Late 70’s into the early 80’s were Outlaw Country Heaven. Backup musicians that made the A or B circuit were treated well, paid well. Didn’t make squat compared to the stars but that’s show biz. A few players were given “points” on hit recordings which led to extra monthly checks. There were plenty of bad breaks too. Opened for Ricky Nelson at the Palomino Club in North Hollywood, about a year later his plane caught fire, took him and the band out. Stevie Ray cut short in similar fashion. We got caught in a bad storm flying back from Cali, thought we were toast but made it. Later, Big Head Todd and the Monsters got their bus stuck in a blizzard on Monarch Pass in Colorado, spent the night but managed to avoid frostbite.
You are kind of leaving out Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and others.