incumbent on them to do it themselves. Unless you're working for a high profile artist who may have some sort of insurance program or 401......well you know the rest. Session pickers although working more than others still have to have a plan for the future. They must be ready for the day the phone stops ringing.
Some of us have gone for the glory in our bullet proof years. Some of us got out after realizing we were going to live longer than we planed. So we relegated ourselves to week end gigs and a steady job; insurance and retirement.

So as to the question what about the rest?
Sidemen were never the stars no matter how good they were or are. The union may be a part of the solution,
but it requires an active participation by the picker.
Setting up a fund for indigent sidemen is only a temporary aid. A stop gap with no permanent result.
R.O.P.E might work if an insurance company would underwrite the membership. But again, it requires 100% participation.
Forumites, this is truly a sad tale. Too often in my life I have seen this very same thing.
In life we make choices. Sometimes those choices are painful to others. As much as some would like to fix the world, IMHO we have to make sure our own personal world is running correctly.

Rick Campbell · From: Sneedville, TN, USA

I don't know if I could have ever been good enough to be a full time professional musician. I got scared away when I went to Nashville and saw how some of my idols were living. Some do well, but that seems to be the minority and not the majority, and how good a player you are, doesn't seem to be the deciding factor.

Hobby music is enough to satisify my musicial addiction and allow me to use my day job to meet my financial obligations. It works for me. Smile

Dave Hopping · From: Aurora, Colorado

Interesting....the jobs you hate the most have the best benefits and the most security.The one we all love the most has none of those things,and not a lot of compensation either,but if one can stay centered enough to pay attention to the paperwork,not overindulge in the "refreshments" and the women,and live a (small "c")conservative lifestyle,life can be very happy and fulfilling.Not all of my working life has been spent in full-time music,but the happiest parts definitely were.It's all very doable as long as eyes are kept on the prize and not the party.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I started my full time music career at the tender age of 23 after my Army discharge. That would have been in 1963. I played music full time for over 22 years until Oct. of 1985. Around that time I'd noticed that I was starting to be in bands that had children of musicians I'd worked with before and I was suddenly the "old guy" in the group.

It was only by good luck that I got out of full time music! My wife (now ex wife) had a brother in Virginia who was big in law enforcement (Deputy Chief of Police) who visited us in California a couple of times and said we ought to move to Virginia as it was a lot cheaper to live there and he could help me get a "City" job. We finally decided to move when I was pushin' 46 years of age. It was helpful that I'd decided to buy a house some years before so I had something to sell to finance the move from one coast to the other!

It turned out to be a great move as I've been retired from the city of Chesapeake for 4 years now and have a great retirement plus Social Security so everything's going good. I play at least three nights a week now (not much money, but a lot of fun) and this past week have played every night. It's great not having to get up anymore and also being able to play a gig without having to worry if I'll make enough money from it. Last night I made $29 for two hours at the Portsmouth City Park and tonight and Saturday I'll make a couple of hundred from a dinner theater show in Belvedere, NC so it balances out I guess.

All in all, I really miss the fun, good times, LADIES, music, GIRLS, old songs, WOMEN, clubs, CHICKS, musicians, and all that went along with playing full time but I'm happy with the way my life turned out.........JH in Va.
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