About those 'negatives'..............

[Ray Montee]

I"ve been fortunate to have a wife (actually several)
that was proud of my music and always enjoyed attending the events.........

However, some of my very best friends......some really great musicians with talent one would die to have for themselves.......have had one of those nagging, unappreciative wives/girlfriends that simply hated his playing ambitions.

Nag, nag, nag........ and yet, other females will marry guys serving life sentences in prison, known dope addicts and child molestors, alcoholics and the like.

Yet many musicians don't even drink.......let alone,
cheat on their families. So, what's the solution?

[Colm Chomicky]

Well I don't think I can shed much light on the subject; but, your post reminds me of the old joke:

A man asked a wise old American Indian chief "What is your wife’s name?"

He replied, “She called Four Horse”.

The man said, “That’s an unusual name for your wife. What does it mean?”

The Old Indian answered, “It old Indian Name. It means …




… NAG, NAG, NAG, NAG!"

[Alan Brookes]

My wife makes fun of my CDs, but she's never listened to them.

[Robert Thomas]

I have had the same wife for 55years now, I must be one of the lucky ones. She loves my playing and she will actually ask me to play for her when there is nothing else to do at home. She goes wherever I may be playing and just supports every thing I do when it comes to playing. I hear some awful stories about musicians wives and I count my lucky stars. Need I say more? She also produced 5 wonderful kids for us and it can't be any better then this. I just hate the time when one of us will have to exit this life without the other, I guess that will end my desire to ever play anymore, if she goes first.

[Christopher Woitach]

My wife (whom you met today, Ray!) is a total supporter of me and my music, which is great, especially because we don't eat if I don't play!

[Bill Ladd]

My wife (of four weeks now) absolutely loves my playing and comes to every gig of mine she can make. My Hawaiian band just did a gig down in Holden Beach and we made a little getaway event of the evening!

Man I'm lucky!!

[Bob Vantine]

Bill .....

wait until the kiddies come along

....****Bob V****

[Rick Schacter]

I'm fortunate. My wife is very supportive.
She has been to almost every gig I've played from the time I met her.
She helps me set up my gear sometimes too.

I don't think I could deal with someone who constantly nagged me and didn't approve of me playing music.

So, you ask "What's the solution"?
Answer...Find someone who enjoys what you do.


Rick

**I forgot to ask, where can I find some of these non drinking musicians?

[Bill Ladd]

Bill .....

wait until the kiddies come along

....****Bob V****

Second marriage for both of us. I have an 11-year-old stepson now! He digs the music too!

[Jerry Hayes]

Sometimes I have to question my wife's integrity, good judgment and good sense, after all, she married me didn't she?..........

All that said, she's a keeper and I love her a bunch. We have a band together and have a great time. One incident which really shows what a great one she is was just a couple of weeks ago. I had a deal working for another steel and needed $500 cash to go along with a trade. I called my credit union to get $500 from an IRA. I had also looked at a Fender Strat which was only $500 also but decided to pass on that deal as I wanted the steel. When I told her about it she reminded me that since I was 70 1/2 years old I was due to get a withdrawel from the IRA for $1,000 that I'd already put in for and was coming the 1st of August. I told her I'd forgotten about that and she said "Now you can get the Stratocaster too!" What a girl, she lets me continue with my quest for guitars I don't need!...I love her!. Here's a shot of her (Kay) with Rhonda Vincent. Oh, by the way, I love Rhonda Vincent too, don't you?......JH in Va.

[Bob Vantine]

TO BILL.......

[Danny Bates]

Ray Montee said:

I"ve been fortunate to have a wife (actually several)

Oregon

163.515 Bigamy. (1) A person commits the crime of bigamy if the person knowingly marries or purports to marry another person at a time when either is lawfully married. (2) Bigamy is a Class C felony. [1971 c.743 §171]

[Bill Ladd]

TO BILL.......

Thanks. I'm 48, she's 40. Think we'll be sticking with just the one kid!!

[Dave Grafe]

When you have lived as long as Ray has you will understand, Danny....

[Eric West]

....females will marry guys serving life sentences in prison, known dope addicts and child molestors, alcoholics and the like.

And they are probably within their right to nag a little..

Some of them even marry scamming PIs with checkered pasts incuding frivolous lawsuits, multiple serial marriages, that claim to be world class musicians and then have to support them and their penchant for collecting rubber guitars......

I dunno.

It's just hard to figure people sometimes...



