What happened to musicians who stopped playing?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by pawelgra77, Dec 16, 2014.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. pawelgra77

    pawelgra77 Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ireland
    While reading the article on UFO from another thread (http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/great-story-on-ufo.400359/) I came across this line:

    "As for drummer Andy Parker, he moved to L.A. and got a job in construction"

    It prompted a question - what happened to musicians from known / relatively known bands once they left music?

    I think I heard somewhere that New Model Army's Stuart Morrow worked in house renovation after leaving the band but it might have been a fake story.

    Anyone?
     
  2. johnnybrum

    johnnybrum Forum Resident

  3. mark ab

    mark ab Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Richard Coles from The Communards became a Priest in the Church of England.
    Pete Wishart from Runrig became a MP for the SNP ( Scottish National Party)
     
  4. Doghouse Riley

    Doghouse Riley Forum Resident

    Location:
    North West England
    The most famous has got to be Artie Shaw.

    He was at one time, earning the equivalent now of millions of dollars.
    In 1954, at the height of his popularity he gave it all up and never played again. He was 44. He'd had enough of fame and success.
    The title of his autobiography "The Trouble With Cinderella" is a comment on the fact that "nobody lives happily ever after."
     
  5. Razzle123

    Razzle123 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bedford, UK
    Terry Chimes (ex Clash, and briefly Hanoi Rocks) is now a chiropractor in Essex.
     
    Fullbug, RubenH, davers and 2 others like this.
  6. Cassiel

    Cassiel Sonic Reducer

    Location:
    NYC, USA
    Jamie Muir of King Crimson, Captain Beefheart, and Syd Barrett all retired from music to devote their time to painting (although Barrett's retirement seems to have largely been brought on by his unfortunate mental illness).
     
  7. Coricama

    Coricama Classic Rocker

    Location:
    Marietta, GA
    Skunk Baxter from Steely Dan and The Doobies chaired the Civilian Advisory Board for Ballistic Missile Defense and became a consultant to defense contractors.
     
  8. DJ LX

    DJ LX Forum Resident

    Location:
    Madison WI
    Don Van Vliet a/k/a Captain Beefheart - took up painting
    Turiyasangitananda a/k/a Alice Coltrane - spiritual director, or swamini, of Shanti Anantam Ashram vedantic center
    Vudi a/k/a Mark Pankler - moved to LA and became a bus driver after American Music Club broke up
    John Davis (Folk Implosion) - became a grade school teacher.
    Sonny Bono - became a US Representative for the state of California
    Greg Norton (Hüsker Dü) - became a chef and restaurant owner.
    Chris Mars - (Replacements) - took up painting
     
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2014
  9. LambertHoroscope

    LambertHoroscope Forum Resident

    Location:
    Glasgow, Scotland
    Barry Wom - Rutles - Hairdresser

    [​IMG]
     
  10. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    Art Tripp (ex-Mothers/Beefheart) also became a chiropractor.
     
    Frippwire likes this.
  11. tspit74

    tspit74 Senior Member

    Location:
    Woodridge, IL, USA
    John Siomos from Frampton Comes Alive became a foreman. He never told anyone of his past life as a rock star before he died.
     
  12. DayRavies

    DayRavies Forum Resident

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Joe English, former Paul McCartney and Wings drummer, retired from music and now seems to define himself by a church in Spindale, NC (near where I live) which some have called "cultish."
     
    Fullbug likes this.
  13. deadbirdie

    deadbirdie Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    Grace Slick too. Saw her at an art exhibit of hers several years back.

    http://www.peabodyfineart.com/slick/
     
  14. misterdecibel

    misterdecibel Bulbous Also Tapered

    Zal Yanovsky of The Lovin' Spoonful did likewise.
     
    belushipower and melstapler like this.
  15. ash1

    ash1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    bristol uk
    Danny Kirwan - unknown possibly living in sheltered accommodation in London or Brighton? What a terrible shame, a great great talent.
     
    Shak Cohen likes this.
  16. Thwacko

    Thwacko Forum Resident

    Location:
    Peacham, Vermont
    Chris DeGarmo, former guitarist for Queensryche, became a pilot.
     
    Malina and TVC15 like this.
  17. bRETT

    bRETT Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Also Lee Michaels, whose restaurant (Killer Shrimp) was quite successful.
     
  18. Supertramp Dougie Thomson now owns music publishing company called Trinity Publishing, he hasn't played bass since Supertramp fell apart in 1988.

    Does anybody know what happened to Mark Hollis?
     
  19. Django

    Django Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
  20. Brian Hamilton-Smith

    Brian Hamilton-Smith Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Gaye Advert is a social worker. I'm glad to report that she's still married to TV Smith.
     
  21. socorro

    socorro Forum Resident

    Location:
    pennsylvania
    Definitely the strangest of the "where are they nows" listed so far.
     
    Zeki, 905, JimC and 9 others like this.
  22. Jose Jones

    Jose Jones Outstanding Forum Member

    Location:
    Detroit, Michigan
    Is it easier to make a living painting than by playing music?

    I assume the artists mentioned previously in the thread are painting artistically, not walls and houses.
     
    EdgardV likes this.
  23. DJ LX

    DJ LX Forum Resident

    Location:
    Madison WI
    I wonder about that too. Although in Chris Mars' case, it appears to be a legitimate career: http://www.amazon.com/Tolerance-The-Art-Chris-Mars/dp/0867196947

    I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Bill Berry trading in his drum set for a tractor. :)

    Also, Accept lead guitarist Wolf Marshall made a living as a professional photographer during the years Accept were inactive.
     
  24. richard a

    richard a Forum Resident

    Location:
    borley, essex, uk
    James Williamson of the Stooges packed in the music business entirely in the late 1970s and went to work at Sony, rising to be a VP by the time he took early retirement a few years ago. He didn't even touch a guitar for many years.
    But retirement gave him the time to rejoin Iggy and the Stooges!

    Sterling Morrison of the Velvet Underground left the band in 1971 to go back to college, then he became a University lecturer and later, I believe, a tugboat captain! In the early 1990s he picked up his music career again by playing first in Moe Tucker's band and then with the reformed Velvet Underground in 1993.
     
    Fullbug, ChesterB, Shak Cohen and 3 others like this.
  25. Danby Delight

    Danby Delight Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    Not after, but alongside: Amelia Fletcher, the singer from Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research, etc., is an economist for the British government and was awarded the Order of the British Empire in this year's New Year's Honours list.
     
    D.B. and Dudley Morris like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine