# Most Misunderstood Artists? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 3, 2020, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-misunderstood-artists/851000 "2020-04-03T20:53:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-misunderstood-artists/851000/21 "2020-04-05T14:30:36Z")
> [@MortSahlFan](#): > > Find interviews - video, audio, and text, and then with that foundation, you can read second-hand sources and decide for yourself. And even then, I would start with the best sources - family, band-mates, etc. He was a lot more than just some drunk who did crazy things… I’d suggest no “artist” is worth all that time. I used to stay up way too late, doing this kind of research, but then I realized "Why am I spending all this time on someone else’s life? What about _my_ life? I could be getting something done right now… (like sleeping). Nick Drake’s life isn’t any more valuable than mine. And what difference do it make that when he was a paperboy there was a good chance he ‘slung papes’ to the parents of nine-times world champion motorcyclist Mike Hailwood…? I’m done devoting so much brainpower to what this or that musician/celebrity is like. I was encouraged to flip through an issue of People magazine at the barber’s shop and realize “I have NO idea who most of these people are!” I felt like a hermit, then I realized I was free from obsessing about pop culture. And no, spending hours searching for “second-hand sources… and the best sources - family, band-mates, etc.” isn’t much different than the friend of mine who devours everything they can hear or read about Taylor Swift. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-misunderstood-artists/851000/22 "2020-04-05T15:29:42Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I’d suggest no “artist” is worth all that time. Ultimately, any artist should be judged by what they put into their art. Not by the life they led. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-misunderstood-artists/851000/23 "2020-04-05T21:00:15Z")
Since Pollock Has been mentioned, I’ll toss out Rothko. I know he’s not popular on these boards but if you ever have a chance to stand before one of his works for a while you might be persuaded. I also agree the OP went too far the other way with Morrison. Guarantee if he wasn’t part of the 27 club you might not even remember his name. At best, he’d be one of a million other has beens. > [@RioRico](#): > > Nobody really knew Big Daddy Roth. Rat Fink was the inevitable result. PM your address. I need to know where to send the invoice for a new keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-misunderstood-artists/851000/24 "2020-04-06T03:50:34Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Eric Burdon of The Animals. > [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > Oh Lord, please don’t let him… > [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > …be misunderstood (doodle-oot doodle-oo, doodle-oo-dooooooo). I can’t be the only one, but I’ve always took that song to be an abuser trying to convince someone to take them back; and, without a doubt, [Nina did it best](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IlSP9vVpMQ). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-misunderstood-artists/851000.md?page=1)