This writer once shared the stage with Elvis... 32 years after Elvis performed on it. Photo by Christie Kitchens

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Sharing the spotlight

by Phil Houseal
Aug 5, 2009

You read the breathless review: rising musician Jimmie Stringplucker has played with Willie Nelson, recorded with a former member of The Eagles, and performed for the President.

I have always been amused at the musician reviews in industry rags and now online at social networking sites. After reading some of these bloviated bios you wonder why the musician bothers to perform at your local club - surely he is keeping Willie waiting!

Having spent a few years on the periphery of the professional music world, I have learned how to parse these raves. Here are few of my favorites (by the way I’ve read all of these in the past few weeks):

“Shared the stage with...”
This is an old favorite. The phrase “shared the stage” is meant to conjure a vision of Stringplucker trading licks with, oh, let’s say, George Strait. In reality, sharing the stage can mean performing at an outdoor festival or county fair, with Stringplucker going on for the 2:00 in the afternoon slot, and not even getting a ticket for Strait’s closing 11 p.m. show. Same stage; same day. Different time zone. Some musicians are even bolder - “sharing the stage” can mean playing on a stage that George Strait played on 6 months earlier.

“Recorded with...”
Another gem. “Recorded with” is usually followed by a list of “former members of the Eagles” or “Freddy Fender’s guitar player” or “Ray Price’s string section.” That may be. But most people don’t realize that Ray Price hires local orchestra members to play as his string section in his concert tours. So the lady who conducts the local 6th grade orchestra may be one of Price’s players, and she’ll play on your CD too. The “former member” is a good one. I once was in a band with a former member of Pure Prairie League. It was after he was fired from the band and teaching pre-school in rural Kentucky.

“Performed for the governor (or the queen or a movie star or any of the rich and famous)”
The insinuation here is that the prince/governor/ actor is sitting in the front row entranced by your talent. But the reality is quite different. Sure the governor may be in the dance hall for a political event, but the musician is in the dance band playing way over by the beer kegs under a tent in the parking lot. I’ve played countless such gigs, and the only time the politician is aware of the band is when he is looking for a microphone to spit out a speech.

So, that’s the game. I can play it, too. Aside from performing with a member of Pure Prairie League, I have shared the stage with Asleep at the Wheel (we played from 6-7 while the Wheel was getting dressed for their 9 o’clock show), Bob Will’s Original Playboys (we followed them at a chili cookoff - the crowd followed them too), Donna Fargo (warmup while the crowd was seated), Barbara Mandrell (same thing at a state fair), and Floyd Domino (it was at Hondo’s, and someone in the crowd insisted I do the Fredericksburg Phone Book Polka - Domino was a good sport; I was mortified).

So next time you read that Jimmie Stringplucker “played with Willie,” try not to be impressed. I am not saying that it may not be true -the musician might actually be Willie’s go-to tub thumper. But why should that validate their talent? Why do they want you to judge their musical worth based on their resume?

Go listen to them if you like. But remember this: The only person it is important they share anything with... is you.