Finding superstardom in the music industry is often viewed as a young person’s game. That is due to many different factors, but the main one seemingly is that if an aspiring musician doesn’t find success in their 20s, then they aren’t going to find it all. Now, there is some truth to that, but many dreamers don’t listen to that logic, and a few of the ones who didn’t went on to have acclaimed careers. With that in mind, here are three inspiring musicians who beat the odds and found success later in life.
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Leonard Cohen
Even if Leonard Cohen had decided never to record a track, he still would have been a respected name in the arts. Prior to becoming a famous folk musician, Cohen was a published poet and novelist. In his 20s and early 30s, Cohen published novels and poetry collections such as Let Us Compare Mythologies, Favourite Game, and Beautiful Losers. However, by 1967, at the age of 33, Leonard Cohen found fame with his debut album, Songs Of Leonard Cohen.
Released in 1967, Cohen’s debut album was a smashing success, in terms of a debut album. Following its release, the album peaked at No. 83 on the Billboard 200. The album hosts Cohen classics such as “Hallelujah”, “Suzanne”, and “So Long, Marianne”.
Bill Withers
Bill Withers‘ come-up story is one of the greatest of all time. Prior to garnering notoriety with his breakthrough hit, “Ain’t No Sunshine”, Withers served in the Navy for nine years and worked in a factory that made airplane toilet seats. Although in 1971, at the age of 31 years old, that all changed for Withers, and it changed because of “Ain’t No Sunshine”.
Released in 1971, “Ain’t No Sunshine” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 2 on the Easy Listening Chart. Following the success of this single, Bill Withers went on to release his debut album, Just As I Am, at 32 years old.
Charles Bradley
Charles Bradley‘s rise to fame as a musician was decades in the making, as the man didn’t gain any fame until he was 62 years old. Before Bradley released his debut album, No Time For Dreaming, in 2011, he worked as a hospital cook in Maine and as a James Brown impersonator. However, when he was discovered by Daptone Records, his dream finally started to turn into a reality.
Bradley’s debut album, No Time For Dreaming, peaked at No. 34 on the United Kingdom albums chart. Years later, he followed that album up with his Black Sabbath cover of “Changes”, which is likely the most famous song of his career.
Photo: Isaac Sterlin / Daptone Records
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