Jonathan Knight left NKOTB, and as far as I know, is the only former Kid who is not still in the performance business. I think he’s in real estate now. (Sounds like a joke, doesn’t it?) Donnie Wahlberg became an actor, Joe McIntyre and Jordan Knight are still singing, and (I heard) Danny Wood became a producer.
In addition to the lack of personal privacy, he retired because he was starting to suffer from panic attacks before concerts.
“The Voice” aka Steve Perry (insert lustful sigh), formerly of Journey has become a virtual recluse since ~1996. Dammit. He also cut his hair, but that’s another rant.
Patty Smyth of Scandal quit the business to raise a family.
Sinead O’Connor quit after the papal shredding incident, IIRC.
And did George Michael quit or is he just laying low?
I think Ms. Smyth (Smythe?) is married to John MacEnroe, which means her work is cut out for her, but I think she is definitely retired.
Sinead still sings, but I don’t think she does her own solo work, mainly just vocals for other acts from time to time. Otherwise she’s busy doing that female Catholic priest thingy.
George Michael is still in the business, but mainly in the UK and Europe. He raised eybrows recently with a video featuring Tony Blair as George Bush’s dog.
Benny and Bjorn from ABBA are still very active in the music business, they co-wrote the musical Chess, and they continue writing and scoring all manner of things, and of course, dong the book for the ABBA based musical Mamma Mia.
Patty Smythe still records occasionally (she did that gawdawful duet with Don Henley about five year ago) and does fundraiser and charity performances in the NYC tri-state area with some frequency.
Sinead O’Connor put several new albums after the papal picture incident, the most recent was last year and was critically acclaimed. And deservedly so, might I add.
George Michael has a single out in the UK right now, with a high controversial video featuring GW Bush, Tony Blair and his wife, Cherie, in some compromising characterizations and positions.
I don’t know if four years is long enough to characterize a young man like Bill Berry as having reutred, never to return to the business. He could easily change his mind and the remaining members of REM have stated that if he ever decides to return to the band, he will be welcomed with open arms.
And for the record, I’m no fan, but Celine Dion was never retired, and never claimed to be. She did “goodbye” performances because she planned and scheduled to take a more extended period away from performing and recording than she had since the beginning of her career (whether you count that as when she started performing at 12 or became a star in the late 80s) but she always said that it was only a break so that she could be with her husband, who was battling cancer at the time, and have a baby, which she did, and enjoy her wealth and her family and her life for a while, which she has.
I watch way, way, way too many Behind the Music episodes.
My ability to translate the very coherent thoughts into my head into coherent words on a screen has apparently been compromised. Forgive my typographical and grammatical errors in the previous post, please.
After reading all of this, yes, without doubt, the champion entry has to be The Beatles.
In particular, the main issue was getting John and Paul together in public again. Apparently Paul used to visit John at the Dakota mansions in the early 70’s whenever he was in New York, but due to John’s permanent visa problems, John never left the U.S. during that time and this made it kinda harder for Paul and John to get together.
Paul being Paul - he actually recorded “Venus and Mars” (sp?)down New Orleans way in 1975 to make it easier for John to come visit and they actually did jam together a number of times but nothing was recorded apparenty.
The funniest story I ever read was from John’s mouth in his famous Playboy interview of 1980 shortly before his death. Apparently Paul was visiting John in New York when he was living with May Wong (sp?) and they actually saw the offer on “Saturday Night Live” offering them a whole whopping $3,000 to come on down to the TV studios and play just one song.
As John told it, he and Paul were so chuffed with the audacity of such a live TV stunt they decided to do it because George Harrison was the musical guest that night, but they couldn’t organise transport quickly enough to be on air on time. I’m pretty sure that’s the story. Please correct me if there’s greater background that any of you have.
So they came close…
How about The Police?
As a group they called it a day while they were arguabley the biggest/best rock band in the world at their critical and popular highs.
Boo Boo Foo,
The bit about John & Paul watching SNL is pretty miuch spot on. I always loved seeing the clip where George Harrison was talking with Lorne Michaels and George says, “Well, $3,000 is pretty chintzy.”
Doris Day retired, and has stuck to it. She was at the top of the pile when she did, too.
FTR, there’s a difference between losing your recording contract and retiring. Plenty of artists listed above would gladly come out of “retirement” if given the opportunity.
And where’s Kate Bush been?
But all three members of the Police have solo careers, granted with very different levels of success and visability.
Tina Turner claims to have done her “farewell tour” let’s see if she sticks to it. Garth Brooks has re-retired, let’ hope he and Chris Gaines stick to it.
The Fine Young Cannibals maybe?
John Lennon never “retired” so to say. He said he was taking a break to raise his son.
I would have to agree with Captain Beefheart. I’m waiting for the day he decides to come out of retirement.
What about Grace Slick?
I guess there’s a reasonable number of people who gave up music to concentrate on acting or TV or suchlike things, although no one very talented/famous comes to mind (Kerry Katona from Atomic Kitten? Cilla Black?) But it seems almost impossible for people to stay out of the limelight, and most singers do want to be worshipped in some way or another. Or at least, like Don Van Vliet, to do other creative work. And even those who retire to raise families seem to (try and) return once the kids are grown up.