--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was about 12, I had my first…" description: "\"When I was about 12, I had my first paying gig - 8 dollars to play rhythm guitar in a polka band. Pretty soon, I ended up playing in all the bars withi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8a/willie-nelson-1796_about_when-i-was-about-12-i-had-my-first-payin_1942219.png" --- # When I was about 12, I had my first paying gig - 8 dollars… ![“When I was about 12, I had my first paying gig - 8 dollars to play rhythm guitar in a polka band. Pretty soon, I ended up playing in all the bars within driving distance of Abbott, Texas.” quote by Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8a/willie-nelson-1796_about_when-i-was-about-12-i-had-my-first-payin_1942219.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8a/willie-nelson-1796_about_when-i-was-about-12-i-had-my-first-payin_1942219.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8a/willie-nelson-1796_about_when-i-was-about-12-i-had-my-first-payin_1942219.png) > “When I was about 12, I had my first paying gig - 8 dollars to play rhythm guitar in a polka band. Pretty soon, I ended up playing in all the bars within driving distance of Abbott, Texas.” [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early musical gigs teach perseverance, community, and the value of modest beginnings. **In simple terms:** Playing small gigs builds skill and confidence. Key Takeaway Embrace early opportunities, no matter the size. Themes perseverance community growth Mood reflective nostalgic Type anecdotal inspirational When to use this quote - local venues - youth music programs - career beginnings - networking - skill building Key Concepts musical development grassroots economy Questions to Reflect On - How did those early gigs shape your later career? - What can local artists learn from modest starts? A Different Perspective Limited resources can restrict exposure and income. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) [Bars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bars/) [Distance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distance/) [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Driving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driving/) [Ended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ended/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Gig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gig/) [Gig Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gig-dollars-3102540/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Guitar Polka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar-polka-3102541/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Paying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying/) [Paying Gig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying-gig-3102539/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing/) [Polka Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polka-band-402079/) [Pretty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretty/) [Rhythm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythm/) [Rhythm Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythm-guitar-334251/) [Soon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soon/) [Texas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texas/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Within](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/within/) ## Related quotes > [My first paying gig was a play called 'The Voice of the Prairie' at a theater that no longer exists in Chicago called Wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-o-hare/my-first-paying-gig-was-a-play-called-the-voice-of-the-prairie-at-a/) [Denis O'Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-o-hare/) > [My first job was in a Bohemian polka band, the Rejcek family polka band in Abbott. The old man in the band had another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/my-first-job-was-in-a-bohemian-polka-band-the-rejcek-family-polka/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [If a guy came up and said 'we got a polka band and we're going to play polkas next Saturday night' I'd play polkas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-cale/if-a-guy-came-up-and-said-we-got-a-polka-band-and-we-re-going-to-play/) [J. J. Cale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-cale/) > [“For People Starting Out—Say “Yes” When Derek was 18, he was living in Boston, attending the Berklee College of Music. “I’m in this band…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/for-people-starting-out-say-yes-when-derek-was-18-he-was-living-in/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [I feel my spot is somewhere between a bass player and a rhythm guitar player. I play with a pick. I play very aggressively.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/i-feel-my-spot-is-somewhere-between-a-bass-player-and-a-rhythm-guitar/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [I took the rhythm place, which a lot of people didn't know how to do the way I could, and this was really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-derringer/i-took-the-rhythm-place-which-a-lot-of-people-didn-t-know-how-to-do/) [Rick Derringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-derringer/) > [I've always been at war with the guitar. All vocalists are fighting a war with the electric rhythm guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/i-ve-always-been-at-war-with-the-guitar-all-vocalists-are-fighting-a/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [I never wanted to sing. I just wanted to play rhythm guitar – hide in the back and just play. But during those high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/i-never-wanted-to-sing-i-just-wanted-to-play-rhythm-guitar-hide-in/) [Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/) > [My guitar-playing always included bass lines, melody lines, and rhythm-guitar grooves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovan/my-guitar-playing-always-included-bass-lines-melody-lines-and-rhythm/) [Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donovan/) > [Most people can do what I do - they can do guitar solos - but they can't do a good, hard rhythm guitar and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-young/most-people-can-do-what-i-do-they-can-do-guitar-solos-but-they-can-t/) [Angus Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-young/) > [I never wanted to sing. I just wanted to play rhythm guitar - hide in the back and just play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/i-never-wanted-to-sing-i-just-wanted-to-play-rhythm-guitar-hide-in-2/) [Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/) > [I've been used for writing rhythm guitar chords for a long time because it's so easy to play and chords just sound good on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradford-cox/i-ve-been-used-for-writing-rhythm-guitar-chords-for-a-long-time/) [Bradford Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradford-cox/) > [If you listen to my tapes, you'd hear 14 different ways to arrange the rhythm guitar behind the harmony vocal, and then 14 different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-scholz/if-you-listen-to-my-tapes-you-d-hear-14-different-ways-to-arrange-the/) [Tom Scholz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-scholz/) > [I noticed a lot of guitar players neglected the rhythm part of rhythm guitar and decided I would try to focus in that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-sparks/i-noticed-a-lot-of-guitar-players-neglected-the-rhythm-part-of-rhythm/) [Hal Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-sparks/) > [I can play rhythm guitar. I know how to hold a guitar and strum it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/i-can-play-rhythm-guitar-i-know-how-to-hold-a-guitar-and-strum-it/) [Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/) ## More by Willie Nelson > [I am not a pig farmer. The pigs had a great time, but I didn't make any money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-am-not-a-pig-farmer-the-pigs-had-a-great-time-but-i-didn-t-make-any/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Songwriters might write cynical, world-wise lyrics and constantly talk about money, but most of us are downright naive when it comes to business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/songwriters-might-write-cynical-world-wise-lyrics-and-constantly-talk/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/once-you-replace-negative-thoughts-with-positive-ones-you-ll-start/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [My first job was in a Bohemian polka band, the Rejcek family polka band in Abbott. The old man in the band had another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/my-first-job-was-in-a-bohemian-polka-band-the-rejcek-family-polka/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Most of the stuff I've read about me has been true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/most-of-the-stuff-i-ve-read-about-me-has-been-true/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Cruelty is all out of ignorance. If you knew what was in store for you, you wouldn't hurt anybody, because whatever you do comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/cruelty-is-all-out-of-ignorance-if-you-knew-what-was-in-store-for-you/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Americans don't eat horses. They are not raised as food animals and they are treated with chemicals that render them unsafe for consumption. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/americans-don-t-eat-horses-they-are-not-raised-as-food-animals-and/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [I was influenced a lot by those around me - there was a lot of singing that went on in the cotton fields.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-was-influenced-a-lot-by-those-around-me-there-was-a-lot-of-singing/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [“And when I die, put it on my stone. God said, Sucker get your bad ass home. I wasn't Superman. I wasn't Superman”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/and-when-i-die-put-it-on-my-stone-god-said-sucker-get-your-bad-ass/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Great songs stand out wherever they're from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/great-songs-stand-out-wherever-they-re-from/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [I just enjoy both working and not working. And fortunately, I work enough where I get that out of my system, and then we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-just-enjoy-both-working-and-not-working-and-fortunately-i-work/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Let's get the government stay out of our private lives, once and for all, and stop arresting smokers. 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Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. 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