EJL

[Duane Brown]

I met my wife 38 years ago at a gig, our first date was taking her to a dance I was playing. She knew what she was getting into when the guitar went in the front of the pickup first, then she could get in, 'cause it's too cold for the guitar. The night before our wedding, I was sitting in with the band and the morning of our wedding, I was at the store playing my new special ordered guitar that had just come in. Not late to the wedding, but cut it close. She carried my guitars and even bought my first Telecaster for a birthday present because I needed a Tele to work in country bands in 1970's Lubbock,Tx.

Cyndy has always been my #1 fan and strongest supporter. When we were on the road I took her along as much as possible and she never has complained. I am so blessed that after 37 years of marriage she is still going to as many jobs with me as she can and is still my biggest fan. I have seen so many of my friends have to fight about even buying new strings.
We never had that problem because she knew I needed tools to work with if I was going to support her.

Now I only play weekends and occasional weekday parties and she still supports my purchase of a "93" Zumsteel in 08 and a new Zum Hybrid last fall that I received Dec.09. No way can I justify either one of these or the Nashville 112 amp I bought in 07. She never complains or questions me and I know how special she is. I ask her about my tone, and trust her ear when I need to tweak the tone to the room. Now if she'd only carry the steel to the truck............

[Jim Cohen]

I too have been very fortunate to have a wife who dearly loves me and my music, comes to all my gigs, helps carry my gear home and rubs my feet when I get back to the house. Now if only she were my wife...

[Christopher Woitach]

Some of them even marry scamming PIs with checkered pasts incuding frivolous lawsuits, multiple serial marriages, that claim to be world class musicians and then have to support them and their penchant for collecting rubber guitars......

A little hostile, are we?

[Ray Montee]

Wha'd I say? Wha'd I say?

From out of the blue comes still another personal attack on ME!

What a never-ending vendetta! Such Evil Spirited and hateful remarks, and for what?

What is it that drives some folks to feeling that they have an obligation to slander and/or ridicule another.......in public.

What have I ever done on this Forum for me to have to put up with this kind of crappolla? These ugly disrespectful attacks against me have gone on now for nearly a full year, or longer, without relief.

This Forum in which I have participated for a decade or more...has brought me many new friends. I've learned a great deal and enthusiastically visit this site 6-8 times each day. I commend b0b for the all the work he's done to keep we musicians occupied.

These relentless attacks on me by a single individual
have finally taken their toll. They have erased for me, all the many musical pleasures that I have enjoyed thus far, here on the Forum.

So sad........for at least one wanna-be musician.

[Richard Argus]

My wife Melissa and I have both had a life-long love of music, although our backgrounds are very different.

I grew up with my family listenening to country music, particularly Jim Reeves, Hank Snow and Slim Whitlam, and I was always drawn to "that sound", which I discovered was a steel guitar.

Melissa grew up with a contemporary and classical music background, but when I met her 33 years ago as a graduate teacher, she had never heard of a pedal steel guitar.






Anyway, as with every relationship, you learn from each other and we both started to appreciate the other's music.




These days Melissa is the head of music at a secondary school, as well as singing and playing trombone (not at the same time) in a swing band.

Here she is performing at a classical recital on the weekend.




I am pleased that she has been showing Chet Atkins clips to her guitarists (my influence), and Milo Deering.

She has asked me to play pedal steel for her students, so I am looking forward to introducing our beautiful instrument to young minds.

[Christopher Woitach]

So sad........for at least one wanna-be musician.

Ray, after having spent Sunday recording with you, I must object to the term "wanna-be musician" - both Dan Schulte and I found you to be the real deal.

Whatever problem EW has with you, at least two professional, well trained musicians enjoyed a day of making music with you, and many of us, here on the forum, have enjoyed your posts.

Keep the faith.

[Danny Bates]

Ray, I can tell these "verbal hit and runs" are difficult for you and I hope you don't let them get you down for too long.

I think you've asked why this is happening and hopefully you will get an answer soon and everything will work out ok.

The terrible thing about terrorism is that ultimately it destroys those who practise it. Slowly but surely, as they try to extinguish life in others, the light within them dies.

TERRY WAITE, London Guardian, Feb. 20, 1992

[Les Anderson]

I had a beyond expectations wife for 41 years. She questioned my dedication to music only during the kids arrivals; however, she still did not rant and rave because I spent a few days on the road nor did she complain when the money was drying up.

When I first bought the steel guitar, I spent many hours just running the scales and that got to her after an hour or so. Luckily we have a fair sized basement to where I relocated the steel and amp.

God rest her beautiful soul, she is new listening to my work from heaven.

[Ray Minich]

I don't know what's goin' on down in this part of the thread... I can't get past Rhonda Vincent.

[Alan Brookes]

...So sad........for at least one wanna-be musician.

Don't let it get you down, Skipper. For every jerk who gets at you there are thousands out there who appreciate you. Wannabe musician ? You're up there with the best.