tookatooka
783 posts
Nov 16, 2009
6:19 AM
|
I had put as much effort, dedication, time and passion into a money making scheme as I do with learning to and playing the harp.
Does anyone know of any harp players who hit the big money by playing harp?
----------
Last Edited by on Nov 16, 2009 6:20 AM
|
toddlgreene
140 posts
Nov 16, 2009
6:25 AM
|
Maybe John Popper, with the success of Four back in the 90s, and although I personally consider him a folk artist and NOT a harp player-Bob Dylan brought a lot of attention to the instrument we hold dear, and I don't think he's strapped for cash either. Also, others who have either touched the Billboard charts might be doin' okay-Kim Wilson from the T-bird days when 'Tuff Enough' was all over the radio, and maybe Jerry Portnoy from his Clapton sideman work.
We could make Kudzu a rich dude too...How many members are on this forum? Say we all mailed him 10 bucks, a 100 bucks, whatever...
----------
GO SAINTS!
crescentcityharmonicaclub@gmail.com
Last Edited by on Nov 16, 2009 6:28 AM
|
MrVerylongusername
640 posts
Nov 16, 2009
6:59 AM
|
I bet Lee Oskar's made a pretty penny out of it and although he's primarily a chrom player, Stevie Wonder's worth a few bob too (and he does play diatonic sometimes)
|
Bluzdude46
274 posts
Nov 16, 2009
7:21 AM
|
Yea but calling Stevie Wonder merely a Harp Player is pretty damn shorttelling. The guy is a Musician, Composer, Engineer, Philanthropist and an amazing Vocalist
|
MrVerylongusername
641 posts
Nov 16, 2009
7:32 AM
|
Agreed... and calling Dylan a harp player is a bit of a stretch! Poet yes, icon yes, harp player? hmmm....
Last Edited by on Nov 16, 2009 7:33 AM
|
toddlgreene
141 posts
Nov 16, 2009
7:42 AM
|
If Dylan's a 'harp player', then so is... Alanis Morrisette. It actually hurt to type that.
----------
GO SAINTS!
crescentcityharmonicaclub@gmail.com
|
Buddha
1161 posts
Nov 16, 2009
8:37 AM
|
I've been told by several that musicians typically make
$14,400 or $144,000 or $1,440,400
There seems to be no real middle ground and I think those marks are considerable less for harmonica players.
Tommy Morgan and Rob Paparozzi seem to be doing quite well. Tollak Olstad is probably doing well. Toots has done well.
John Popper of course has done very well.
It can be done but there is almost no chance it can be done by playing blues. You have to have the ability to play multiple musical styles.
What to make millions with the harp? Figure out how to play smooth jazz, pop and other adult contemporary music, that's were the money is and always will be.
The problem with the harp is it takes three times the work over other instruments to learn, on top of that, your intonation and tone has to be together or you won't sound good. The other issue is, there are almost no good harmonica teachers.
----------
"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." - Joseph Campbell
Last Edited by on Nov 16, 2009 8:39 AM
|
congaron
262 posts
Nov 16, 2009
10:07 AM
|
On the Hohner website, i think, they interviewed Dylan, and he doesn't think he had much impact on the harp world.
|
toddlgreene
144 posts
Nov 16, 2009
10:13 AM
|
Don't get me wrong-I'm a fan of Dylan's songwriting and his longevity in the business, but not a fan of minimalist harp. HOWEVER, I think he influenced huge amounts of guitarists to play harp in a rack.
----------
GO SAINTS!
crescentcityharmonicaclub@gmail.com
|
congaron
264 posts
Nov 16, 2009
11:25 AM
|
agreed...as did Neil Young...I like both of them as songwriters...I tire of both of them as singers, but that's okay. I agree they had influence and I have old vinyl of both...even cds of both. Weird how dylan doesn't seem to think so, unless he's being sarcastically humble. Maybe he can't remember...lol.
|
nacoran
402 posts
Nov 16, 2009
11:30 AM
|
Bruce Willis makes good money. It must be his harmonica playing, I mean, have you seen his acting?
