I could have Bat.
I had contacts and offers but I also had friends that did tour. Heard all I needed.
 
I don't remember the exact year(s) but I know it was before I got married
and want to say around 72-'73 when a good friend that was touring in Kenny
Rodgers band (and Dottie West?) would come by and tell me all the stories...
he almost talked me into it but I didn't want "work" and had no dreams of
being a "guitar god". I was content on being a student of guitar...and still.
 
The only regret I have is I didn't stop playing in bands when I got married.
I know it was because I sold out...the money was great, easy gigs and thought I was
doing the right thing trading my time with them for the cash. Big mistake.
I did quit after 11 years of being married. Quit playing for about 10 years...damn computers
got me back into this mess. ;) Still trying to learn how to play the thing....at home with
my family.
 
 

Y'all prolly heard it before (my lost opportunity).
 
Late 1971 - I'm in a band with Chas Sandford. He says "we have to go to England to make it". I say "Nope, getting married next year".
 
He goes on to co-write "Missing You" with John Waite, produces the likes of Chicago, Steveie Nicks and a whole host of others. Lives outside of Nashville and has a "pro" studio with living accomadations (and has a studio in Hawaii IIRC).

bapu
Y'all prolly heard it before (my lost opportunity).
 
Late 1971 - I'm in a band with Chas Sandford. He says "we have to go to England to make it". I say "Nope, getting married next year".
 
He goes on to co-write "Missing You" with John Waite, produces the likes of Chicago, Steveie Nicks and a whole host of others. Lives outside of Nashville and has a "pro" studio with living accomadations (and has a studio in Hawaii IIRC).

Ah, but if you had not gotten married instead then you would not have your son!
 
There's always a bright side.

Tough one there Ed!  Well, at least you've got the woman you married.  Oh wait... 
 
(I wouldn't have minded mixing a young Stevie Nicks...  )
 
I still only have my short and useless story.  Wanted to be in a touring band, but not as a front man or lead - I wasn't good enough for that.  Got a chance to play for six weeks with some really talented guys, then the lead guitarist (Craig Goldy) went off to form Guiffria (before moving on to Dio) and the drummer Mike went off to play with Mickey Ratt (dying before they changed their name to Ratt - Drummers!).  Then, a couple years later, I had to go and break my arm.  With months of nerve regrowth and physical therapy ahead of me, my music days were numbered early.  It wasn't until 1987 that I discovered this software called Cakewalk (v1.0) and started having fun with music again.  To this day, I still can't tweedle tweedle tweedle like I used to (damn, sounds like a prostate issue, doesn't it?).
 
When I look back at all the REALLY talented musicians that never went anywhere, I think I made the right choice staying in the IT world. 

Beagle

bapu
Y'all prolly heard it before (my lost opportunity).
 
Late 1971 - I'm in a band with Chas Sandford. He says "we have to go to England to make it". I say "Nope, getting married next year".
 
He goes on to co-write "Missing You" with John Waite, produces the likes of Chicago, Steveie Nicks and a whole host of others. Lives outside of Nashville and has a "pro" studio with living accomadations (and has a studio in Hawaii IIRC).

Ah, but if you had not gotten married instead then you would not have your son!
 
There's always a bright side.

Zacto!

craigb
Tough one there Ed!  Well, at least you've got the woman you married.  Oh wait... 

 
We're still friends even though we've been divorced for just over 30 years now. In fact I may be getting a shirt order from here come Monday.

I still do it full time and have been since 1999. Between the studio's, my original career and my cover band once or twice a month, I'm loving it.
 
My first world wide release came out in 1999. Signed to a Euro label with Japanese licensing. Sold pretty decent, made a few bucks and got connected within the Indy industry. I wound up leaving the Euro label before my next release. I fought them and won out of court. Did some touring that was a blast!
 
