Sometimes you have to follow the muse. As an artist, you must be willing to do what it takes for the work. At first, it may seem like a certain band is the right environment for your creativity. But then—things change.
Here below, we wanted to highlight the careers of three songwriters and performers who came to that very crossroads and made their hard choices. Indeed, these are three country stars from the 1960s who found new life as solo artists.
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Dolly Parton
Today, Dolly Parton is a global icon. Everyone knows her music, from “Jolene” to “9 to 5”. But Parton, who grew up dirt poor in a giant family in Tennessee, didn’t start as a solo success. Indeed, she got her start as part of a duo with the country mainstay Porter Wagoner in the mid-1960s. For years, Parton was part of Wagoner’s music and television show. She struggled to find solo success, but then things changed in the 1970s. She stood at a fork in the road. She needed to go off on her own. So, she wrote Wagoner a tune in 1974, “I Will Always Love You”. From there, her solo career took off, and the rest is history.
Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell is one of the signature country stars of the 20th century. He was prolific, and he was magnetic. But Campbell didn’t start his career as a solo artist. In fact, he was a member of several well-known musical outfits, including The Champs and the famed session band known as The Wrecking Crew. He played on recordings by artists like The Monkees and Frank Sinatra. But then he went solo and became a country crooner, releasing his debut studio album, Big Bluegrass Special, in 1960.
Kenny Rogers
Before he was known for his 1978 song, “The Gambler”, country star Kenny Rogers was part of several bands. In fact, he took a rather circuitous route to fame. In the 1950s, Rogers got his start with the Houston-based band The Scholars. In 1966, he was part of the folk band The New Christy Minstrels. A year later, he played in the psychedelic group. The First Edition, which garnered the strange 1968 hit, “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)”. But it was several years later, in 1976, when Rogers released his debut studio LP, Love Lifted Me. Two years after that, his gamble on music really paid off with the release of his signature card-playing tune.
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