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Give a shout-out to one of your favorite highly underpaid musicians!

brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,030
edited May 2021 in Other Music
The other day I got in this amazing record by pianist Cecil Taylor called Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come (released in 1962).    The liner notes in the gate fold sleeve were written by renowned jazz historian and writer Nat Hentoff.  Despite the fact that Taylor had been on the scene for some time, by this, his 11th album, Hentoff mentions Taylor's residence was "...not by any means a high-rent area, but in the course of our conversation Cecil mentioned that he was in imminent danger of being evicted."  Hentoff goes on to quote Taylor as saying, "Speculating about finances", he said with a bleak smile, "is beyond me at this point when people ask me if the avant garde is ever going to make it economically."
By the end of his life, Taylor had recorded some 90 albums.  He lived from 1929 to 2018 and struggled economically for many of those years.
I saw Taylor perform twice and was completely in awe of his talents.  An amazing artist.

Remembering Cecil Taylor Jazzs Ultimate Piano Radical - Rolling Stone

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Give a shout-out in this thread to one of your favorite underpaid musicians.



“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













Post edited by brianlux on

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  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 30,523
    edited May 2021
    Ace Frehley in secret negotiated with KISS to get more money than Peter when they had their reunion in the late 90s. So, Peter was underpaid, and he believed he and Ace was paid the same.

    Too bad Criss two solo albums post KISS wasn't a smash, because he is the best singer in KISS and would have been a fun parallell universe with the drummers career taking off while KISS got buried in hairspray and tons of makeup.

    https://youtu.be/cwPBrw8Gc-I
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 9,462
    Not sure if he's "underpaid". Probably! I immersed myself in Joseph Arthur for a while after that first rndm lp. Pretty sure he will be looked at as a legend someday. Oozes creativity and can go crazy on the guitar. I never know when  I see him what he will do. Electric, acoustic...glad to see he's doing stuff with others again. 
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,030
    Changed thread title.  The Kiss story motivated me to do so.  It's interesting, but I'm thinking more along the lines of truly underpaid, struggling and highly talented.  A more obvious example would be any one of a number of early blues musicians. 

    Joseph Arthur might fit in that category, Lou, I don't know.  His name has popped up a few times lately so, regardless, I will check out his work.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • pledgeagrievancepledgeagrievance Posts: 2,861
    Nick Drake 
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,030
    pledgeagrievance said:
    Nick Drake 

    Yes!  No doubt.  His talents were acknowledged way too late.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,030
    The great singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt is another one.  After he signed his publishing rights over to his ex he was basically broke and died that way a few years later.
    A Townes Van Zandt Primer Vinyl Me Please

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • PJammer4lifePJammer4life Posts: 2,647
    Pete Yorn. 
    Bridge Benefit 1994, San Francisco 1995, San Diego 1995 1 & 2, Missoula 1998, Los Angeles 2000, San Diego 2000, Eddie Vedder/Beck 2/26/2002, Santa Barbara 2003, Irvine 2003, San Diego 2003, Vancouver 2005, Gorge 2005, San Diego 2006, Los Angeles 2006 1 & 2, Santa Barbara 2006, Eddie Vedder 4/10/08, Eddie Vedder 4/12/08, Eddie Vedder 4/15/08, 7/12/2008, SF 8/28/09, LA 9/30/09, LA 10/1/09, LA 10/06/09, LA 10/07/09, San Diego 10/09/09, Eddie Vedder 7/6/2011, Eddie Vedder 7/8/2011, PJ20 9/3/2011, PJ20 9/4/2011, Vancouver 9/25/2011, San Diego 11/21/13, LA 11/24/13, Ohana 9/25/21, Ohana 9/26/21, Ohana 10/1/21, EV 2/17/22, LA Forum 5/6/22, LA Forum 5/7/22, EV 10/1/22, EV 9/30/23
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,030
    PJammer4life said:
    Pete Yorn. 

    He may not make as much as some big name artists, but Yorn's net worth is listed as $4 million.  
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













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    Phil Wandscher
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  • mfc2006mfc2006 Posts: 37,446
    Heartless Bastards/Erika Wennerstrom - she has a massive voice and we've seen them/her play a ton in the last 10 years.
    I LOVE MUSIC.
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  • PoncierPoncier Posts: 16,921
    Bleeding Gums Murphy.
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  • helplessdancerhelplessdancer Posts: 5,272
    mfc2006 said:
    Heartless Bastards/Erika Wennerstrom - she has a massive voice and we've seen them/her play a ton in the last 10 years.
    definitely^^

    for me...too many to mention  :(
    as bands go i should start with the temperance movement and ripe ... they are total top shelf amazing
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,030
    helplessdancer said:
    mfc2006 said:
    Heartless Bastards/Erika Wennerstrom - she has a massive voice and we've seen them/her play a ton in the last 10 years.
    definitely^^

    for me...too many to mention  :(
    as bands go i should start with the temperance movement and ripe ... they are total top shelf amazing

    I hear you!  I've known so many folks that get paid almost nothing for making great music.  All of them have their day jobs to keep their heads above water.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • JOEJOEJOEJOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,513
    Paul Westerberg - not sure about his earnings, but I hope he made a nice nest egg when he reformed the Replacements a few years ago.
  • helplessdancerhelplessdancer Posts: 5,272
    a shout out to the many cover bands i have seen over the years.

    tony springer(wild t) ended up playing with bowie
    back in the dayz he was fire. a hendrix cover band.
    and yes he lite his guitar on fire at the end of the show.
    an incredible musician

    WiLD T & DAViD BOWiE
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C7DOJSUdAY

  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,030
    helplessdancer said:
    a shout out to the many cover bands i have seen over the years.

    tony springer(wild t) ended up playing with bowie
    back in the dayz he was fire. a hendrix cover band.
    and yes he lite his guitar on fire at the end of the show.
    an incredible musician

    WiLD T & DAViD BOWiE
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C7DOJSUdAY


    Oh my, yes!

    Even if you're not a Stones fan, you might like this book.  I thought it was great.  It really gives a great inside look at the life of a cover band/ tribute band musician.  Steven Kurutz, Like a Rolling Stone.
    Like A Rolling Stone The Strange Life of A Tribute Band by Steven Kurutz

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • pjl44pjl44 Posts: 9,471
    Nicole Atkins should be playing rooms 10x the size of where she's booked

    https://youtu.be/d2GdIuE4-5o
  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Posts: 36,976
    helplessdancer said:
    a shout out to the many cover bands i have seen over the years.

    tony springer(wild t) ended up playing with bowie
    back in the dayz he was fire. a hendrix cover band.
    and yes he lite his guitar on fire at the end of the show.
    an incredible musician

    WiLD T & DAViD BOWiE
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C7DOJSUdAY

    I've seen Wild T at that very venue mentioned in this video, the Surf Club (locals had the by laws changed so the club could only stay open until 11pm due to "noise" and it killed the place). that place was amazing. And while he started out as a cover artist, he's released 4 or 5 albums of his own original material and he actually got pretty big, especially after his debut. 
    new album "Cigarettes" out Spring 2025!

    www.headstonesband.com




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