Entertaining
We have got into entertaining in the most unusual
way, back in 1985.
However I'm jumping the gun a bit, as the story
really starts in 1984 when I lost my job as an engineer. Our holiday was already booked
and paid for so there was no reason to cancel it. Now I (John) always liked to sing (as
you do) in the shower or pub, without knowing anything about; music, keys or anything
else.
During this holiday there was a talent contest and my wife and daughter put my name down
for it. When the time came, the organist asked me what I'm going to sing and then in what
key. I had no idea of the key but I've shown him (using one finger on the organ).
As he really was professional, he never batted an eye just said oh "C sharp
minor". I won second place and was chaffed.
A few weeks after returning home, there was an
other contest at a local club. By this time my head grew quite a bit so I've entered. Got
hold of a couple of sheet music ( not realising that they were in the wrong key ).
On the night the organist was a young lad accompanied by a drummer and when I tried to
explain what I wanted he just said OK, but when it came to the performance I couldn't even
recognised the tune.
Half way through the first song, I told the organist to stop playing and I carried on
singing just with the drummer.
Came last by a mile.
On the way home I decided that in future if anybody going to show me up (this is the
printable version of the words), it is going to be me. A week later I bought a second-hand
acoustic guitar and started to practice. As I didn't want to upset the neighbours, we used
to go into the country for the practice sessions. This would have been the end of my
entertaining if fate hadn't steped in.
About six months later it happened; MY WIFE HAD
THREE HEART ATTACKS IN ONE WEEK.
At that time we were both smoking (about 60 a day
each) and she was told that she must give it up or else. As she could not give up if I
carried on smoking, we both gave up. (That is an other story)
The result of all this was that she didn't want to
know anybody, didn't want to leave the house. Basically she was giving up.
That's when I came up with "we are going
busking". Not in Lincoln she said (that was the nearest town), so we went further
afield to start with.
To make it less embarrassing we decided to give all
we collected to a local charity. By the time we finished busking we collected for them
about �4000 ( approx. $6000 US).
The main reason why I picked on Country Western at
the start was very simple.
1, You look different with stetsons and the shirt ( you do in England).
2, More importantly, there are lots of tunes with only Two or Three�� Chords.
Which meant that with a capo and Two Keys we was away.
3, Most of the songs were easy going and enjoyable.
As I have said we started with just an acoustic
guitar and the wife had a tambourine, however it wasn't long before I've realised that
buskers with amplifiers got more money. Bought a bass combo, converted it to operate on
car battery, practiced a lot and gradually more people stopped to listen.
One day some one came up to us and asked if we would play at his daughter's wedding, then
some one else if we would play at a birthday party and in time the offers came more often
as the word went around that we were available and good.
