And here we go again, comparing major, multi millionaire stars with the guy playing Cheeseburger in Paradise for drunks at the corner bar. What anybody major does is playtime for them. They have more money than they can spend. That is FAR different from scrambling to find a way to gas your car and feed your kids, is it not? Did the Beach Boys really sing behind that guy for the money? Really? The Beach Boys are 237 years old and bored with their millions. Didn't we once do this comparing Joe Corner Bar Musician to Sinatra because Sinatra did "covers" too and didn't write? Really? Sinatra and some local chump go in the same sentence?

Everybody is in a different situation. I really don't care if I ever play live on stage again. That is just me. I don't need the money. I am far from wealthy, but my retirement funding is plenty to live on if I don't make a major purchase. So if I DO ever play again (nice little blues band in rehearsal stage now) it won't be because I have to. It will be because I want to. That is a not so subtle difference. The band will play music we want to play, not songs that we "have" to play because "but the crowd LOVES that song". Because they love that song does not mean they will not like other songs and throw garbage if we don't play Stairway to Freebird. Playing Stairway To Freebird when you hate it is selling out.

I worked in IT as well after I retired from playing music full time. Music got to be a job so I got out of it. IT got to be a job so I got out of it. My "roaming fever" cycle seems to be about 8-10 years. Then the new wears off and I move on to something new. My "roaming fever" cycle for relationships is short, like less than 6 months. I lose interest in it and move on. Staying with a woman who does not make you happy is the relationship version of selling out. Working a job that does not make you happy is selling out. Playing music that does not make you happy is the musical version of selling out. Don't worry, be happy.

It took a near fatal car accident for me to realize that the old cliche about life being too short is not a cliche. I will never spend a day miserable again. I don't want my last day on earth to be miserable. (I may, however, make it miserable for OTHERS... grin)

Last edited by eddie1261; 06/11/15 02:50 PM.