Originally Posted By: MarioD
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George Benson also knew what side of the bread was buttered.

Definitely.

Add the saxophonist many sax players love to hate, Kenny G.

If you find a way to make a living playing music, do it. If it brings you stardom and lots of money, that's even better.

A lot of people dis musicians for 'selling out'. They get even more upset when they become big pop stars.

I've played classical, jazz, and other forms of 'art music' but have never been able to make a living doing that. I needed a 'day job' to pay the mortgage.

Mostly, I play pop music, and that paid off the mortgage.

Which is a bigger sellout? Playing pop music or working a 9 to 5 as a wage slave for some faceless corporation?

A bad day playing music is better than a good day at any day job I can think of.

Some musicians refuse to play Mustang Sally, Brown Eyed Girl, Wagon Wheel, and others. These songs work so well with the audience, I wish I had a hundred of them that work like that.

If it gets requested enough, and I can do a good job covering it, I'll learn it. That's how all but the lucky 1% of us make a living doing music and nothing but music.

I suspect there are some very worthy musicians that could be on that list that don't play jazz for a living, but could if they got the breaks.


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