You Never Know Who You’ll Meet: Cecil Guyton on Music History and Reverence (Episode 13)

Everything you do is an audition.

Episode 13 of The Career Musician happened by accident. Nomad was in a car in Chicago, getting a ride after a gig, and the man behind the wheel turned out to be a walking music history lesson. His name is Cecil Guyton.

Cecil drives many of the artists who come through Chicago, from the Rolling Stones to the Grateful Dead to Babyface. But he is much more than a driver. He has spent more than 25 years in the business, including years with El DeBarge as tour manager, promoter and business manager, plus stage production work. Nomad's point for this one: you never know who you are going to meet. And Cecil's point: know where you came from so you know where you're going.

Be nice to everybody

Nomad opened with a confession. He can get cranky on the road. A show ends at 1:00 a.m., there's a 4:00 a.m. lobby call, and you have three hours to pack, sleep and get cleaned up. Touring is rough, and so are weekend spot dates.

"You never know who you're gonna meet, so be nice to everybody at all times, in all scenarios, under any and all circumstances. In short, don't be a jerk."

Nomad, 1:40

The guy driving you to the airport might have run errands for the Commodores at 16. He might have been mentored by Eddie Kendricks of the Temptations. Cecil was both. Low maintenance / no drama applies in the van, in the lobby and in the car, not just on stage.

Listen to the masters

Cecil learned from people he calls masters. Eddie Kendricks took him under his wing and taught him about recording, production and how to be a professional. The first people who ever paid him were the Commodores, led by Lionel Richie. Later, in the studio with a cousin, he watched the old lessons come back: how to take a 16-track analog session and make it bigger by stacking and doubling vocals.

"When you listen to people that know what they're talking about, if you listen real hard, you learn something."

Cecil Guyton, 5:50

Nomad's version: keep your mouth closed and your eyes and ears wide open.

Adapt or sink

As a driver, Cecil had a front-row view of a whole industry being disrupted. When Uber was getting off the ground, a lot of people didn't believe it would change car services. It did, worldwide. He sees the same thing happening to how music is made, bought and heard.

His answer is not to fight it. Technology is here to stay, and you have to adapt and learn how to use it to your advantage. Cecil watched Cannonball Adderley and George Duke change their process with the times, and he says that is why George Duke stayed relevant. He also credits working with so many young musicians, and staying open to neo soul and hip hop, for keeping him young at 60.

You can kick and scream about the new tools, or you can get on the boat. That is Make Music Your Business in one decision.

Reverence: know who came before you

Cecil grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, around a family full of musicians. Because segregation kept touring Black artists out of the big hotels, they often stayed with locals. His aunt's house became a gathering spot when Cannonball came through town. This was the Chitlin' Circuit.

An elementary school art teacher who fronted shows for promoters brought artists like James Brown, Lou Rawls and Jackie Wilson to school for show and tell. One day she waved young Cecil over on his bike to meet a tall young guitarist she said would be a star one day. It was Jimi Hendrix.

"I knew that I was growing up in the middle of history, and I had a front row seat."

Cecil Guyton, 13:32

Reverence is Nomad's favorite word when it comes to music history. Spirituals became gospel, gospel and the blues became rock and roll and R&B. Almost everything you play today has been done before. Study the greats. That is the Humility in ETHOS.

The takeaway

Be engaging, and don't just talk about yourself. Listen. Adapt to the tools in front of you, and respect the people who built the road you are driving on. The next stranger you meet might be the one with the story, or the connection, you need. When you are ready to go after the next opportunity, start with the free Get the Gig guide.

Get the gig. Keep the gig. Build the career.

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