At what age did you first play professional(for money)

Ronnie Boettcher · Post by **Ronnie Boettcher** » 4 Nov 2009 9:30 am

My pay for the first recording sessions, was I got excused from school. Was in high school, and the music teacher used to take ensembles, down to the Cleveland board of education. Went in their recording studio, and cut music for their radio station. I played trumpet, and french horn, on them. Was good for a day off school every now and then. It was good training for recording sessions later, doing country and bluegrass.

Joe Naylor · Post by **Joe Naylor** » 4 Nov 2009 9:50 am

Why back on Page one Jack Ritter played his gig in Garber, OK - I thought I may have been the only one here that played that place.

My first paying gig on steel was at 10 (I looked older - about 11) my steel teacher had some old guys (about 25 to 30) playing this joint where there was chicken wire in front of the stage which ment it was another room - so I could not go into the bar but I could go in the stage door -- then back when I was 16 - I do not remember what I got paid the first time but at 16 I got $100 because it was the last minute (the guitar player was in a car accident) Then it went down to $50 which was still good back then. That was outside of Ponca City, OK about 35 mile drive but well worth it.

It was like country music school.

Joe Naylor
steelseat.com

Jim Simon · Post by **Jim Simon** » 4 Nov 2009 10:10 am

1959 at 12 yrs old I played a duo for the Wheaton Youth center held in a down stairs or basement bowling alley. All instrumentals. No vocals. Didn't own a microphone. Received $25.00

Bobby Bowman · Post by **Bobby Bowman** » 4 Nov 2009 2:26 pm

I had just turned 11. It was an old folks home on the Beaumont hiway (US 90 just east of Houston) and I was the only one playing. Did some instrumentals and we had a sing along. Two hour gig for $5 and a meal. I had an Ohou 6 string and matching amp. They even had an old theater spot light with different colors to shine on me. WOW and WOW again,,,,

I don't think I slept for two or three days.
BB

Tommy Shown · Post by **Tommy Shown** » 4 Nov 2009 10:43 pm

August 1979, I was 19, and a bass player. The band I was in, was doing a fund raiser for a politician. I didn't make much on the gig. But I had a lot of fun.
Tommy Shown

Chuck Thompson · Post by **Chuck Thompson** » 4 Nov 2009 10:58 pm

It was on guitar. I was 13 or 14 ('73-'74). It was some kind of party, anniversary or birthday. I think i made thirty some bucks and some change. I wish i knew now as much now as i thought i did then.

Brian McGaughey · Post by **Brian McGaughey** » 8 Nov 2009 5:25 pm

15 years old. In a band called "Telshia". (That's the name of the knock-out hold Dr. Spock would use in the original Star Trek TV series).

We used to play the after game high school dances with yours truly on drums. We were BAD! But $200 split 3 ways?...wow!

We were ahead of our time. Our band makes about the same money some 35 years later!

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 8 Nov 2009 5:38 pm

I was 17, I started playing rythm for an old time fiddler just east of Steelville ,MO at a place called the Spider I made a big $17.00 a nite.
BD

Wesley Medlen · Post by **Wesley Medlen** » 9 Nov 2009 10:50 am

I played at a dance hall called the Playmart in Paiola, Ks. in 1953 on guitar got $5 to play on Thurs. nite Square dance 9 till 1 and country round dance on Sat. 9 till 1

Robin Archer · Post by **Robin Archer** » 10 Nov 2009 12:29 pm

1966 (?) I guess I was about 26. Band was called variously "Rebel and Yanks" or "Country Gentleman"
in a place called, Andrews on I believe just off Lockwood Avenue in Yonkers, New York.
We were awful...but made $25.00 a man and had a ball. Still we managed to pull in some C&W starved people
.

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 11 Nov 2009 2:55 pm

Jim Lindsey (Louisiana) · Post by **Jim Lindsey (Louisiana)** » 12 Nov 2009 11:53 am

My first paying gig ... I was in the Air Force, it was August 1976 at a place called The Red Barn in Hobart, OK and I was 21 years old ... I'd been playing steel about 5 months, made $10.00 that night and remember thinking, "Wow, I just got some money for coming in here and having fun".

