What artists/musicians/bands STARTED at a relatively old age?

[drumwolf]

By that I mean, what artists didn't have their musical careers take off until they were older (as in, well over 30)? Here's who I can think of so far:

Peaches
Guided By Voices's Robert Pollard
Yello

[salin]

1. salin...

I haven't yet started... does that count?

[sundog]

2. well, not over 30, but Tori Amos'

first major album came out when she was 28... that's when her show took off... by all "standards" that is "old" in the "rock/pop" scene...

[TheWizardOfMudd]

3. Bill Haley

He was 30 or more when he hit, and had resigned himself to the fact that he would never make it big. This was at a time when all of the big Rock 'n Rollers were very young.

[drumwolf]

4. that's interesting

wouldn't a 30-year-old rocker at that time have been the equivalent of a 40-year-old rocker today?

[TheWizardOfMudd]

7. Prolly

[JohnnyRingo]

5. Rodney Dangerfield

He sang "It Aint Easy Being Me" Hahaha
...Buy he didn't start his comedt career 'till he was like 40.

[JohnnyRingo]

8. Damn black keyboard

...can't spell at night.

[DBoon]

6. Morphine

Chris Sandman was in his 40's when the band gained attention.

[mitchum]

9. Ian Hunter was getting a bit long in the tooth...

before Mott The Hoople took off.

Also Alex Harvey of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

[mitchum]

10. Christ! I almost forgot about Chuck Berry...

he was in his early thirties during the days of hits. In fact, his recordings were sped up in order to make his voice sound higher and younger (this practice led to a great deal of confusion as to the actual keys of the songs)

[DS1]

11. The Traveling Willburys. Hey, you said 'band'

[Leprechan29]

12. Technicality here:

Robert Johnson's career really took off after he died, and his legacy really grew from that point onwards. Alot of modern blues men in general have had late blooming careers

[Tom Kitten]

13. The Fugs

They formed in 1964 when Tuli Kupferberg was 43 and Ed Saunders was 32 ....and as of a year or so ago were still touring, releasing cds.

Of course few people know of the Fugs nowadays but they were kinda like an early influence on Zappa...they did some pretty shocking stuff in their day...

[DieboldMustDie]

14. Uncle Dave Macon!

Born in 1870, he didn't play professionally until he was nearly 50 years old. In the 1920s he became a star on the Grand Ole Opry, and continued to perform until just 3 weeks before his death at the age of 81.
:bounce:
http://www.pbs.org/americanrootsmusic/pbs_arm_saa_uncledavemacon.html

[Philostopher]

15. Bonnie Raitt.

She was forty when she released the album that had the cover of the John Hiatt song, 'Thing Called Love,' on it. She'd had a minor FM hit with a cover of NRBQ's 'Me And The Boys' in the early '80s, but 'Thing Called Love' was the one that really brought her out.

[Tom Kitten]

16. Jesse Mae Hemphill

A traditionalist Blues singer in the Delta style, released just 2 albums before she had a stroke in 2000, although I just saw a new cd called "Jesse Mae and Friends" in the store...

I recommend grabbing anything by her, even if it's just one song on a compilation....

more info here...

http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/JessieMaeHemphill/JessieMaeHemphill.html

she's great! and trust me, countfloyd knows good music, knowing the words to honeymooners rap notwithstanding!

[Radical Activist]

17. Howlin Wolf

Was in his 40's.

I think Lucinda Williams as well.