List of musicians changed career with better success...


Hi I followed musicians from certain bands that were much higher class and caliber than the band they used to play and here’s my nominees:

1. Mike Stern -- Blood Sweat and Tears reached his prime as virtuoso fusion guitarist and set up quite a few interesting projects
2. John Paul Jones -- Led Zeppelin. He can play various instruments and created great projects especially one with Diamanda Galas which is far more creative than his carreer in Led Zeppelin.
3. Andy Summers -- Police became jazz guitarist and created great albums in 90’s
4. Gary Brooker -- Procol Harum -- pianist and vocal of Procol Harum. His solo albums are more interesting than ones with Procol Harum
5. Colin James Hay -- Men At Work -- multi-instrumentalist, bassist and vocal released very few albums that are definitely beyond the class of Man At Work
6. Steve Stevens -- guitarist who performed with Billy Idol created great solo albums...
7. Finally among the Beatles, I believe the most successful solo career that goes beyond the Beatles I believe belongs to George Harrison.

Welcome to chip-in...
czarivey
sbank1,413 posts09-17-2016 10:51am@czarivey Really? He never got radio airplay, not even on college radio.

sbank,

His (Dave Sylvian’s) music was never radioplay standard. The venues he booked were always full EVERY time I purchased ticket for his live performance. Similar to David Sylvian, I went to Nina Hagen who performed at substantially smaller venue Joe's pub and another time Coney Island High in NYC. Both of these standing venues were full of people... I remember her lipstick smooch on my cheek after flowers and signature on my records :-) This under-appreciation than is I guess typical for all obscure bands.

I might not disagree, but perhaps lost in definition. Now I know that bands or artists that never got into radio play are all UNDER-appreciated right?
@raymonda Got to give Lou Reed this, he has good taste in women let alone his own successful musical endeavors.

Actually, the only musician listed here that had a career change is Skunk Baxter. The rest just started another job with an different group. They did not change careers.

So here is another.......Stan Ricker. I believe he started out as a serious bass player.....well, you know the rest of the story!
@hifiman5, how do we know they're all women??  ;>) ...sorry, couldn't resist.... (But seriously, I am not knocking Reed, I'm a fan). 

Seem to recall an obscure little band called The Eagles that produced a few solo careers...Frey, Henley and Walsh (my fave of them). 

Spectacular failure award might go to the late Scott Weiland whose much anticipated debut album Twelve Bar Blues went bust right on the heels of him having been for so long such a fabulous frontman for Stone Temple Pilots (saw them in Atlanta and they were so great live).