As far as artists and musicians, they don't retire. They might tour less.
If I hadn't of had music in my life, it's quite possible I'd be dead and I'd much rather be alive.
I was pretty quiet as a child.
Music was the voice I didn't have.
Trios aren't really geared for slide unless you're gonna play chords, or play that simple George Thorogood style. It gets pretty thin when you play single note lines.
A lot of modern amps and preamps sound great when you're jamming by yourself, but don't hold up in a band situation. The sound isn't dense enough, and the lows and highs tend to get soaked up by the bass and cymbals.