Bands/artists who went from riches to rags

What, you don't think From Luxury To Heartache is a brilliant album?

(Just kidding).

 

He made that song when he was still in the band, though.

 

I think this could describe most artists. I would love to participate but I feel like I need more criteria.

 

Deep Purple unveiled a Spinal Tap-like mockumentary: Johnny's Band....

 

David Bowie went from extravagant touring with elaborate stage shows to being flat broke

They had to scale back the second leg of his 74 tour

He worked his way back up and took a keen interest in economics , contracts, management (much like Jagger)


Sly Stone - mentioned earlier - is the poster child for this thread
Living in a van in need of medical help
Great documentary on searching for him

 

Yes I do know, it was only a joke.

 

Very sad actually.

Also : Syd Barrett...

 

After having gone through an unfortunate phase in my life, I'm a lot more sympathetic to addiction than I used to be. Very sad. Addiction is real.

 

Some of these responses are confusing. How did Metallica and Bill Wyman did not go from riches to rags? Metallica has remained quite successful since MOP and Bill Wyman retired and has a net worth of about $80 million.

 

A perfect example. So many great songs on the first two albums then nothing.

 

Remember Duran Duran doing a review of WTTP in Smash Hits.

And just looked at the album and there are a decent number of cover versions on there. Some odd choices such as Bruce Springsteen & Burt Bacharach.

 

Check out state fair schedules:

 

Basically a writer who wrote hit after hit for a few years and then couldn't write another one at gun point. Just the inability to keep it up for more then a few years. I don't really count those who fell victim to drugs like Syd Barrett as that was out of his control. More a sudden loss of ability to write hit songs. The rags part refers to the quality of song writing and not actual rags/poverty

 

Dennis Wilson. The guy could have had it all and for awhile he did. Such a damn shame.

 

Are you saying Don Henley wasn’t good-looking then? I and many other females would disagree.

 

"Di-i-is-co killed the Fu-u-unk Star, di-i-is-co killed the fu-u-unk star
A steady beat, strings and no guitar, synthesizers, glitter, coke and a high-wire"

Note: the above should be sung to the tune of "Video Killed the Radio Star".

 

Phil Collins didn't have a "great look" either and he did fine!

But Phil displayed a certain personality - I don't recall that Cross ever did much to "market" himself in any particular way.

Some artists just have a limited shelf life, and Cross might've been one of them. While music videos didn't help him, I remain unconvinced that he would've continued to be a star even without the "MTV revolution".

Let's not forget that he still had hits in 1983/84, after music videos became a major form of promotion...

 

This gets back tot he idea of an artist who has a "look" - or a personality. I think women responded to the public persona Phil Collins put out there.

Anyway, the point remains that plenty of artists who weren't "classically attractive" who still thrived in the music video age...

 

Another unattractive act who did well in the music video era!

 

Frankie Lymon?

 

I don't think Bowie counts for the thread because he still had hits in the period you mention. The thread wants to discuss musical artists who were hugely successful and then fell off the charts - that wasn't Bowie in the 1970s...

 

Yeah, I'm not sure why he mentioned Henley. I have female friends who think Henley is extremely attractive - and not due to his personality. No one ever liked Henley because of his personality!

 

Some artists made great videos without them in it. Was Steve Miller in the video for Abracadabra?

Okay never knew Henley was considered attractive!

How about Glenn Fry!?

 

Definitely Glenn too! The Eagles as a whole were a good-looking group of guys.