Artits who chose to move away from the limelight

[Udi Koomran]

I am forever fascinated by artists that had exposure and commercial successes who chose an idiosyncratic path
examples :
Scott Walker
David Sylvian
Mike Patton Trey Spruance
Beefheart (?)

any more examples?
Thoughts and insights?

[Piskie]

Robin Williamson

[Marco]

Mark Hollis.

[Halmyre]

Bill Berry
Agnetha Faltskog
John Deacon
D'arcy Wretzky

[pb2015]

Bill Berry
Agnetha Faltskog
John Deacon
D'arcy Wretzky

If we're mentioning musicians who left a high profile gig and apparently didn't try to find another one, a great prog example is Jeffrey Hammond from Tull.

[thedunno]

Mark Hollis immediately come to mind.

And the Gentle Giant members but some returned as "three friends".

[pb2015]

Another possible example...G.E. Stinson. Left the successful New Age group Shadowfax to go into esoteric jazz/rock.

[pb2015]

Julie Driscoll

[Dana5140]

D'arcy Wretzky

I'm not so sure she chose to walk away. I do understand life has not been easy for her.

[JJ88]

Bobbie Gentry. Hasn't been involved with the music industry for at least forty years. I don't know to what extent she's even been involved in reissues, of which there have been several in recent years.

Obviously, Syd Barrett...though again maybe not sure that 'choice' is the right word.

There are people in the latterly-dubbed 'acid folk' world who vanished and then re-emerged decades later. Vashti Bunyan and Shelagh McDonald spring to mind (the former returned to recording, the latter again had some issues which necessitated her withdrawal, I believe).

[Halmyre]

I'm not so sure she chose to walk away. I do understand life has not been easy for her.

Obviously, Syd Barrett...though again maybe not sure that 'choice' is the right word.

I suppose if we start adding those in that category the list will grow rapidly. Starting with a lot of Fleetwood Mac members.

And then there's Rod Evans. Jumped, or pushed?

[progmatist]

Alanis Morissette was completely overwhelmed by the sudden fame of Jagged Little Pill. She nearly quit the biz altogether. But after spending time in the anonymity of India, with its 1.2B population, she recovered enough to release her follow up.

And then there's Rod Evans. Jumped, or pushed?

Given Blackmood was involved, most likely pushed...even if not directly

[pb2015]

One case I find interesting..drummer Phillip Wilson from the 60's AACM scene. Left the early Art Ensemble to join Paul Butterfield and co-wrote the song "Love March" that the Butterfield band played at Woodstock. Then went back to avant garde jazz for most of the rest of his career before he died in 1992.

[aksnitd]

And then there's Rod Evans. Jumped, or pushed?

Rod Evans was pushed out of DP for sure, because the others wanted to get in Gillan. But he did stay in the music business for a while afterwards, forming the band Captain Beyond. He left that band after two albums and then quit music for a long time. Much later, he was dug up by a management company to front a fake DP under the pretense that as a former member, he had a right to the name (the company had tried to get Nick Simper involved too). At this time, the real DP had broken up. This band was eventually sued for trademark infringement, following which Evans again quit music and disappeared.

[moecurlythanu]

^ One of those ladies (or both) disappeared with a gypsy caravan, iirc. For a looong time.

[Dave (in MA)]

any more examples?

Peter Baumann.

[bigbassdrum]

Andy Partridge - was it really due to stage fright?

[Steve F.]

Andy Partridge - was it really due to stage fright?

Yes. Absolutely.

[bRETT]

Andy Partridge - was it really due to stage fright?

Not touring was due to stage fright, but XTC made bigger waves afterward. His very low profile since XTC was more a personal choice, but that seems to finally be ending with the new release series.

Add Fine Young Cannibals to the list. A worldwide Number One album, then nothing.

[Progbear]

Phoebe Snow, though mainly because caring for her daughter was a full-time job.

[ronmac]

Phoebe Snow, though mainly because caring for her daughter was a full-time job.

My brother ran into her at a grocery store back then.

[Scott Bails]

My brother ran into her at a grocery store back then.

Hope no one got hurt.

[progmatist]

Phoebe Snow, though mainly because caring for her daughter was a full-time job.

Similar story for first violinist of that rock string quartet Bond, Haylie Ecker. She quit the band to be a full time mum.

[walt]

Mike Ratledge

[Steve983]

Does anyone else remember that we were temporarily led to believe that Neal Morse had quit music when he left Spock's Beard? Then he came back, and 194 albums later...

by the way, 'Artits' is an excellent typo