My first paid gig (I was paid a whopping $10) was in 1963, at the Clay County Coon Hunters' Association dinner in Clay Co., MO. First we ate dinner -- including raccoon, which tasted a bit like burnt rubber smells -- and THEN I was given the option of singing right away or performing after a 30-min. film on fishing. While I hate having to sing right after eating, I knew I'd totally lose my audience if I waited till after the fishing movie, so I chose to sing first.
At the time, I was totally into folk music, such as Copper Kettle, Shady Grove, East Virginia and other songs I'd learned from Joan Baez, Kingston Trio, Bob Dylan, Bob Gibson, Carolyn Hester, etc.      I can't remember my whole song list (about 6 songs), but I know it included Old Blue and Copper Kettle and others like that.   I thought, these being country folks, they'd appreciate and relate to songs like that. WRONG!   It went over like a pregnant pole vaulter.   
Looking back, I realized I'd have been better off doing Grand Ol' Opry type songs, but I didn't know a lot of those back then.

Anyway, it was definitely a learning experience.

Genie