I may have told this before. A sad and crazy story.
A Wedding, about 275 people, Country Club.

The sad part.
Played for the preheat, cocktail party – Got the band set up to introduce the wedding party. As I introduced the first couple the wedding part gathered around the father of the bride, he was on the floor. A few minutes past and they took him to the hospital. We were playing quiet listening music when the report came, the brides Father past away at the hospital. So very sad.

The crazy part.
My friend Joe was on drums, really a nutty guy, his humor never stopped, he found humor in most everything we did.
My Son-in-law was on bass, he was bad, he was great on guitar and 50’s lead singer, but his bass playing was really not good.

The announcement was made, the Father had past away – My crazy drummer turned to the bass player and says, “I told you that your bass laying was going to kill somebody one day.” Aaaaaaaaaaaah,

John C.

1st job: not really a job. I was 14 and on Put-in-Bay, OH. MY uncle asked the bar owner if I could play the B3 that was on stage. I played about 1/2 hr. - what a thrill; I was hooked from then on.

Best job: New Year's Eve 1973-79. Had my trio back then and we were pretty much the house band at a small catering hall. Lots of friends and relatives.

Worst job: I think I told this once before - we were booked for a wedding on the edge Mexicantown. Turns out it was a real Mexican wedding. The bride and groom loved us, so did the younger crowd, but the elders sat with big frowns on their faces. That's where I first heard the phrase, "play somethng you know." Now what does that really mean?

First song: Probably Spanish Eyes or Everything's Coming Up Roses. Spanish Eyes was my mother's favorite song. Roses was a great starting song for me and a drummer back in the late 60's.

My very first job was a wedding, we were so excited the job was at a German restaurant. I was nervous. At the end of the night as we were walking out the owner of the restaurant leaned over and said, “This is the worst band I have ever heard”.
We did get better, grin.

John C.

My first paying job was in high school. There were five guys in band who lived on the same street, thus the Oak Street Five was born.
I played trumpet and we had a drummer, sax, bass and trombone. We only played twice for money and made a couple of bucks apiece.
We only played songs we had music for and read everything. We played stuff like In the Mood, Stardust, Rock Around The Clock and
Wonderland By Night.
My next paying job was in college. I met a guy who was looking for a bass guitar player for a job coming up in about a month. I told him I would take it. I called Mom and she sent me the money to buy a bass guitar and amp at the hock shop. I learned to play it well enough in that month to get by, and played with the same group most of college.
It wasn't long before I realized how little I knew about playing bass and gradually got better!
My best job may have been traveling to Dallas to play at a huge wedding reception. One of the customers in my night club offered me a thousand dollars plus expenses.
When I got there, there was a fifteen-piece show band set up. He only wanted me to play during their two breaks. I played a total of one hour and enjoyed all the wonderful food, then went to the motel and watched the Cowboys win the Super Bowl the next day. That was a lot of money at the time.
Worst job was probably a few years ago when I agreed to help out a friend as a duo. He had booked a little club over in Shreveport.
We set up ON the dance floor. I packed up 20 minutes later after the second fight broke out. He actually stayed around and collected our pay, but I didn't take any of it. I was just glad to get out without losing any equipment or limbs.
DonM

The job that brings the nicest memories was when we played at Terrace in the Park a restaurant, it stood alone three stories high the bottom was like a cone and the top, where the restaurant was, was shaped like a dome. It was in Queens in New York the area where the Worlds Fair was held.

Bass, drums, keyboard (Portable B3) trumpet my wife in vocals and myself on guitar. The view was breathtaking, we were surrounded by windows with views of the buildings and highways of Queens and Manhattan. The restaurant was laced with class. I felt good standing in the middle of the stage --–and felt even better when I glanced over at my wife who was singing, she was wearing a beautiful long light colored lavender gown that sparkled. And I felt just like the motto of the restaurant, which was “The top of the world”.

John C.

John ....


Great room, (it was the Former Port Authority Pavilion at the 1964 New York Worlds Fair in flushing meadows I remember in teh 70's & 80's playing Wedding cocktail hours outside up on the roof overlooking the NYC skyline. And the reception room was all glass enclosed with a 360 view simply outstanding & classy.


http://www.terraceonthepark.com/

First gig was a wedding in 1959, age 17, playing piano in a polka band, for $10! In a hot, sweaty hall, with no AC, but all the food and drinks you wanted, and lots of babes. As I recall, it was a blast!

Here's an interesting "didn't go so well gig". Years back I played in a band.. We had a good sound going.., and a good reputation in the area and had no problems getting gigs.

We did however have a problem with a member that ended up being one of those "group intervention" things Our drummer who was as nice a guy you could ever meet..., did have a problem with (how shall I say) indulging in the smoking of fine herbs We wanted to help him kick the habbit.., and he agreed to show up at the next gig (not stoned off his a$$). Well it was at this moment that we realized the guy COULD NOT HOLD A BEAT without being stoned as he played this way FOR YEARS... Man was that gig messed up! Us and the audience were all kickin it on 2 and 4, but our drummer (who was sober) was kickin it on 1 and 3. I swear at times he was playing a completely different song. We ended up having to finish the night with another member on the drums (ended up being me).., and we changed the set a bit to keep the show going....