3 Famous Rock Stars Who Seemingly Never Wanted Fame (But Were Too Talented Not To Be Stars)

Fame is an awfully tricky thing. Some artists embrace it when they acquire it, others shy away from it, and some never wanted it to begin with, but still got it. Numerous prolific artists have fallen into the final catalog we proposed. Though, despite their wishes to remain unknown, they still garnered the very thing so many other musicians want, and that is to become famous.

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As we’ve all seen before, fame can lead one down a very precarious path. That being so, it seems that was one of the many reasons some of the more notable musicians tried to avoid it. However, there is no way to truly know why they wanted to avoid it. Matter of fact, there is no way to truly know if they didn’t want fame altogether. Regardless, here are three famous rock stars who seemingly never wanted to be famous.

George Harrison

People always reference George Harrison as the quiet member of The Beatles, while John Lennon and McCartney are always considered the charismatic frontmen. Given Harrison’s soft-spoken and quiet disposition, it seems Harrison never really had any intention or desire to become one of the most famous musicians of all time. Rather, he simply just wanted to be a musician.

Again, there is no way to know if this notion is entirely true. However, during his life, Harrison was never one to willingly speak to the press or hog the camera. Instead, he kept to himself and did what he wanted to do. Which was to make great music and give it to his fans.

Kurt Cobain

Even though Kurt Cobain accepted the role as the frontman of Nirvana, he was seemingly not an individual built for the spotlight. According to Cobain: Montage of Heck, Cobain was an introvert and didn’t seek out social relationships on a frequent basis. That being so, it seems like being famous would be the last thing he wanted.

While Cobain wanted Nirvana to be the biggest band in the world, he struggled with the consequences the unofficial title entailed. Cobain’s early demise was a result of his mental health struggles, partially brought on by the fame he obtained.

Leonard Cohen

Like Harrison, Leonard Cohen is often remembered as a humble individual who never liked to be a talking head. Matter of fact, before Cohen became a well-known musician, he was striving for a career as an author and a poet. Hence, it seems commercial fame was never a priority.

Many other aspects of Cohen’s career and character suggest that he never wanted to procure fame in the traditional sense. Though evidently, he did, and he has remained one of the most prolific songwriters of all time. And he did so without seemingly trying that hard or even wanting to.

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