(Actually, I like his movies.)
|
scrybe314
28 posts
Nov 16, 2009
11:31 AM
|
All I know is that whenever I see a harp player I don't recognize doing a live show, I think to myself "There's a 50/50 chance that this is going to be 'Mr. Tambourine Man' all over again..." Of all the harmonica people I've known around here, most claim Bob Dylan as their main influence. That's when I let 'em listen to Rocket Number Nine...
|
harmonicanick
461 posts
Nov 16, 2009
11:38 AM
|
I hope J Ricci is making a buck or three considering the amount of gigs he is doing in a year.
Have a look at his gig list on the web site, and as someone mentioned his gigs go on for 4 hours!!
|
Aussiesucker
438 posts
Nov 16, 2009
12:56 PM
|
If only?
I don't think anyone planning on making their fortune would ever choose the Harmonica as their primary tool.
Me, I happen to like playing; money would be good.
|
RyanMortos
472 posts
Nov 16, 2009
1:19 PM
|
"Just a little piece of paper coated with chlorophyll..." (Ray Charles, Greenbacks)
----------
~Ryan
Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
|
LittleJoeSamson
122 posts
Nov 16, 2009
1:58 PM
|
A couple pretty successful musicians, but not known primarily for playing harp: John Lennon and Mick Jagger.
I bet Larry Adler made plenty...thru endorsements, but it was his virtuoso talents that made it possible.
Jerry Murad had to have made $$$.
|
harmonicanick
462 posts
Nov 16, 2009
2:41 PM
|
Little Joe,
Mick Jagger had lessons on harp from a certain Cyril Davies who was the first british harp player in the 60's in west London with the Grahame Bond organisation (and he was a nutter as well).
It is written that the young Jagger approached the already old man Davies and asked 'how do you play that thing?'
The terse reply was ' you just suck and blow the fucking thing' (excuse me)
|
OzarkRich
41 posts
Nov 16, 2009
3:14 PM
|
Cyril died of pneumonia as a result of waiting in the rain after a gig. He was 32 years old. If that's an old man what am I at 46? :)
|
Delta Dirt
40 posts
Nov 16, 2009
3:36 PM
|
Yes you are! Hard Living!
|
snakes
398 posts
Nov 16, 2009
3:52 PM
|
MrVLUN - I live close to Lee Oskar and have seen him several times (the last time was just on Saturday when Rick Estrin called him out of the crowd) and I've never seen him play a chromatic. He does pump his diatonics through some kind of WahWah pedal or something... I am guessing the Tombo's he sells have made him a little coin as he lives in a fairly upscale suburb of Seattle.
|
The Gloth
186 posts
Nov 16, 2009
3:56 PM
|
I guess that Greg Zlap is hitting jackpot by playing live for Johnny Hallyday, who's the biggest star in France. and J.J. Milteau must have earned some, maybe more from his very popular harp learning method. But he played with well known french artists too, like Jean-Jacques Goldman.
|
Ryan
32 posts
Nov 16, 2009
4:16 PM
|
I'm sure Mickey Raphael is doing pretty well, I don't think he's filthy rich but he's probably not hurtin for cash.
|
MrVerylongusername
642 posts
Nov 16, 2009
4:18 PM
|
@snakes - nah, I meant Stevie Wonder was known as a chrom player (harpwise). Just a badly constructed sentence I guess.
|
Hobostubs Ashlock
127 posts
Nov 16, 2009
4:56 PM
|
toddlegreene said (We could make Kudzu a rich dude too...How many members are on this forum? Say we all mailed him 10 bucks, a 100 bucks, whatever)
LOL LOL LOL thanks i needed a good laugh i have a paypal account also feel free to make me rich to.
|
toddlgreene
146 posts
Nov 16, 2009
6:26 PM
|
The check's in the mail, Hobostubs;-)
----------
GO SAINTS!
crescentcityharmonicaclub@gmail.com
|
LittleJoeSamson
124 posts
Nov 16, 2009
6:44 PM
|
OT, but talking about rich musicians reminded me of William Kincaid and his platinum flute. It went for $187K in 1986!
Powell Flutes that made it is still in business, and still making flutes and parts out of precious metals.
I am wondering if any harmonica combs made from platinum were/are produced?
|
HarpNinja
19 posts
Nov 16, 2009
6:59 PM
|
Man, you can't find any harp work around here...I've been hunting for over a year now. I was hoping to be a side guy in just about any genre. I mean any genre! The only email I ever got was about doing a Christian gig which wasn't going to work for me. I am working on a country gig with a pro-guitar buddy of mine. We have a bassist who toured with Willie Nelson lined up...trying to find a female to front. Yee haw! The thing with harp is even if you rule, people don't even let you get it to your mouth!
