Long range plans

[Larry Hamilton]

I just turned 73. My plans are to retire the year I turned 75 from playing gigs, except for the occasional special occasion that pays like a slot machine otherwise I’ll be content at home playing against my tracks with a band I can’t bitch about. I love playing on the band stand. Do not get me wrong but my hands say no but I’m doing my damnedest to keep going. For all I know I may go way past what I got planned but these are my plans. I know of players playing well into their 80s and above, but we all know where we stand with God and our health in our fingers and muscle memory. I’ve already started noticing in a huge difference and what used to be fun. It’s starting to become a little bit of a work process, but I love it. I love entertaining, watching people dance, and have a good time. What time and age does take its toll and being somewhat the realist that I am, I accept it. It’s been fun since October 31, 1966 in the GarageBand days. Y’all remember, Louie, Louie, Rolling Stones and others. Gospel Quartet when I was 15 it’s been a wonderful ride, but I know when time is drawing nye. No regrets I just hope I last as long as I want to. I will forever be a fan of the steelguitar and make the conventions I can make.. Just my two cents worth. Thank y’all for my rambling.

[Jerry Overstreet]

I hear you Larry. I have some of the same thoughts.

I've got a few years on you, but I started later in life than you...mid 70s, so about 50 yrs.

I've slowed down a heap from a few yrs. back, just jamming with some friends occasionally and playing out a couple times a year with them. There's one coming up in September and another one in December but I'm debating doing them. Those are all I've been doing anyway except for tinkering at the house which I will always do long as I'm able.

Many of your statements ring a bell with me. Matter of fact I wrote up a draft a few months ago titled Time to Hang it Up? but I never posted it. I was grumbling mostly about the painful stage volumes I've been having to endure.

Here's a little bit of what I wrote:

The load in and out, the weather, the equipment load, the lack of appreciation from audiences, the long hours involved, the lack of satisfaction with my own performance and execution, stamina and the aging factor, all tell me the time is here. In many ways, I wish it weren't so, in others it's a relief.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy yourself while it lasts. That's what's important.

[David Rattray]

Smile while you can...

[Frank Freniere]

Very thoughtful and eloquent observations, guys - I think you speak for many older Forumites, myself included.

[Don R Brown]

And then there are those who did NOT start way back when, but are fighting the age thing anyway. I took up steel after I retired. I'm seeing a slow, gradual improvement in my skills, and a corresponding slow, gradual decline in my body's tolerance to the demands that playing brings.

I've gone from a Nashville 112 to a Roland 80XL, partly because it's about 9 pounds lighter. I can handle my S10 ok, but no way would I be able to lug the D10 out and about. Driving home always seems longer than getting there. Fortunately, those who like older country are closer to my age and I'm usually done about the time a night out used to START in my younger days.

I cheerfully accept I'll never rise above "hack" level compared to most on here, but it's still comparatively new and different and I'm having fun. The learning keeps my mind active, if forced into a chair watching TV all day I'd be dead or crazy in a month or less. So for now I'll keep at it until my back draws a firm line and says "no more".

[Lee Baucum]

Thanks for the post, Larry.

I'm 71 and have been working in the accounting, finance, banking, and investment fields for 50 years.

I'm ready to retire and start playing steel guitar more!

[Ian Rae]

I'm a bit like Don in that I took it up late (62) and now I'm 74.
I play in a band with a girl singer who plays a lot of percussion, a second percussionist (no drummer), amplified acoustic guitar and electric bass.
I get to experiment with the uni 12 and loads of effects and it's no pressure as we do a handful of local gigs a year.
As long as it continues, so shall I, then I'll stop. I'm not sure I'd be happy just playing at home for my own amusement but I could give it a try, I suppose

[Chris Brooks]

Good to read comments from you fellow Senior Citizens. I am 81 and still playing with several bands, one of which is pretty challenging--but rewarding!

I used to carry an MSA D12 with 10 and 5. I recently weighed it: 93 pounds! Now I am in a Carter SD 12 and I swear that someone has turned up the Gravity Machine! So I am thinking of a new steel, again an 12 string but single body and fewer levers. Also thinking of ordering keyboard bags for my Carter body and legs/rods/pedal bar, to reduce the weight of each "package."

Don, I still play through my Peavey 112 but also have a Roland 80: great little amp!

[Larry Dering]

My 76 years were great until old age and arthritis began setting in. Knee replacement, rotator cuff surgery, carpal tunnel and lastly thumb metacarpal surgery. I've had prostate cancer with radiation treatments and a number of other physical muscle injuries. So I quit playing out and just play at home and with friends. I applaud and admire those who can continue playing in bands. I will forever be a steel fan and attend shows within an 8 hour driving distance. I hope we all can muddle along at our own pace for many more years.

[Jerry Overstreet]

I think it's great that Larry H has a plan. I'm nowhere near that organized. I just figured I'd play until I couldn't or didn't want to anymore and I'd know when the time was here, but it's great to have a plan to follow like Larry.

I didn't mean to leave a negative connotation in my earlier post. I've had a pretty good run. My lack of success is all on me for turning down opportunities and being too timid and/or reluctant to follow up with tours and studio work that I could have done as well as being too selective about the people I work/worked with.

Still, I had to make a living and it just didn't work out in the music arena.

My biggest disappointment is the demise, decline and subsequent failure of Joe Crowe's vision for our local steel club. I learned more, met so many helpful musicians and had the greatest fellowship sharing steel guitar music. I miss that. I wish we had a chance to do that again in the way Joe and all true local steel guitar lovers thought it was supposed to be.

My buddies that I get to jam with occasionally are a result of being in the local music scene. They are like my brothers and I miss getting to play with them as much.

For D10 players not wanting to give up the double neck but lose some weight, the Williams keyless or Excel/Exstar/Shoji keyless guitars are a dream unless you are married to a certain brand's sound. I don't see that much savings with lunch box size amps because you still need a reasonably sized speaker cabinet. Not much lighter than a combo steel amp as most of the weight is in the box construction.

[Larry Jamieson]

I've had a pretty good run. I started playing guitar and singing in a rock and roll band in 1965. In later years I played bass, guitar or pedal steel with several country bands. While I was in college at the Hank Thompson School of Country Music I played steel in a school band and an outside country band in the Tulsa area. Then I moved on to Okla. State University and played guitar in an Adult standards band at a supper club. I was in Oklahoma for 14 years, then moved back to New York to buy my dad's music store. I started playing steel with a week end country band again and stayed for 25 years. At age 74 lugging the steel, amp and seat, setting up and tearing down the PA and the steel got to be more than I wanted to do every weekend during the summer, so I retired. This summer I played two train depot shows, myself on acoustic guitar and vocals, and my friend on banjo, guitar and vocals. Even those gigs involved a lot of lugging in PA gear, setting up and tearing down, but they paid well for a 2 hour show and we had fun. I still teach at my music store, direct a bell choir at church and sing in the choir. At 76 my road days are about over and I don't miss them too much...