Allen Kentfield · Post by **Allen Kentfield** » 12 Nov 2009 2:47 pm

The first real money I made was $100 on New Years Eve 1971/72. I was 20. I was hired for the night to play lead guitar and Dobro. I can't remember the band leader's name now.
That's when I decided to get serious. A month later, I got a 4-nts./week house band gig. By the end of the year, I had my first Sho-Bud. I was 21 by the time I started freelancing as a steel man.

Al Kentfield
Jonestown, Texas

Bob Kagy · Post by **Bob Kagy** » 12 Nov 2009 3:05 pm

I was 16. Had a National double 8. Played a lot of freebies before that beginning around 13.

It's fun to read this thread, seeing how many of us got addicted so young and for so long.

Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 12 Nov 2009 5:04 pm

I played my first gig in 1947 at 14 .I was playing a Gibson six string lap steel . I worked with a fellow from Hazard Kentucky named Dee Land. We made ten bucks.This was down on the east side of Battle Creek Michigan at the Kozy Bar. This was a misnomer as there wasn't anything Kozy about it at all.
My second paying gig was a Polish hard time party in Bronson Mich. Someone threw a beer bottle right through the back of our bass players new Kay Doghouse.That was my last Hard Time Party
.
Old Bud

Ben Elder · Post by **Ben Elder** » 13 Nov 2009 12:12 am

Let's see: I'm 56 now, playing for 44 years. Not yet. Likely never.

Ryan Barwin · Post by **Ryan Barwin** » 15 Nov 2009 8:46 am

I was 14 or 15.

Michael J Pfeifer · Post by **Michael J Pfeifer** » 15 Nov 2009 2:15 pm

Hi Jody,

I was a teenager playing electric guitar when I made a few bucks. Bought my first pedal steel when I was 21 that was 1973. A few years later, I did gigs doubleing on steel and six string.

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 18 Nov 2009 8:21 am

I was in the eighth grade when I started making money on steel guitar, I was 47 years old,,,,,

Bobbe

admin · Post by **b0b** » 18 Nov 2009 1:31 pm

I was 24, playing a D-8 Magnatone. Got a Sho-Bud 6139 not long after that. I wasn't any good, but steel players were in demand back then (1973-74).

Bob Hickish · Post by **Bob Hickish** » 18 Nov 2009 1:47 pm

BobbeSeymour wrote:I was in the eighth grade when I started making money on steel guitar, I was 47 years old,,,,,

Bobbe

I don’t care who you are bibbe that's funny !

I got out of class to play for other class when
I was in the forth grade -- I was only 18

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 18 Nov 2009 2:35 pm

Bob Hickish wrote:
BobbeSeymour wrote:I was in the eighth grade when I started making money on steel guitar, I was 47 years old,,,,,

Bobbe

I don’t care who you are bibbe that's funny !

I got out of class to play for other class when
I was in the forth grade -- I was only 18

I got drafted when I was 18. That's was the only way they could get me out of the third grade.

Joe Smith · Post by **Joe Smith** » 18 Nov 2009 3:27 pm

The year was 1953. I was 16 years old and played for a square dance on Friday and Saturday nights. Made Eight bucks on Fridays and 10 bucks on Saturday. We had a three piece band. Lap steel, guitar and "standup" bass. One night while we were playing all of a sudden everybody stopped dancing. Someone came in the building with a gun and shot another guy. He died right there on the dance floor. The owner told us to pack up that he was closing up. He did pay us and next week we were back picking again.

Shane Glover · Post by **Shane Glover** » 18 Nov 2009 6:00 pm

I was 18 playing the Elks Lodge in Enid Okla. Made $50 a man. Back when the only spare tire I had was on my truck !!

The Steel Guitar Forum

At what age did you first play professional(for money)

1947

My first paying gig

Good TImes