[Dixielandjazz] Gary Church

[Katie Cavera]

Many of you may know Gary Church who is a multi-instrumentalist and can often be 
seen playing in Phoenix Arizona with the 52nd Street Jazz Band and the Joe 
Hopkins Trio.  He also has played with Mel Tillis and the Statesiders, Merle 
Haggard and the Strangers, and the Boondockers!  He has recently written a book. 
 Here's the forward from the book just to give you an idea of how Gary writes 
and the style of the book:

The Autobiography Of A Nobody
The Life And Times Of A Sideman

FORWARD

There have been many books written by and about musicians.  What sets this book 
apart from most of them is that I am not a famous man.  I am what is known in 
the music business as a sideman.  Although this is the story of my life, it 
could also be the story of many others that do the same thing as I do for a 
living.  You probably don't know our names, but you see us every day on your TV 
sets and you hear us every day on your radios.  Without us, the singers that you 
love to listen to would be reciting poetry, because there would be no music 
behind them.  We are like the offensive linemen on a football team.  We never 
score the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl, yet the game could not be played 
without us.

Being a musician is in some ways like any other job.  It can be satisfying and 
enjoyable, or it can be very frustrating.  It can provide you with a good 
living, or you could starve to death waiting for your next job.  But the main 
thing that sets the music business apart from most other professions is the 
lifestyle.  IN this business I've traveled across the country in a chartered 
Lear Jet, been picked up at the airport in a stretch limousine, feasted on prime 
rib and lobster, and drank the finest wines whne I didn't have enough money to 
buy a pack of generic cigarettes.  This is a profession that provides such highs 
and lows, and often at the same time.  In 1982, a song that I had written was 
number one on the country charts, and I didn't have enough money to buy a copy 
of the record.  Being a musician has given me the opportunity to do many things 
that are usually reserved for the wealthy.  I've traveled the world, stayed in 
the finest hotels, sailed on ocean liners, flown on private jets, and have even 
occupied a complete private car on a passenger train.  And I've done all these 
things while wondering how I was going to pay my next month's rent.
 
I"m not writing this book to complain about the music business or to sing its 
praises.  I think it is an interesting way to make a living that has never been 
written about because the famous people that generally write the books see this 
business from and entirely different perspective then we, the sidemen, do. 
 Think of this as a look behind the scenes of a glitzy 3 ring circus, from the 
view of the guy that cleans the monkey cages.  People that measure success by 
accomplishment might consider me a successful man, while those that measure 
success by material wealth might call me a failure.  For the most part, I've 
made a good living in a tough business for the last 39 years.  I've supported 
myself and my family by playing music, and for that I must consider myself 
successful.  I don't' plan on using this book to dish out dirt about any famous 
people that i've known or worked for.  You can get all of that in the tabloids. 
 But I will try to let you see the "stars" through the eyes of someone who works 
with them everyday, and to give you a glimpse into their real personalities.

I hope the book is as enjoyable to read as it has been to write.  Although some 
memories are painful, most are very enjoyable.

- Gary Church

Having read it I can say it is a very enjoyable read and Gary is a funny and 
interesting writer.  Those of you that know Gary, know that he has recently had 
some bad health problems.  So I'm really happy that he put his story down in 
writing for us, and if you'd like to pick up a copy of your own, please contact 
Gary directly at: GLCjazz at aol.com

- Katie 
http://www.katiecavera.com
http://www.youtube.com/kcavera