What happened to musicians who stopped playing?

"became a University lecturer and later, I believe, a tugboat captain" - a standard career track.

 

Some do PR for their legacy.

 

Alex James from Blur is a producer of speciality cheeses.

 

Rick Buckler of the Jam had several failed businesses after the demise of the Jam (and Time UK), including a recording studio and furniture reupholstery business. He eventually joined a Jam tribute band with Bruce Foxton, called From the Jam.

 

Feargal Sharkey (Undertones) retired from singing at a fairly young age, in order to work behind the scenes in various management roles in the music industry...

I think his retirement stands out, as slightly unusual, in the way it was absolute and fairly abrupt. AFAIK he's never stood in front of a mic since, not even for a guest spot, or a bit of nostalgia...

 

Paul Atkinson of the Zombies became an insurance agent.

Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean became a respected graphic designer.

 

Sparks' drummer Norman "Dinky" Diamond came close. As Sparks' producer Muff Winwood relates:

 

University lecturer: Dave Aguilar of the Chocolate Watch Band. (Astronomy Professor at Harvard).
Tugboat Captain: Jazz guitarist Tal Farlow.

 

My understanding is that Captain Beefheart got more recognition (and presumably money) from painting. In Syd Barrett's case he had the money he needed from Pink Floyd royalties.

 

Will Smith became some sort of actor...as did Ice Cube, Ice-T, LL Cool J, Marky Mark.....

 

Mike Connell from the Connells is a work comp defense attorney in Raleigh.

 

Tull's John Evan ran a construction company.
Jeffrey Hammond is a painter.

 

Does anybody know what John Deacon (Queen) is up to? Wikipedia basically only states what he's NOT doing.

 

Some of 'em just go off the deep end...

Scott Strapp
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...tt-stapp-paranoid-911-calls-article-1.2045584

 

Apparently, great things can happen when you leave the music biz.

 

Guy Speranza quit Riot and started a pest control company with former Riot bassist Jimmy Iommi. He died of pancreatic cancer in 2003. Some bios say that his cancer was caused by the chemicals he handled but I don't know if that's reliable. It may be just one of those stories people tell.

 

Brian Pendleton quit The Pretty Things in 1966 to become an insurance underwriter.

 

Andy Parker returned to UFO and still plays with them today. So some do that if they can.

 

Ahhh, but he did!

In May 2011 at the Mute Short Circuit Festival - Vince Clarke did a "musical retrospective of his career." A few Yazoo songs with Alison Moyet, a bunch of Erasure hits with Andy Bell, and Feargal doing "Never Never."

But unfortunately, he has since come out to say he won't perform live again:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...Sharkey-I-will-never-sing-on-stage-again.html
“The idea of going back out there, doing festivals and trying to tour properly – absolutely not, under any circumstances. I just have no ambition in that at all.”

What a shame. I can see him not wanting to sing live anymore, but to not even record? I can't sing at all but would love to...meanwhile, this person with such a tremendous voice (go listen to "A Good Heart" if you don't believe me) is letting it go to waste. But I guess we all have to do what makes us happy.

 

Freddie Stone, guitarist of Sly & the Family, is now a pastor.

Didn't Sinead O'Connor become a priest or something?

 

She's still recording. Her last two albums are great.

 

Bill Berry of R.E.M. became a farmer.

 

and Don was battling multiple sclerosis which was already quite noticable just by looking at him and listening to him at the time.
By the 90's he was in a wheelchair.

 

They listen to the sounds of silence.

 

enjoying retirement and the local pubs.