Musicians, Actors and comedians have always had a bit of a love affair with the cigarette for some reason. Perhaps it’s because they lead a life where they spend a lot of time hanging around not doing much, or maybe they just socialize more than the majority of people which leads to an increase the use of alcohol and tobacco. Whatever the reason, this high tobacco use has led many well known members of society to an early death.

Examples of musicians who have succumbed to their nicotine addiction before their time include the likes of the guitarist John Cipollina who died at the young age of 45 from emphysema, Eric Carr the Kiss drummer who died at 41 years old, or the incredible Nat “King” Cole who was just 45.

These days we all know the damage smoking is capable of doing to our bodies but that doesn’t stop a large number of people in the public eye from taking up the habit, even if they now do it behind closed doors. This change has got a lot to do with the fact that smoking is now frowned upon by society and many people who have become addicted to nicotine are embarrassed about the fact that they find it impossible to stop.

Thankfully there is now a device on the market which allows the nicotine addict to get their fix without many of the poisons that are known to cause such conditions as lung cancer and heart disease. It’s called an electronic cigarette and you don’t have to be on a rock guitarist’s salary to be able to afford one for yourself.

The electronic cigarette is a tobacco replacement which delivers nicotine to the user in a cleaner manner. It’s battery powered and works by vaporizing a nicotine-laced liquid when the user inhales on the cigarette-shaped device.

There are a growing number of celebrities and normal people who have woken up to the possibility of switching over to the e cig from traditional tobacco products. People such as Leonardo Di Caprio, Katherine Heigl, and Johnny Depp have been seen using one and their influence is having an effect on the general population of smokers who see them as way to continue getting a fix without doing so much damage to their health.

These smokeless cigarettes are easily available on the Internet and web sites such as ecigaretteshop.com offer information on which are the best to buy. Brands such as Green Smoke, V2, and Safe Cig offer starter kits for as little as $60 so you don’t have to break the bank to get started. It’s a small price to pay to ensure you don’t end up six feet under 30 years before your time like many of the famous smokers who didn’t have the option to use this new high tech device before it was too late.

One thing I have noticed while hanging out with other guitar players is that they like to party! I mean, we’re all people who have chosen to lead a non-conventional lifestyle. So we don’t feel constrained by society’s expectations. That means you might find us at the Roxbury at 4am on a Tuesday evening! Some nights start early and they just keep going.

Since I’m a musician with a bit of higher education, I try to keep the partying to a responsible level. I’m not saying I am straight edge – by no means! I do like to knock back some beers before, during, and after a gig. However, I don’t do it as much as I used to when I was younger. I’m not the guy using my vaporizer every night behind the club. I have found that it tends to make my playing a bit sloppy. I need to bust out some solos throughout the show, and they need to be locked down tight.

The band is going pretty well lately. We have a very solid rhythm section. The drummer is really excellent, the guy can seriously shred with the likes of Neil Peart. I remember back when I was in high school, every drummer idolized Neil Peart. To be honest, I can’t name many other drummers, except maybe John Bonham from Led Zeppelin. I was just thinking of Led Zeppelin the other day when I was watching that movie Dazed and Confused. That movie was steeped in 70s culture. I don’t think people really knew how to use a vaporizer back then. Not sure if they were invented yet.

The main actor in that movie was named Jason London. I always get him confused with his brother Jeremy London. To be honest I really haven’t followed their respective careers much. I remember the kid in that movie was Wiley Wiggins. Not sure what’s going on with Wiley lately. That movie actually came out 18 years ago now. I was just looking at the IMDB page and I recognize a lot of the actors. Apparently Milla Jovovich was in it as well. Didn’t expect that.

Anyway, it’s back to practicing now. Gotta learn the mixolydian scale.

Hey all. One thing I have been thinking about lately is living the lifestyle of a musician. When you live in Nashville like I do, you meet many people who work in the music business. Some are guitar players like me, and others are singers, bass players, trombonists, or any other type of musician. All of them are trying to make it in the music biz. The question is, how can you pay the bills while you are still a struggling artist?

Many people wind up waiting tables while they are waiting for their big break. This is a good occupation because it allows you some flexibility. You can make decent money to pay the rent, and you don’t have to work a ton of hours. For example, check out this movie about a waitress. Keri Russell in this movie plays a waitress in the South. I think I know a few Keri Russells myself around town!

Waitress Starring Keri Russell

Another thing you have to be aware of is the lifestyle pitfalls. If you are a musician, you have to be careful to focus and keep your eye on the ball. You can’t be using your Arizer Extreme Q vaporizer every day because that might throw you off your game. Instead, just use it once a week or so after a gig. Otherwise, I try to keep a normal sleeping schedule, eat healthy, and exercise. I’ve been thinking about taking a yoga class. It might help me relax from all the stress of trying to write music. It’s definitely not an easy thing to do. I’m always amazed at how much material Lil Wayne and Kanye can put out. Just look at Lil Wayne, he put out two mixtapes in the past couple years and now he released Tha Carter IV.  They say it has sold over a million copies already. I haven’t sold a million copies of any of my albums yet. But if I keep working at it, maybe I can have the same success as Weezy.