# Artists Who Wanted To Be Recognized For Something Else **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 25, 2019, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024 "2019-06-25T12:14:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2019, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024/41 "2019-06-26T18:11:05Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Garth Brooks wanted to play professional sports and/or be a rock musician. Speaking of which, I remember hearing somewhere that Michael Bolton originally wanted to be a heavy metal guy. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2019, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024/42 "2019-06-26T19:04:36Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > [His sculptures of women aren’t much better](http://www.ansa.it/english/news/lifestyle/arts/2017/04/05/michelangelo-carved-female-sex-organs_920cfed5-d197-494a-9c1a-7178c008f38c.html) - this is a man who has never seen a woman in the flesh. I guess the one upside is that there’s no concern that he used underaged boys as his models. Mikey was all about the fully developed men. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024/43 "2019-06-26T20:56:41Z")
As far as I know Roy Clark was pretty happy with his career in television, but he could [play the strings off](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xssnp7R51A)pretty much[any stringed instrument](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta4535Y8xYE). ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024/44 "2019-06-27T13:19:35Z")
John Lennon went to art school with the idea of being a writer and artist. Fortunately, he got sidetracked by music. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024/45 "2019-06-27T15:40:59Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I guess the one upside is that there’s no concern that he used underaged boys as his models. Mikey was all about the fully developed men. I’m surprised they don’t all have beards and tattoos. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024/46 "2019-06-27T18:17:31Z")
Ian Dury trained as an artist (one of his tutors was Peter Blake) and was an art teacher and (to some extent) a commercial artist before music. As to whether he was an artist who wanted to be a musician or vice versa… Actually there is a long British history of Art School bands. Brian Ferry studied fine art, and taught art and pottery. Virginia Plain took its title from one of his paintings. Deaf School met at Liverpool Art College. Joe Strummer spent a year at the Central School of Art and Design in London. And so on - there are lots. Ooo - I’ve just stumbled across [this old thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-376410.html). j ---
**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:** [June 27, 2019, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024/47 "2019-06-27T19:32:21Z")
Jack Benny was a professionally trained violinist, but was only able to find work as a comedian. Max Brand was so invested in trying to become a famous poet that he refused to use his real name for any of the westerns he wrote. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024/48 "2019-06-27T19:54:31Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > John Lennon went to art school with the idea of being a writer and artist. Fortunately, he got sidetracked by music. John Lennon had no ambition to be a trained artist. He barely managed to pass grammar school and went to Liverpool College of Art only because his Aunt Mimi insisted he receive training for some kind of respectable career. He wanted to be a musician first and foremost, a fact reflected in his abysmal performance as an art student. British art schools were renowned as havens for misfits like Lennon who were bright but had no ambition/aptitude to go on to university. A truly staggering number of pioneering British rockers —including Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Syd Barrett, Jeff Beck, Eric Burdon and Pete Townshend — came out of art schools. Very few if any had serious ambitions to become artists. The only Beatle to whom this category applies is Stuart Sutcliffe. He wanted to be (and arguably was) a great painter and is chiefly known to history as a piss-poor bass player. [ETA: I see **Treppenwitz** and I are of similar minds.] ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024/49 "2019-06-28T00:01:52Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > Actually there is a long British history of Art School bands. And then there is the guitarist for Queen: From Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > Brian Harold May, CBE (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and astrophysicist. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024/50 "2019-06-28T00:25:58Z")
:o OK, missed a good one.:smack: My screen name Bob Bitchin AKA Tommy Chong was a musician/comedian. Obviously he was in Cheech and Chong, I won’t name his band:eek::rolleyes::p:D ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024/51 "2019-06-28T00:38:54Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > Speaking of which, I remember hearing somewhere that Michael Bolton originally wanted to be a heavy metal guy. I thought he was trying to be an opera singer. [No matter what, he is awesome.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-4zFsL1KDQ) ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024/52 "2019-06-28T01:16:47Z")
I was totally expecting that to be an [Office Space link](https://youtu.be/_BaMx_n2_hM?t=63). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artists-who-wanted-to-be-recognized-for-something-else/836024.md?page=2)