Larry Kemp got out. He chose the life of a husband and family man and left music behind. It was not an easy sacrifice, giving up something that had been his life since he was 10 years old.
Don't get the wrong impression; he wasn't forced to, it just seemed like the best decision. So he bid life on stage adieu - or so he thought.
"I was out of music for six years. I got married, raised a family, and just got out of it. It's not easy to raise a family with that life," Kemp, 53, said.
His absence from the spotlight wasn't permanent. About a year ago, he joined the group Rush Hour and again added music to his life.
"We'd all been working for different groups for many years and knew each other, so it made sense," Kemp said.
He said that returning to the stage was not as difficult as he imagined, he just had to reconnect with the many years he'd spent behind a drum set.
"Playing just came natural to me. I knew that's what I wanted to do," Kemp said. "Once you are in it, you never really get out."
The band consists of Kemp on drums, Curt Lee on lead guitar, Bill Duncan on bass and Mike Baker on keyboard and guitar.
A Northern Nevada native, Kemp grew up musically by playing in the casinos, resulting in the ability to play just about anything.
"You have to play a variety," Kemp said. "I've been playing the same stuff for so many years that none of it is really challenging to play. When we are on stage, we like to take it easy and just have a good time."
Yet even the seasoned veteran can remember a performance that scared him.
"I was 17, and I was called ... for a gig in Redding. I played in front of 3,000 people," Kemp said. "It was scary as hell but just amazing. You just get up there and do what you are there to do."
Early in his career, Kemp also played with Bruce Coulter, and was one of the first drummers to go into the Forest Lounge up at Lake Tahoe with him.
"Bruce taught me a lot about the business and the philosophy of music I still have today," Kemp said.
Rush Hour is playing at the Atlantis Casino in Reno through Sunday and will continue to play in Northern Nevada throughout the summer.
• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.