My first pay job was when I was 17 years old. I played in a band formed by a shipmate (not the Navy Band) and we were in Barcelona Spain. One of the guitar guys decided it was time to quit because he was getting discharged from the Navy that week and headed home. Like DonM, I played lots of bum chords, but fortunately, I had a good singing voice, better than anyone else in the band. And, that voice continues to save my arse to this day. I've never been a real musician, and never claimed to be - just an entertainer, and entertainers deserve to get paid for what they bring to the table. The only time I was a bit nervous was when I decided to go solo for that first time. I was scared to death for the first 20 minutes, and after that, I've never been a bit apprehensive about stepping up in front of a crowd, no matter the size. I've never been apprehensive about meeting strangers, and for the most part, I've probably never had more than a few jobs that didn't go the way I intended. I guess I've been very fortunate in this business, and I always tell folks I have the best job in the world. If I were not so damned old and crippled up I would still be out there every day of the week, but alas, I can no longer handle that schedule.

I think the only time I got butterflies in my gut was when we had the Syntzone Jam here at my home and I had to step up in front of some of the best musicians on this forum. That only lasted about 30 seconds, though.

All the best,

Gary