# Artists/creators whose work is famous--yet they inexplicably are not! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2016, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453 "2016-10-02T09:04:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453/41 "2016-10-04T21:26:31Z")
[QUOTE=Gordon Urquhart] Blaine’s protégé, Jim Gordon… a member of Derek and the Dominoes (he played the piano coda for Layla) … [/QUOTE] Nitpick: not to take anything away from Jim Gordon, who is INCREDIBLE, but I’m pretty sure it was Bobby Whitlock who played that piano coda. At least, that’s what Bobby told me. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453/42 "2016-10-04T21:41:33Z")
This may not be what the OP is looking for, but how about the folks in charge of concert sound for bands and and singers? I’ll wager most people have never heard of Paul Boothroyd who’s done sound for AC/DC, Paul Simon and Paul McCartney or Bob Pridden, the man who’s been in charge of The Who’s live sound for half a century. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453/43 "2016-10-04T21:50:13Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > Nitpick: not to take anything away from Jim Gordon, who is INCREDIBLE, but I’m pretty sure it was Bobby Whitlock who played that piano coda. At least, that’s what Bobby told me. Hmm … I guess we’re both right ([interview with Bobby Whitlock](http://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/bobby_whitlock/), near bottom of page). Thanks for that info – I’d always read that it was Jim Gordon only. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453/44 "2016-10-04T22:19:08Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Mostly because that, other than GWTW and Oz, the rest of [Victor] Fleming’s output was undistingushed. He did do the Spencer Tracy _Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_, but nothing much that people remember today. He was a competent studio director (much like Sam Wood), but not a great one. Another reason is Fleming was although he received sole credit, he was actually one among several directors for both movies. Richard Thorpe and King Vidor also worked on Oz while George Cukor and Sam Wood worked on GWTW. This was a common practice during the era of the studio system before the auteur theory put greater emphasis on the role of the director in a movie’s creative process. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2016, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453/45 "2016-10-04T23:55:32Z")
It’s amazing to me how so few people know Harold Arlen wrote the music for The Wizard of Oz. I didn’t know anything about Roy Orbison until after he died. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453/46 "2016-10-05T00:48:24Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > Nitpick: not to take anything away from Jim Gordon, who is INCREDIBLE, but I’m pretty sure it was Bobby Whitlock who played that piano coda. At least, that’s what Bobby told me. Story please! ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453/47 "2016-10-05T00:52:30Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > It’s amazing to me how so few people know Harold Arlen wrote the music for The Wizard of Oz. > I didn’t know anything about Roy Orbison until after he died. Arlen and Harburg. 😉 He wrote a ton of other songs too: > **[Harold Arlen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Arlen#Major_songs)** > > Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz (lyrics by Yip Harburg), including "Over the Rainbow", which won him the Oscar for Best Original Song, he was nominated as composer for 8 other Oscar awards. Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the Great American Songbook. "Over the R Looking at this list, Johnny Mercer is somewhat recognized but still less than is deserved. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453/48 "2016-10-05T00:57:03Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > It’s amazing to me how so few people know Harold Arlen wrote the music for The Wizard of Oz. One contributing factor is that the songs from _Wizard of Oz_ (with the possible exception of _Over the Rainbow_) don’t sound like anything else he ever did. Typical Arlen songs include _Come Rain or Come Shine_, _Get Happy_, _I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues_, _It’s Only a Paper Moon_ and _Stormy Weather_. Most people don’t expect _If I Only Had a Brain_ and _We’re Off to See the Wizard_ to come from the same guy who wrote all those jazzy standards. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453/49 "2016-10-05T02:51:06Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > One contributing factor is that the songs from _Wizard of Oz_ (with the possible exception of _Over the Rainbow_) don’t sound like anything else he ever did. Typical Arlen songs include _Come Rain or Come Shine_, _Get Happy_, _I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues_, _It’s Only a Paper Moon_ and _Stormy Weather_. Most people don’t expect _If I Only Had a Brain_ and _We’re Off to See the Wizard_ to come from the same guy who wrote all those jazzy standards. But he also isn’t known for though jazzy standards, not outside “standard” aficionados. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453/50 "2016-10-05T03:18:34Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Story please! Not so much to tell. I lived in Macon, GA from 1974-1977, and in '76-'77, Bobby was my next door neighbor. Very nice guy. We were both living in grand mansions that had fallen on hard times and were broken into apartment houses. My apartment happened to have an upright piano in it - God knows why, but whoever had been there before me had left it behind. Shortly after he had moved in next door, we got to chatting, and I invited him up to my place for beers and pot. Bobby saw the piano and sat down and began playing the Layla coda. Blew my mind! Later told me many stories about the Layla sessions. Nice guy and good neighbor. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453/51 "2016-10-05T04:10:13Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > Not so much to tell. I lived in Macon, GA from 1974-1977, and in '76-'77, Bobby was my next door neighbor. Very nice guy. We were both living in grand mansions that had fallen on hard times and were broken into apartment houses. My apartment happened to have an upright piano in it - God knows why, but whoever had been there before me had left it behind. > > Shortly after he had moved in next door, we got to chatting, and I invited him up to my place for beers and pot. Bobby saw the piano and sat down and began playing the Layla coda. Blew my mind! Later told me many stories about the Layla sessions. > > Nice guy and good neighbor. Not much to tell? I never heard of him and I think it’s fucking awesome. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453/52 "2016-10-05T05:50:09Z")
How many people - other than numismatists - can name the artists who designed the coins and currency in our pockets? Most of us handle these things every day, yet who gives a thought to the people who designed them? And what about postage stamps? These are miniature works of art, yet the artists are anonymous. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453/53 "2016-10-05T14:46:47Z")
> [@Gordon\_Urquhart](#): > > f The Incredible Bongo Band, which recorded _[Apache](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY-Z6wm6TMQ)_, one of the most-sampled songs in rap music. Now THAT is one funky song! After listening to it I felt like I just watched an entire season of Starsky and Hutch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-creators-whose-work-is-famous-yet-they-inexplicably-are-not/767453.md?page=2)