3 Hall of Fame Rockers From the 1960s Whose First Bands Never Got off the Ground

Even for Hall of Fame rockers, it can be difficult to get a band going. In the early years, you don’t always know what you’re doing. Some trial and error is needed. So, even those who become the best sometimes have a few false starts. Here below, we wanted to highlight three artists from back in the day who knew this dynamic well. Indeed, these are three Hall of Fame rockers from the 1960s whose first bands never got off the ground.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was born to play guitar. Even before he owned his first stringed instrument, a young Hendrix would carry around a broom to simulate what it was like to hold the thing. Once he finally got his first acoustic (for $5), he began playing with his first band, the Velvetones. After that (and after he got his first electric), Hendrix played in the local Seattle band the Rocking Kings. It took him a few more years to get recognized, but once he did, the Pacific Northwestern-born artist became a household name.

Bob Dylan

As a kid, the Minnesota-born Bob Dylan (then-named Robert Zimmerman) soaked up country music and early rock songs over the radio. As a high school student, Dylan formed the group The Golden Chords, which performed covers of songs by artists like Little Richard and Elvis Presley. One of the band’s first gigs even caused the school principal to cut the microphone because the band was too loud. From there, Dylan would move from the Midwest to New York City, where he would become perhaps the greatest modern songwriter ever.

John Lennon

Of course, John Lennon is one of the most famous rockers, songwriters, and performers ever. He rose to fame in the 1960s with his Liverpool, England-born band The Beatles. But before Lennon was one of the most famous people on Earth, he co-founded a little-known band called The Quarrymen. The group began in Liverpool in 1956 when Lennon was just 16. A year later, a young Paul McCartney joined the group. A year after that, a young George Harrison came on board. And soon, The Quarrymen evolved into what would become the most beloved rock outfit of all time.

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