How much do the big players make?

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 6 Apr 2014 8:45 am

One of the problems these days also is diminishing gigs and pay. Many of the clubs that us weekend warriors used to work, no longer have music. And if they DO, they are paying less than they were 10 years ago. Many are closing and/or struggling to maintain.

I am 55 and I think the biggest issue we weekend warriors have is just that we are just simply getting older. The music changes and the venues change. So we are not willing to change (keep up?) and don't have the passion, maybe. We have other interests (children, grandchildren, other hobbies, careers, etc. etc.). We don't like the change in music. My journal of part time gigs was full from age 16 until about 40+. One or two nights a week.

On the other hand, my friends who are 35-40 years old are busy as ants. So are the few guys older than me who are willing to work at finding gigs and adapt to other music! And they are making decent money.

A cabinet maker who always did formica tops and refuses to do granite or corian (sp?) probably is on a going out of business plan.

Ken Campbell · Post by **Ken Campbell** » 6 Apr 2014 8:53 am

I'm with Will on this. I'd rather be playing than comfortable. A guy only gets one chance....

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 7 Apr 2014 6:14 am

Will knows the real answer ! He is in trouble though for revealing a couple of the full time musician secrets....

Here is my miserable day as a musician:
7:00 am Wake up early and have breakfast with my wife.
8:00 Download tracks and set up pro tools session
8:30 Take the dogs to the park so they can run and play while I let my mind wander.
10:00 go to Sears to get my vacuum cleaner and lawn edger fixed.
11:00 Put together some Ikea chairs for the living room. Mow lawn if the grass isn't wet and straighten up the house.

1:00 Head up to Salado to pick up a steel that has been worked on and on the way home pick up a couple JBLs I am putting in my old Standel and my new Milkman.

3:00 Practice a couple hours and take a nap. Maybe get the remote pro tools session done or at least started.

6:00 have dinner with my wife and hang out with her. Her boss is dropping by for something so there will be some sort of extra stuff for me to worry about that I don't have any way of understanding.

11:00 head out to a late gig at a country dance place to play for a bunch of people that seem to be enjoying themselves. And with a band that is absolutely enjoying themselves.

I will also do a bit of pickup winding and put some time into organizing a concert I have coming up of my own stuff.

I am not successful or a big time player.

Anyhoo gotta turn this thing off and get to the park now. The dogs are looking at me funny.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 8 Apr 2014 11:08 am

UPDATE:
Yesterday ending up being another depressing series of crushing defeats in my musicians life. First Sears would not repair the lawn trimmer so I had to order a part from Black and Decker and they took my vacuum cleaner and I won't have it back for maybe 10 days. Then I got lost outside of Manor tx when I couldn't get GPS signal and the "turn left when you get up over the hill and right when you cross the creek" directions I got from an older woman driving a golf cart with her chihuahua out in the middle of nowhere didn't work out. That meant I didn't get enough practice time in so my solos didn't feel right at the gig later. Plus I had to take my nap outside in the country on a cool sunny day. It was just awful. If I had any idea how degrading and hopeless my situation would be at this point in my life I would never had wasted my childhood, adolescence and adulthood on a foolish dream.

Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 8 Apr 2014 12:45 pm

The local county fair where we play for seniors day pays forty five bucks a musician.
They brought in a big name, none of us ever heard of for the big show.The artist got $45,000.00 for his take . The light show complete with smoke and mirrors got $20,000.00. So the fair manager said it was a wonderful show and the fair broke even.
Now her reasoning is " you older guys have an older following and they won't sit through rain and bad weather to see your performance". This younger big name draws a young crowd who will sit through hell and high water to see his show.
So I guess they lost money on the $ 225.00 it cost them for our band, even though we have a great following in this area...go figure..

Bud Angelotti · Post by **Bud Angelotti** » 8 Apr 2014 3:57 pm

I'm with Bob on this. Live the life of Rilley.
I used to panhandle with my banjo during "down" time till some guy gave me 5 bucks if I would stop playing. So I quit while I was ahead.

Neil Degraw · Post by **Neil Degraw** » 13 Apr 2014 7:34 am

See youtube interview "Harper Simon Interview Lloyd Green" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4WexGUikq8
Lloyd states what he made and what studio musicians make today.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 13 Apr 2014 10:27 am

'how much do the big players make?'

oh...are they paying by the pound now?

Steve French · Post by **Steve French** » 13 Apr 2014 10:50 am

Great link, Neil. Where's the "like" button?

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 13 Apr 2014 5:05 pm

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I made over 1,000,000 playing professionally. But then again, I started with 2,000,000/

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 13 Apr 2014 6:39 pm

Out of all the money I have made as a musician, I spent a lot of it on women, fast cars and more guitar stuff ... the rest of it I just wasted

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 13 Apr 2014 10:59 pm

The old ones are the best ones.

