[Dixielandjazz] RE: Economics of OKOM

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/5/03 12:13:43 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
jerrygordon at juno.com writes:

> >
> >They did however pay me $100,000.00 a week for Fats Domino &his 20 
> >piece 
> >band, plus single rooms for the band. ... Fats paid the band 
> >$3,000.00 a 
> >month each man. 
> 
> 
> 

Forgot to mention that he paid me $10,000.00 a week commission, and I assure 
you I earned every penny of it touring on the road with that circus, it will 
be in my book someday.

Also should be noted that the luxury of the Le Meridian Hotel was sufficient 
payment for most of those guys when you see what the daily rates are for a 
room to live there.    About the same as most of them paid a Month for rent in 
New Orleans, and a damned sight better living conditions too.

There were musicians lined up around the block in New Orleans begging Fats to 
go on tour.


Fats is a bit eccentric to say the least, but he is also not fortunate enough 
to be able to read or write.    He also walks into the IRS office every year 
and tells them how much money he made and asks them "How much do I owes you 
folks" ?   pays them in cash and walks out.    Don't wants no problems with the 
government.

He also owns property all over New Orleans and does not claim any deductions 
for property taxes, just pays it, and yes some of his musicians live in some 
of his houses and most often do not pay him any rent.

Fats also gets up at about 5 am every morning and starts cooking food, then 
heads out around the neighborhood and distributes it to the OLD FOLKS.    He 
still lives in the house he was born in.

Insisted on getting paid in cash daily because he did not trust banks, and on 
and on for another chapter in the book.


Anyone who thinks the band was underpaid, should try booking them without 
Fats, anywhere for anything near the money they were paid by Fats,  PS don't 
charge the phone calls to my number when you do.  :)   The Fats Domino Band 
without Fats Domino does not have any market value.

This is one of the main reasons you keep hearing from me that YOUR NAME and 
or the Name of Your Band is what really matters, change it and you have to 
start marketing all over again.  That is the equivalent of filing Bankruptcy 
everytime you change the name of your band.  It is also one of the major reasons 
most bands never make it to any real financial success level in this business.  
The same thing happens to many musicians who don't pay their phone bill and 
have to get a new number.  It would have been much cheaper to pay the bill and 
keep the number than to lose a lot of work opportunities because bandleaders 
can't find you for a gig.  Not to mention running up your new phone bill calling 
everyone to tell them your new phone number.  Yep this happens guys, believe 
it or not, every day.


Cheers,

Tom Wiggins