3 Crucial Members From Legendary Bands That Everyone Forgets To Talk About

Some band members get pushed to the wayside. While their contributions are integral, some players just don’t get that public praise. The three iconic rock musicians below all helped to shape the bands they were in. Nevertheless, these integral instrumentalists aren’t getting brought up enough by the mainstream.

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Andy Rourke — The Smiths

Andy Rourke’s tenure with The Smiths was briefly rocky. Due to a drug problem, the bassist got fired—rather unceremoniously, via a note left on his car window—only to be reinstated a couple of weeks later. The band realized what all Smith fans know well, that Rourke is an indelible piece of the puzzle.

While Smiths superfans know Rourke and his talents well, his name is not one many casual listeners have heard on the regular. Some names manage to seep into pop culture. Some may not know much about Morrissey or Johnny Marr, but they’ve certainly heard mention of them over the decades. Rourke is less ubiquitous, which is a real shame given how important he was to the iconic indie trailblazer’s sound.

Noel Redding — The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Moving on to another unsung bassist, we have Noel Redding from The Jimi Hendrix Experience. This band is one of those that you’re not really sure is an actual band or just a dramatic billing for a solo artist. If you read the band name alone, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a one-man show, but, in actuality, there were other members holding down Hendrix’s mind-boggling playing, including Redding.

Redding isn’t a name that passerbys know. He’s been more than overshadowed by Hendrix’s mammoth legacy. Nevertheless, Hendrix’s high-flying playing needed a strong rhythm to back it up. Redding provided tenfold.

Brian Jones — The Rolling Stones

If you asked many in the younger generation who The Rolling Stones are, you would likely get no mention of Brian Jones. And that’s understandable. When a band has survived for so long in one lineup, many don’t think to go back and look at how they got here. The Stones are still rocking today thanks to their current lineup, but the groundwork was laid by Jones.

This multi-instrumentalist was the first leader of The Stones. He helped shape their early years, which set the stage for international success. Jones was ultimately fired from the group, leaving the door open for Mick Jagger to take the reins. Moreover, he passed away before he had any hope of rejoining the band. While Stones fans will know Jones and his contributions well, he isn’t discussed much in culture at large.

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