This is a very timely thread...for today I met for the first time the Hospice organizer who has set me up with my convalescent home gigs. I am not only not an entertainer, I'm not even a performer...I love music, love certain songs, and attempt to play and sing them with heart, but have rarely performed in front of a lot of people, am, like Steve, a back porch player. However, I really like the people in these places, connect with them, say hi, give them hugs, then just get on with it....sing my songs, working in stuff they can sing along with.

Today, Chris, the organizer, came to sing with me. Well...he is definitely an entertainer, a professional musician with a stage presence, total self confidence, and flair. He was all OVER the place, one minute down on his knee singing to one old lady, then jumping around with a plastic rose in his teeth...OY! The old ladies loved him ("this is more fun than we've had in a long time!"). It was a one-time shot for him, but I have the sinking feeling that for all my subsequent visits they are going to be thinking ..."when is that cute GUY coming back????"

For myself, I love a good entertainer as well as the next person, sing along, laugh, whatever. But the performances I remember, the ones that I cherish, feel so lucky to have been priveledged to see in person, have been by performers who cared about their material above all.

Very intersting thread...