the MUSICIAN: a funny thing happened on way to gig

is an autobiography of an 86 year old Jazz musician who wanted to go to some big city like New York or Chicago to become a "star",ater he graduated from college, however he decided to become a music teacher, for the security and be a part time professional musician as a sideline. After he tried the professional world for two summers, he realized he had made the right decision of becoming a music teacher and a part time performer. Don Hamilton was once asked by a high school student at a "Career Day","Are you rich?" and Don replied, "It all depends on what you think rich, would be". The young boy said, "You know, a big pile of money", and Don said, "If that is your defination of Rich, then I am a very poor man, however, If you think that being Rich means that you have a nice famiy, you can pay your bills, and you are happy with your chosen profession, then I am a very rich man". Don Hamilton has had extensive life as a performing musician throughout the world as a guest soloist, conductor and adjudicator but never had to depend on it to pay the everyday bills. He has performed with several well known artists like Dizzy Gillespie, James Moody, Oliver Nelson, Johnny Mathis, Jack Jones, TheTemptations, The FourTops and was a guest soloist at Disney World and Sea World, in Florida. This is a story of a man that decided to follow his dream to become a "musician", put his in priorities toward happiness instead of the almighty dollar. The story of Don Hamilton, the Musician.