Rock & Roll Rewind
by Jim Cathcart
There is a powerful rebirth going on in the Rock & Roll music community. Baby Boomers are picking up their guitars again. And I’m one of them.
Every generation is imprinted with the music of their era. Whatever you listened to most between ages 10 and 25 will forever be “your music.” As people start to change careers or entertain ‘retirement’ there is a corresponding urge to recapture the joy, optimism and hope of your youth. This often becomes “Grandpa is getting a tattoo and playing loud music”, at least metaphorically.
But it really is happening in some profound ways among the Baby Boomers. These 78 million who were born between 1946 and 1964 have always had powerful effects on society and today is no exception. I was born in 46 and graduated high school in 64. Think of those milestone years: 46 was the first year of peace after WWII and 64 was the year The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Today Cover Bands (groups pretending to be) are quite common and, in many cases, really good! There are a dozen Beatles groups touring, plus cover groups of: The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, The Monkees, The Rat Pack, and many more. This transcends genre. You’ll find Country, Folk, Rock, and Swing groups all active. Check the summer concert series at your community parks, local shopping malls, village theaters, colleges and resort venues. It’s really good entertainment and… most of the performers have grey hair, or none.
Much like the “Mid-Life Crisis” that these Boomers made famous when they were 35 to 45, this “Re-Boom” is no small deal. Ask yourself, how many people do you know whose parents are getting back into music or performance in some way? Mine sure never did, but then we Boomers did take a new path from the earlier generations.
Personally, in 1968-71 I was playing guitar and singing in night clubs and lounges in Little Rock, Arkansas and anywhere I traveled to as well. My initial dream goal was a career as a singer/guitarist. My role models were; Glenn Campbell, Elvis, John Denver and a few more. Then I discovered the field of Training & Development and spent a generation building my business there.
So today, in addition to traveling the world speaking to business audiences about Relationship Selling and Self-Leadership, I am also performing in clubs and at large events on a regular basis. In the past 24 months I’ve played and sang for 800 executives in Caracas, Venezuela; and for 200-300 in Bogota’, Colombia; Santiago, Chile; Macau, China; Vancouver, Canada; across the domestic USA and on a cruise ship in Barcelona, Spain and Juneau, Alaska.
The trips were primarily for speaking engagements but I was able to generate extra performances through a bit of advance planning. And MAN is it fun!!!! I’m having the time of my life and the audiences are singing along and sometimes even dancing in the aisles.
Meanwhile back at the ranch: I’m now the regular 1st Tuesday performer at a local night club and I often perform at local events and living room concerts for special groups. Last week I played for an event at Sherwood Country Club, one at the Westlake Village Inn, Bogie’s Lounge; and at a Music-at-the-Beach event in Ventura Harbor.
Where is your passion? What have you not practiced even though it used to give you great satisfaction? Maybe it’s time to stop procrastinating and pick it up again. Let the energy it brings serve to enrich your life. You don’t have to get as motivated as I have about it, but find some ways to devote a few hours a week to doing things you love. You’ll be more fun to be around and a lot happier inside. Call me if you want to set up a Jam Session. And please check out my music website. Jim Cathcart Sings
