The Steel Guitar Forum

At what age did you first play for money. I was 18 in 1948. Jody.

Jody we were share croppers and the land lords would give me a nickle or sometimes a dime to play the Old Rugged Cross on the piano with one finger at the tender age of 5 years old. Does that count as getting paid?

First "paid" job was at a W. F. W. I was 16 but looked older. On this gig I was playing bass and we got paid $3 plus a bottle of Old Spice Shaving Lotion........how is that for "big time".
After thought: That was 1953.

Hi Fred, if you got paid, that makes you a pro at age 5.LOL Jody.

If this does not mean a steel guitar, I won a weekly radio show talent contest when I was sixteen. I played a 280 chromatic harmonica to play the Clarinet Polka for the starter, then Beer Barrel Polka then The Twelfth Street Rag for the winning number. The prize was $20.00.

After that, I started playing at a number of local country (real out in the country) dances when I was seventeen.

I think I was about 12 years old in junior high, we played a college dance.

I was age 15........my first adult band. I earned $78.00 playing 3 days outside the Mollala, OR., Buckaroo Rodeo and Jerry's Tavern. Jim Clinton was the band leader.......who is 93 this month.

Hmmm...getting paid to play steel? That's a new one. Let's see, I'm 46 now and been playing for 30 years, so I hope to start getting paid at least by the time I'm 47!

1977, playing my Marlen D10 in a little C&W band called "Smokey And The bandits". We played pubs, clubs and occasional functions. Got $50/night in those days. It paid my rent for several months when times were very, very lean for me.

Easiest money I ever made!

It was 1946 I was 16 Played in Crenshaw co. Al. at Bodifords swimming pool club,Ramer string Band with Roy Stevens and his dads band, and other local groups. Woody Ledford you always said you wish you could have played with me when I was younger, you should have been there.

ernie

I think I was 15, our 3 piece band got paid $15 to play a party. Word got around school that we had a band, two guitars and a drummer. We know a whole lot of Ventures songs and that's what we played. It was quite the experience for sure, kids dancing, girls..did I mention girls ?

From that first little job the PLAYBOYS professional career was launched, from there it was the Woman's Club, the YMCA dances, then school dances , all that good stuff, we played everywhere..well everywhere within 20 minutes of home...

I spent my $5 a new set of Gretsch strings that came in a round plastic case , I think they also has some kind of fuzzy stuff on the ball end. After earning money for new strings, that was it...I was hooked, this band thing was gonna work out just fine !

I started playing every saturday night at a country dance hall named "Whoop and Holler"in 1948. Boy I saw some stuff there. I had to join the Musicians Union in 1949 when I started playing at the Lane Co. Barn Dance.
That job Lasted 5 years. Those were good times. Doc...

About 12 or 13 yrs old and had a little gray 6 Rick lap steel and played at the Bohemian Hall west of Garber, Okla. I think I made 7 or 8 bucks.

I was 22 and just laying around the house one night and an old friend called and asked if I wanted to make some money playing bass.

I said I don't play bass and he said you play guitar don't you and I said yep and he said well there's two less strings to worry about and I said you got a point there.

That lead to steel and I'm glad it did cuz it's been a lot of fun for a long time now.

I was 21. I was in the Air Force, at Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Miss. I was (barely) playing rhythm guitar at the time. The band was "Al Lee Foster and the Tunedusters", we were all in the Air Force. The first place we worked was The Swamp Room in Biloxi (a good name for a bar in Biloxi).

I started playing jobs on electric bass around Columbus ,O. in 1959 or 1960 at age 14. I learned real fast that Hamilton was on a $10 bill. I started on steel at 9 or 10 but didn't play any pay jobs until I got my first pedal steel,a Fender 400,at 16. I have been playing ever since then,mostly weekends and sometimes more. I tried guitar for a while,but never got very good.

I was 15 or 16 and in a Surf music band in High School. We played at the Downtown YMCA for the Navy guys in San Diego. $45.00 for a 5 piece band. $9.00 each, big dough.

John McConnell
Yuba City, CA

In 1962, age 15, mandolin in a bluegrass band.

Roger
Back in the 60's it was all about the Hamiltons, wasn't it?

I played for free (piano recitals ) until I was about 14 and then started getting money and drinks playing guitar in a R&R band.

First full time job earning $ playing guitar was when I was 17 -- the band was Rick and the Keens and Sam Gibbs out of Wichita Falls TX was our agent. When I started with the band we had a schedule of every Friday and Saturday night for 6 full months before we had an open date. What a great learning experience..

Mike

Christmas, 1957, and I'd assembled a skiffle group from my fellow Scouts in the 10th Muswell Hill Troop.

I was 14.

We rehearsed and rehearsed, yet still we never quite nailed that 'Lonnie Donegan sound'! We made five pounds (Sterling) which we were required/expected to donate to charity.

I was a bundle or nerves, but I loved every moment!

(Sometimes it feels as though it's been downhill ever since!!!)

At about age 25, I played my first gig on lead guitar, at a place called Smokey Valley, which was reputed to be about the roughest joint in the area. I played there for a month or so, and there was never any trouble during that time. Then moved on to some higher class Bars (HA).
Tony P. I remember those Gretsch strings with the fuzzy ends well. In fact, a week or so ago, I was looking through some stuff, and found one of the round plastic cases, with a couple of strings in it.
George...

I was 16 and got paid to play a party with my band in 1965. The band did great and we started playing in bars and restaurants. I used another guys draftcard, that, fit me to a tee, so there was never a hassle. And, it was all downhill from there. I was hooked like a fish. All the lights and women and fame and money. Oh! OK, it's time to wake up now and take my meds.

7th grade, about 1965. I played guitar in a band with some "big kids" that were already in high school. Mercedes, Texas.

1959. 13 years old. Trumpet gig. We played everything from the "Comb-Orks" books.