Years later after a total mess with the last Euro label, my Japanese label that just licensed me, literally signed me. My second world wide release came out in 2004 with both a Euro label and Marquee Avalon, the Japanese label. The Euro label filed for bankruptcy about a year after my release and none of us saw it coming. Some pretty big acts were on that label and my Japanese label were in so tight with this Euro label, they made me sign with them for Euro/US presence. We all took a bath there...still sold a nice amount of CD's though.
 
Working on a new album now that should be done in a few months. Really great labels interested this time. Will still release in Japan with Marquee as well. I have quite a few irons in the fire with this new release and am excited to see how things pan out. This may be it for me as far as the whole label thing goes though. It really takes a lot out of you when you have to fight a label (even though I won) and then get screwed due to another label going broke on you. Thank God none of it cost me any money, but it definitely took away money that was rightfully mine that I worked for.
 
Both studio's are doing wonderful, my Van Halen tribute band is a blast to be a part of, and I just have no issues right now other than I wish the world were a better place for all of us and our families/loved ones could live healthy without passing away.
 
Whew...playing out....I couldn't even give an approximate of how many gigs I've played as well as the places. I'd be better off telling you the places I HAVEN'T yet played. :)
 
-Danny

I hear ya Danny. I couldn't even try to come up with a number of nights played, or the places. Every once in awhile, a song on the radio, or just face on the street will remind me of a gig from back in the day. The wife and I went out for ice cream a week or so ago to this little town about 15 miles from home. I hadn't been on that road in over 10 years, and as were driving along she says "Oh look...Night Owls is gone!". I looked over and it was just grown over empty field where this great roadhouse used to be. That got us talking about the people we met there and some of the crazy things that happened. One Saturday night these 2 brothers came in with their girls and started dancing and partying. A little while later, another brother showed up and all hell broke loose. They apparently had issues with the one brother and ended up kicking his ass out the door, where one brother got in the back seat of a car while holding his barely conscious brother by the arm, while the other brother got behind the wheel and they proceeded to drag him down the road for about a 1/4 mile. Almost killed the guy, and there's 200 drunks standing out in front of the bar watching the whole thing happen.
 
Eventually everybody came back inside, and just started the party again like nothing happened. I still see those guys every once in awhile, and all 3 of them act like nothing ever happened. Makes me wonder what that childhood must have been like.
 
Randy

bapu
Y'all prolly heard it before (my lost opportunity).
 
Late 1971 - I'm in a band with Chas Sandford. He says "we have to go to England to make it". I say "Nope, getting married next year".
 
He goes on to co-write "Missing You" with John Waite, produces the likes of Chicago, Steveie Nicks and a whole host of others. Lives outside of Nashville and has a "pro" studio with living accomadations (and has a studio in Hawaii IIRC).

LOL Ed...that reminds me of my dad and an investment he missed the boat on that he'll never forgive himself for. We have these little convenience stores around here...like 7 Eleven, but they offer way more. Short story...
 
My dad gets a call from an investor about these little stores. He goes to the meeting. They were asking for 100k and this was in like 1974 or so I believe...something like that. At the time, my dad was really well off...so 100k was nothing to him. So he listened to the presentation about these stores. They made a mention that by a certain year, there would just about be one at every corner in NJ, PA and Delaware.
 
By the 2000's there would be super stores that sport gas stations and they would carry a little bit of everything....and (the kicker) we will call these stores WaWa.
 
On that note, my dad and 25 other possible investors stand up and say "get the #$%^ outta here with that name....it will never work...not interested...WaWa...hahahahaha!"
 
Today in 2013, there are WaWa's on just about every corner in NJ, Delaware and PA. There are more Super WaWa's than ever before where they sell gas as well. This remains one of the worst business decisions my father ever made...and one of his worst regrets of all time.
 
-Danny  

1971 till 1984.  Most of that time touring or in Nashville.  I could live 1982 over and over again like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.  I do miss it so.  Course I'd be dead already ten times over probably...maybe...or would I?
 
 
 
PS: Course, Since 1987 I've still sort of been doin it as an independent music producer and studio owner.  Although times is tough...I tell ya.