Do You Seek to Become Famous ?

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

If you really want to become famous you have a lot of work to do, or you have to be in the right place at the right time. But even if you're in the right place at the right time you have to keep up the effort, and in the end you may never get anywhere.

The one thing that is certain is that sitting at home and playing for your own amusement, while waiting to become famous, is like waiting to win the lottery when you haven't bought a ticket. Winking

Carson Leighton · From: N.B. Canada

Alan,,I don't think I was ever interested in becoming famous...However,,I always kind of thought I would like to play on the opry,,even for just one song,,with someone like Connie Smith,,Merle Haggard,,along that line of music...
I like being home now,,and just playing out once in a while,,no bar gigs for me now though,,too late in life for getting home 4 in the morining...I've had enough of that...Carson

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

I find the notion of 'steel guitarist' and 'famous' in the same sentence pretty humorous.

Ask any non-musician to name a famous steel player. Then ask that same person to name a famous guitarist and a famous pianist. They'll come up with Chet or Eddie Van Halen or Liberace or Floyd Cramer or maybe Jerry Lee but will not come up with Lloyd Green or Buddy Emmons or Paul Franklin. Fame is relative.

If you're talking 'famous' on the Forum that's a different issue. Most folks in the real world just don't coexist in that 'separate reality' of the Forum.

Besides, what are the advantages of being 'famous'? Famous to whom? If I were a Nashville road player I'd much rather be 'famous' with the guys who hire players for tours than with the general public.

If fame in the 'real world' is what you're after, you're barking up the wrong tree if you're a steel player.

Just my twisted view of reality.
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Steve Broatch · From: Newcastle, England

What Larry said.

I'd never even heard of Buddy Emmons or Lloyd Green until I started playing steel. What chance have the rest of us got. Laughing

Paddy Long · From: Christchurch, New Zealand

I've worked with a lot of people who thought they were famous Very Happy

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Clyde Mattocks · From: Kinston, North Carolina, USA

I didn't set out to become rich or famous and so far it's working out perfectly.
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Leslie Ehrlich · From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

I gave up on the pursuit of rock stardom in 1982. I was 21 at the time. When I figured out how the music business really works - along with all the stupid fads and trends one had to follow in order to get famous - I decided I wanted no part of it. But I never gave up on playing music.
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Ray McCarthy · From: New Hampshire, USA

I've been involved in music in one way or another for most of my life--singing Beach Boys songs with a couple of friends when we were young, singing 60s soul music with some friends in Vietnam, now playing steel with a group of older guys here in NH--mostly freebie fund-raisers, ETC.
I can honestly say I've never given any thought to fame or fortune. All I ever wanted was to make good music and have people hear and enjoy it.
I don't mind a little recognition on a small scale, though Wink

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

I once implied to Lloyd Green that he was famous. He said that he was merely a backing musician. I got what he said as he was putting it into perspective. If Lloyd or Buddy were to walk down a street in most cities, no-one would take a blind bit of notice. Paul McCartney however............that level is being famous.
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Allan Munro · From: Pennsylvania, USA and Scotland

I never fancied P. McC. level fame either. The money aspect would have been nice though.
I remember a discussion with a few of my music playing buddies when we were in our teens/early twenties. The resolution of the conversation was that we would rather be out there playing every night as opposed to playing a few dates here and there in a year and having the fame. It was at that time when the Beatles were only doing one or two tours a year. We were all feeding off seeing people dancing and having a good time because of what we were doing on the bandstand. That was the thrill.
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Television is the REAL opiate of the masses!

Adam Goodale · From: Pflugerville, TX

I don't really want to be famous, but my main goal in life right now is to become one of the best steel guitarist's in the world.
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Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Brett Robinson · From: Nashville, TN

That's the beauty of attaining fame amongst musicians, as a musician; that's what I love about being a young steel player, the idea that if I work hard, make the right career choices, then I can have both: fame amongst people who KNOW music and the comfort of anonymity on the sidewalk.

When I voted "I put every effort into becoming famous," I guess I mean "I put every effort into becoming a well known and respected steel player."

If I wanted people to gawk at me on the sidewalk, I'd still be writing and singing and working towards "Fame."
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Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Depends on the crowd, Jimbaux.
I'd be interested in seeing a poll by age.

