NJ's Glenn McClelland making memories as music 'road warrior'

NEW YORK (WABC) -- For every Paul McCartney, worth more than a billion dollars, or Bruce Springsteen, worth well over half a billion, there are thousands - maybe tens of thousands - of people who try and fail.

You know that already, but you may not be aware of music's middle ground.

Yes, it's possible to make a good living in the music business without making it big.

Glenn McClelland was the keyboard player behind Smokey Robinson on "Good Morning America" before he went on to a steady gig playing keyboards in the band "Ween", having joined the group during the recording of its breakthrough album.

The Ween artist has also raised his family in New Jersey while touring all over the world.

"I wasn't like a recording artist," said McClelland. "I wasn't a studio musician, so everything had to do with touring. Blood, Sweat and Tears kind of opened that door for me. We were busy. You know, my kids were little, and I was gone a lot."

The life of a road warrior is not for everyone, but consider for a moment the good life it's given this father of two from Lambertville:

"It's not like I had a career and it died at 36," McClelland added. "My career is probably in the best place right now that it has been."

ABC7NY talked with the 67-year-old musician after one of dozens of dates he will play this year.

"It's like a sports team: you want to deliver," said McClelland.

The performances can be intense, even frenetic. But quiet patience is also required to nurture one's talent.

The takeaway here is to trust your talent and just keep going.

"If you keep age out of the way and don't say to yourself, 'Ah, I've been at this long enough,' magic can happen'", McClelland noted.

That's Glenn McClelland: a hardworking man living the words of the old saying, 'You are never too old to Rock 'n Roll.'