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Old 03-28-2013, 11:39 AM   #47
rwidman
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City: North Charleston, SC
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,870
Quote:
Originally Posted by Capthead View Post
Ron, I made a choice when I was mid 30's and I looked at the older rock musicians that weren't rock stars like myself and went into the business world. I don't know what would have happened if I had kept at it, but I did play with Joe Cocker, Pat Benatar, Eric Burton and a lot of other well known musicians.

I have a very rare bass, it's a 1959 Fender Jazz, and the value is over 40K. I wired it stereo and the record we recorded last year has one pickup left channel the other right channel. It will be the first ever recording made with a split stereo bass.

I also have a new Jazz that I usually play live.

I have a few youtube video's and a webpage on a musicians page. I played soul early on and did an album with "The Soul Searchers" that had local fame in LA. They had a hit single that got in the top 20. Toured with a country star from Hee Haw and quickly learned country was not my thing in many ways. The piano player in that band went on to play with Glenn Campbell and was on his TV show. Might have been a bad choice leaving him.

Lots of stories and as you might know, some not fit to print here.

Cheers!
I made my choice at age 29. I played in the house band at one of the major clubs on Washington DC's "strip" in the mid 60s. The Dr. King assassination and ensuing riots pretty much put an end to that. Like you, I looked at the older musicians and decided I would do better putting my electronics schooling to work.

I also had a 50s Fender bass (P bass) but it was stolen from my car behind the club where I worked. I play a Kubicki bass now but I haven't played in a year or so.

I was playing in a passable Country band in MD when I retired and moved to SC. I was the front man and did much of the singing. When I got to SC I found the level of musicianship was much lower than what I was used to. I played for a while in a group until it broke up. I was subbing in another group on bass from time to time when the leader went into the hospital for heart surgery. He asked me to sub for him and sing and play rhythm guitar. He didn't make it through surgery and the band broke up.

In one way. it's a blessing because I can take off in my boat whenever I please. No obligation to be somewhere every Saturday night.

Claim to fame: Our band (in the 60s) was hired to be the Juniors for Danny and the Juniors. After a couple weeks we decided there was no future in it and went back to being ourselves. Danny later killed himself.

I should add, I met all my wives while playing music.
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