The band I'm playing with now are all 30 something to 40 something (I'm the old phart). Our crowd (mostly young bargoers) seems to be pretty familiar with RR and I've observed what you point out. However, among those in the 45+ 'Classic Rock' crowd (y'know the ones who incessantly scream 'Free Bird' or 'Skynyrd') often tell me they didn't really know what a steel guitar was. The Geritol crowd members are more likely to know what a steel guitar is but would be hard pressed to name a 'famous' player.

Just my observation.
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My CD's: 'I've Got Friends in COLD Places' - 'Pedal Steel Guitar'
2021 Rittenberry S/D-12 8x7, 1976 Emmons S/D-12 7x6, 1969 Emmons S/D-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Quilter ToneBlock 202 TT-12

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Sure, it always depends on the crowd. But the fact that some demographic doesn't know somebody doesn't mean they're not 'famous'. The fact that Robert has fronted his own band, under his own name, multiple times, on every nationally-broadcast, late-night TV show and at Madison Square Garden ought to be enough evidence that he has gained more general-public fame than any other steel guitarist.
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Steve Alcott · From: New York, New York, USA

Not interested in fame-I'd much rather play with a band a couple nights a week so I can improve.

Jim Lindsey (Louisiana) · From: Greenwell Springs, Louisiana (deceased)

Bo Legg · Posted 14 Jul 2010 1:14 pm

We're already famous here on the Forum, and we don't welcome any more.

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

I feel a little bit famous mainly because I'm a guy with cerebral palsy who plays steel guitar. I think my two guitars "Redgold Beauty" and "Black Diamond" are famous in some way.

Brett

Brian Henry · Posted 14 Jul 2010 5:54 pm

Every one wants to be famous right!?......
Not me. I would not want fame for all the money in the world. I respect my privacy too much.! Plus, I would never give certain people the satisfaction of making money from selling me out to the press.
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Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Oh, Lord, please give me the opportunity to prove to you that worldwide fame and fabulous fortune will not spoil me. You can trust me on that, Lord. I give you my word. (Amen.)
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Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

I am more of an egotistical jerk than most guys here. I want to be on the cover of TIME magazine as "the great classical steel guitar virtuoso" and have a lot of ignorant people say I'm the greatest steel guitarist in the world, ("he's even better than Jerry Garcia,") and then all you guys can hate me. Laughing

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Brian Henry · Posted 15 Jul 2010 4:50 pm **A rose is just as sweet by any other name**

There are many ways to become famous. There are famous athletes, famous politicians, famous cooks, famous artists, famous musicans, famous actors, and more. My question is how to become famous in the entertainment industry.

Even in the narrow field of entertainment, there are millions of aspiring actors, but only a handful of famous ones. So how do you become famous? The answer is: You must become outstanding at your craft. That requires training, experience, and persistence.

Beyond that, picking a memorable stage name helps.
Stage names have a long history. People used stage names for all sorts of reasons -- to become memorable, to hide their real identity, or because their real name sounded ridiculous or was unreadable. People have also changed their names because their real name sounded similar or was identical to some other famous person. For instance, Ray Charles was originally Ray Robinson, but there was already a famous boxer named "Sugar" Ray Robinson, which was also a stage name.

People that were part of the American Vaudeville era used stage names to hide their immigrant backgrounds. Ironically, at about the same time, many ballet dancers changed their English names to sound Russian. More often, people anglicized their names, or made them sound English. Here are some examples: Freddie Mercury, the lead singer from the rock group Queen, was originally called Farrokh Bulsara. Bob Dylan started as Robert Zimmerman. Rodney Dangerfield's real name was Jacob Cohen. Vikki Carr was born Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martinez Cardona. Mel Brooks was Melvin Kaminsky. And Woody Allen's original name was Allen Stewart Konigsberg.

These days, people change their names or use stage names just to be memorable. Did you know that Marilyn Monroe's original name was Norma Jean? Why is the name "Marilyn Monroe" better? Her new name uses a poetic device called alliteration -- the use of similar repetitive sounds.
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Robert Harper · From: Alabama, USA

Marlyn was famous because me wanted to see her naked and women wanted to gossip I don;t have either claim. Hey I am not proud of myself naked
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"Oh what a tangled web we weave when we first begin to deceive" Someone Famous

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

from age 17 in 68 to 73, i worked as a roadie for some famous bands
i got to know some folks who were famous or were to become
when i saw how they got bent out of shape & understood the workings of those who were runnin' the biz, i started to realize that fame is a dangerous lady
have mercy, a good deal of them folks done gone
small is beautiful .... Winking

George Harrison stated that if he had to do it again, he did'nt want to be famous, Amos

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