Sometimes things change. Sometimes starting a group seems like the best course of action for an artist, but then months or years later, it turns out that they are better off on their own as a solo act. What then? Here below, we wanted to dive into the careers of three performers who decided along the way that they are better off by themselves. Indeed, these are three rock frontwomen from the 1960s who found new life as solo artists.
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt was at the center of so much in the 1960s and 1970s. The artist, who first rose to fame in the mid-1960s as a singer in The Stone Poneys, later left that group towards the end of the decade. After that, Ronstadt went solo. In 1969, she released her debut solo LP, Hand Sown … Home Grown. And a few years later, in 1972, she dropped her self-titled solo record, which featured the members of what would become Eagles. Indeed, in just a few years, Ronstadt evolved from singer of The Stone Poneys to going solo to discovering Eagles. What a half-decade!
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Cher
In 1965, the classic duo of Sonny & Cher released their debut LP, Look at Us. Over the next eight years or so, the duo (and married couple) would release a total of five studio albums. But no band could hold the prolific performer Cher for too long. Along the way, Cher decided a solo career would be the most fruitful career path for her. In total, she has released 27 solo albums, making waves seemingly in every decade since she began with Sonny. She was a star in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and beyond. Even today, Cher turns heads as a solo performer.
Janis Joplin
Two things are true about Janis Joplin. She had perhaps the best rock singing voice of the 1960s and 1970s, and she passed away far too young. In total, Joplin was only able to record four studio records during her short-lived career. The first two came with the group Big Brother And The Holding Company. They were released in 1967 and 1968. Then Joplin went solo, sharing two more albums in 1969 and 1971. Sadly, she passed away around then, leaving a gaping hole in the rock universe.
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