I used to play the Saxophone for a number of years and when I started I used the Instruction books below which included excerpts from his solo on Baker Street along with a number of explanations of his glisses etc. That solo was a lot more complicated to play that it actually sounds like and demanded some real skill. I also remember his LP, I think it was the only one he made. "Ravenscroft wrote several books on saxophone technique including the instruction book, The Complete Saxophone Player (1990).[1]"
It's amazing how musicians seem to mainly peg out early. You'd have thought the exact opposite would be the case - being paid to do something you love with no stress of an 8 till 7 in some corporate job. Maybe playing music professionally is not all it is cracked up to be.
Even being a "serious" musician trying to make a living is very hard work, there is a huge amount of travelling involved and many late nights and early mornings. I have had the pleasure of knowing a lot of top musicians in the area that has interested me in the past and it's quite clear playing is really only a small part of the whole picture. I realised early on that it was not for me, I like to wake up in my own bed at a half decent time and not work until the early hours every day just to earn a living. I have seen people play their heart out at pub gigs and walk away with less than £10 for the afternoon, they do it because they love what they do, and I am talking about people who are the top musicians in their league and very seriously talented and award winners in their own right. Even my tutor was the BBC top Alto sax musician of the year, one year, and it was a privilege to know and work with him for all those years. He worked immensely hard to get there though. Family really can suffer as part of it.
I can imagine the drugs thing: Little structure to most of the day. Nothing much you have to get up for. A lot of boredom to deal with to get to your couple of hours of performance. The stress of having to perform in front of many people. When you finish, you are not really in a state to have a cup of Horlicks and turn in. You're more likely wired and needing some excitement. You're bound to be offered something. It's probably a lot more tiring and unhealthy than an office job unless you have cast iron self-discipline.
Yes, they are somewhat the exception that proves the rule. Keith Richards should of course be dead, but statistically, someone is always going to get away with it. It just happens to be him. Jagger like Bowie or Iggy Pop grew out of excess before it killed him - tough, determined, driven people no doubt. Charlie Watts looks like a regular sort of bloke. Bill Wyman jacked it in. Ronnie Wood should probably be dead too.
