I've learned a lot from EVERYONE on this forum. I'm not a good player, and I'll be the first to admit it. I can sing with the best of them, but I don't have the magic hands of DonM and lots of other entertainers here.

Like DonM, I pride myself in treating this as a business. I've always been very meticulous about keeping good records, spending money on creative advertising, drumming up new business on a regular basis, dotting the I's and crossing the T's--and it worked.

Also like DonM, there doesn't seem to be any relatively young players that want to take on this kind of work and fill in the niche when I'm gone. The demand is there, but the younger folks just don't seem to have an interest.

I've met a fair number of the folks on the zone as well, all of which were more than willing to teach an old dog new tricks. My list of heroes is fairly long, but there's always one that will stand out for me. He doesn't frequent the zone, and in fact, he doesn't own a computer. Said he never really had a need for one.

I met Erick Erickson nearly 40 years ago when another friend invited me to a cookout and jam session at his home. He was, and still is, the most laid-back individual you'll ever meet, someone that just doesn't seem to get excited about anything. He can pick guitar with the best of the best, plays a mean bluegrass fiddle, and he's a genius with a mandolin. The first time he heard me playing a six-string guitar and singing some old country tunes he said "Son, you have a hell of a voice and you're not bad on that flat-top either. If you're willing to work at it, I think you can make some money in this business." Following in the footsteps of DonM, I've made hundreds of dollars playing music.

Eric will be 93-years-old on Halloween, he still plays a pretty good fiddle, says his fingers are no longer fast enough for the mandolin and guitar and he's almost totally blind from macular degeneration. Despite this, he finds ways to make it to some of my performances when I'm playing in his general area.

Thanks everyone,

Gary