Steve Lipsey · Post by **Steve Lipsey** » 14 Apr 2014 8:49 am

Did you hear about the musician who won the lottery? When they asked him what he was going to do now, he said "I guess I'll keep working as a musician till the money is all gone...."

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 14 Apr 2014 9:46 am

I've never been at the top of the heap, I've never even joined the pile.
I know through the 70s and 80s my dad was at the top of the bluegrass pile: we didn't live in Nashville so he didn't get a lot of session work, but the band paid more than his day job as a cartographer. He saved and invested the excess beyond what was needed, so when he retired (with pension from the day job), he continued to live comfortably, and will still go play for the same 50-150/night that the rest of the bar guys do (I hope playing with Eddie and Martha pays more).
Because he'd rather pick than stay home.

PS: I know this thread is about the top guys, but here's why life at the bottom isn't lucrative; there's a LOT of good musicians who love to pick but still have day jobs. Ergo they don't NEED the money, and so you only need to throw enough money at them to make throwing all that crap in the car worthwhile. Sure, I'd rather make $200/night, but I'd rather make $50 than watch TV. Of course I'll also go to some guy's barn for a pickin' party for free and I'd rather that than a bar for $50.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 14 Apr 2014 10:48 am

Lane Gray wrote: PS: I know this thread is about the top guys, but here's why life at the bottom isn't lucrative; there's a LOT of good musicians who love to pick but still have day jobs. Ergo they don't NEED the money, and so you only need to throw enough money at them to make throwing all that crap in the car worthwhile. Sure, I'd rather make $200/night, but I'd rather make $50 than watch TV. Of course I'll also go to some guy's barn for a pickin' party for free and I'd rather that than a bar for $50.

i've noticed A LOT of guys with high end gear too that just want to go out and show it off / crank it up. why have $5k+ in guitars and amps when you just sit in your bedroom?....oh wait...

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 14 Apr 2014 12:20 pm

Sez the guy with the Gilchrist...

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 14 Apr 2014 12:39 pm

true, but i actually make 'some' money with that one.... the steel i usually end up playing for zip.

Tim Fleming · Post by **Tim Fleming** » 15 Apr 2014 10:59 am

I've been paid more to stop playing than I have to play.

Richard Lester · Post by **Richard Lester** » 16 Apr 2014 5:28 am

There was a time when all I had for work was playing gigs. It put food on the table but I was playing 5 and 6 nights a week,that's when times were good. It became a comfort when I found a decent paying job and got some benefits. Of course I kept on playing the gigs, because of my love for music. When it's bred into you, it's hard to stop. Yes, the gigs have slowed to almost nothing, but I still enjoy performing now and then when one comes my way. Here I am 66, breaking no speed limits.

Bob Cox · Post by **Bob Cox** » 16 Apr 2014 7:22 am

Another thing I have noticed is many artist record with steel but don't hire one and use imitation licks on tele or elec piano with synth. I recently opened for an artist that told me his producer would not go the extra piece or he would have a steel. So hats off to all you steel using artists like Brad Paisley and George Straight and Alan Jackson cause and Vince Gill you guys are the few that we sure appreciate for having steel on your stage and records.

Josh Yenne · Post by **Josh Yenne** » 16 Apr 2014 2:45 pm

I'm in no means a big time player.. but I am fortunate enough to make my living "through" music...

A wise man once said to me years ago "if you can make a living with your instrument in your hand, they you HAVE made it'

It's definitely a constant hustle... I gig 100+ times a year, teach guitar out of my house 2 days a week, work a bit for a music store, and a bit for a winery. And with all that hustle I actually bring in a very good living.

For me two things make it possible.. a supportive partner that also makes good money at her job...

And, and here is the key I think, NO KIDS. I see many musicians abandon their career music goals when they have kids... for better or worse... I'm not judging them... but neither me nor my wife has any interest in the least in having kids...I understand and respect why musicians give up the gigging hustle and go to the 9-5 day job thats for sure... with children you need a steady, known, pay check... I'm just happy that I don't have to.

We actually travel a lot and people ask "how do you take so many vacations!?" My answer is always "I guarantee you that it is way less expensive than a child"

I make my own hours, enjoy everything I do, live a good lifestyle in a spectacular place and am very happy.

I think a lot of these crappy paying situations are bars.. I'm happy that I'm not playing crappy bars for 4 hours till 2 in the morning anymore... I don't covet that at all again... I'm already too old for that and I'm 36.

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How much do the big players make?

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