Yesterday, on Sonic Spectrum, one of my favorite radio shows, I heard an interview with Charlie Louvin of the Louvin Brothers, arguably one of the most influencial country bands you never heard of. The Louvin Brothers, developers of the close harmony sound, came from hard-scrabble Kentucky. One day when they were young and out hoein' in the field, they saw Roy Acuff drive by on his way to a concert in town. Roy was in the the biggest car they'd ever seen, a Franklin, with 3 doors on a side. Each was convinced that the Grand Ole Opry was a ticket to riches, although in truth Mr. Acuff only charged adults 25 cents and children a nickel to see him. Even a sold-out show would barely net $100. It took the Louvin 16 years of touring before they ever played the Grand Ole Opry, where eventually they became a staple and inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Charlie Louvin also recounted a story about Chet Atkins, a guitarist so fluid, so adept that he could play and carry on a conversation at the same time with missing a beat. His skills so honed that the fingers seem to be disconnected from his brain. An enthusiastic fan came up to Chet and exclaimed, "Mr. Atkins, I'd give a million dollars if I could play like you!" "Yeah, but would you give 65 years?" Chet replied. The fan slunked away.
"There's a price to pay to be good at anything," Charlie said.
Hell, there's a price to pay even if your just mediocre at something. However, regardless of what plans your Father might have for you, if it winds up killing you, you might want to reconsider.