----------
Mike Fugazzi
http://www.myspace.com/niterailband
http://www.youtube.com/user/NiteRail
http://www.twitter.com/NiteRail
http://www.facebook.com/mike.fugazzi
|
Hobostubs Ashlock
128 posts
Nov 16, 2009
7:11 PM
|
Ive wanted to try busking,But unless i had a partner for guitar,i would feel, more comfortable busking with my acoustic guitar,A guitar seems like something needed for harp busking,or maybe a jamtrack would work,but where i live they would throw me in jail or give me a ticket for begging.lol
|
harmonicanick
467 posts
Nov 20, 2009
1:55 AM
|
Seasick Steve is making loads of dosh in the UK singing and playing his blues. He just finshed a seel out tour at the Brixton Academy.
Even now he seems unable to believe his luck!
'Why do you want to listen to what I gotta say?/Don't you got nothing better to do? he sang
|
kudzurunner
798 posts
Nov 20, 2009
5:05 AM
|
Jerry Portnoy cashed in when Clapton took him on tour, I believe. I'd love to know the particulars.
I was playing on the street in Times Square with Mr. Satan in 1987 when William Galison took my card and then called me and asked me to be his sub on "Big River," the bus and truck tour. $800 a week for blowing harp in 8 shows a week (Tues through Sun, as I recall, with Wed and Sat matinees), PLUS $400 a week to cover expenses. That was a step up from busking. Plus I ended up having an affair with one of the actress/singers who played a slave--she was cute, had a voice that could tear the roof off, and I spent every show gazing up longingly at her from the pit. We were rolling in cash, literally. I wasn't a millionaire, but she sure looked cute with those $100 bills spread out on the bed.
Rob Papparozzi is definitely doing OK these days, since he travels with the Blues Brothers and/or Blood, Sweat, and Tears. He sings as well as plays, of course, and his ability to do both is one reason he's able to hold down those two gigs.
I suspect that Kim Wilson has done as well as any straight ahead blues harp guy, since the T-Birds are closer to a rock act than a blues act AND he has his own blues thing. Surely he's getting publishing on the T-Birds stuff plus appearance fees when they tour.
Last Edited by on Nov 20, 2009 5:11 AM
|
Buddha
1176 posts
Nov 20, 2009
5:30 AM
|
there is definitely money in being a sideman if you get hooked up with the correct group.
For instance, my bassist recorded with Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton - We've all heard "Islands in the Stream" he's the bassist on that track and from that one tune alone he gets a quarterly check that ranges from $3600-$4800
There is another local player that I know, Mel Brown who is Janet Jackson's touring bassist, he gets paid $450K/yr just to be on retainer.
And there is another local friend who is Mariah Carrey's Drummer - $1M/yr salary.
Another friend tells me that a good sideman with a major touring group can expect to make $4000-$6000 per night or $1000 per song which ever is less.
Playing with these guys has been fun. Like all of us who save our gig money to buy a PA, they do the same thing. "Hey I just played with Al DiMeola on wed and made $4000. I'll buy us a new PA system." or they way I got my bass rig for performance - "Here take it, I'll just call Eden and have them send a new one to me."
Now if we all worked a little harder to become better musicians then we can expect to be touring with major groups and expect endorsement deal that actually includes real gear.
----------
"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." - Joseph Campbell
|
congaron
287 posts
Nov 20, 2009
9:54 AM
|
My old drummer (18 years old) has a brother -in-law who tours with a Christian artist named Caleb Rowden. He told his brother-in-law he was in a band and suddenly a drum kit and some truly amazing cymbals arrived at the practice studio. "I need some new ones anyway, so i called Z......", not to mention the huge supply of sticks that he gets form somebody else. He showed me an electronic stompbox he just got..very cool idea for busking...anyway, he has numerous endorsements and artist agreements. He "just" gets free gear from them , but also is paid to tour with the band. He does carpeting when he's not on tour, just because he was doing that first. They are doing just fine. He is giving free lessons to his young brother-in-law...no longer in a band around here, but learning very rapidly.
Last Edited by on Nov 20, 2009 9:56 AM
|
