This is about music groups who started out equals, or close to equals, but then had one member who stood out and had their name as top billing (and some even going solo).
A few I can think of off of the top of my head.
The Supremes.
Diana Ross and the Supremes.
Diana Ross goes solo
The Amboy Dukes
The Amboy Dukes featuring Ted Nugent.
Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes.
Ted Nugent’s Amboy Dukes.
Ted Nugent goes solo
The Miami Sound Machine.
Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine.
Gloria Estefan.
Any other bands you can think of who have had this happen?
How about The Police? Started in 1977 by Stewart Copeland, their first single was a Copeland-penned song. Though Sting demonstrated himself to be a talented songwriter with a ear for hits, all members of the band wrote songs on the first three albums. Then, when the band headed to Monserrat to record Ghost in the Machine, Sting arrived with fully orchestrated demos, with guitar, drum, and keyboard parts recorded.
Both Copeland and Summers have noted that those sessions were ones in which they felt like session men, rather than contributing members of the group. By Synchronicity, only two tracks were not written by Sting: the execrable “Mother” (Summers) and the decent “Miss Gradenko” (Copeland).
Every member of The Police has gone on to considerable commercial and critical acclaim beyond the group. But all of The Police’s compilation albums feature only Sting compositions (granted, he wrote all of the songs that were singles). I also have a compilation entitled The Very Best of Sting & The Police, with a prominent picture of Sting on the front, and a tiny postage stamp-sized of The Police in a corner.
It was Sting who ended the group when the other two wanted to continue… and Sting who re-convened the band a few years ago.
Marillion
Started with Fish (for four albums) who was ultimately replaced with Stephen Hogarth (for 12 albums).
Genesis
Started with Peter Gabriel but who left for a substantial solo career only to be replaced by the drummer, Phil Collins (who has also had a stellar solo career).
Didn’t the Black Eyed Peas get renamed “Fergie” for about a year? I actually used to like that group before she hijacked them…now I can’t even stand to listen to their OLD stuff.
The First Edition became Kenny Rogers and the First Edition.
The Belmonts became Dion and the Belmonts.
The Four Seasons are also known as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
After the original Animals broke up, Eric Burdon assembled a new group called Eric Burdon and the Animals.
Not quite the same, but Gary Puckett and the Union Gap were originally known as “The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett”.
During Buddy Holly’s lifetime, his records with the Crickets were released either as by Buddy Holly or by the Crickets. After his death, the group started being referred to as “Buddy Holly and the Crickets”.
Going in the other direction, Paul Revere and the Raiders became The Raiders in the 1970s.
While he was never billed separately, and the members of the group insisted everyone was equal, most people thought that the Doors were a backup group for Jim Morrison. This led to people thinking that Morrison was the only songwriter (complicated by the fact that most of their songs were just credited to “The Doors” originally). I remember one critic who talked about how Morrison’s songs carried the band financially, ignoring the fact that “Light My Fire” was written by Robbie Krieger. In any case, when the recorded the excellent “Other Voices” after Morrison’s death, no one bought it.
Big Brother and the Holding Company was basically known as Janis Joplin’s backup band.
Mark Lindsay sort of took over in between those two stages. A couple of their albums had the band listed as “Paul Revere and the Raiders Featuring Mark Lindsay”; I guess the suits thought he had more teen appeal or something.
Does it have to be situations where the single member’s name was incorporated into the group’s name? 'Cuz if not, then Gwen Stefani of No Doubt has to be one of the bigger cases of the past two decades.
There are probably many instances where even though the name didn’t change, the leadership dynamics of the group altered considerably. For example, the role of Jagger and Richards in the Rolling Stones became much more central as their songwriting took off; Brian Jones, originally a major musical and visual focus, got pushed into a corner. I think the original version of King Crimson was relatively egalitarian before Robert Fripp became the clear leader… probably something similar with the Byrds and Roger McGuinn.
In almost all the situations described, it is the lead singer of the group that becomes the stand-out and then goes solo. This is premised that musicians are a dime a dozen, but singers are unique.
It takes a lot of humility for the lead singer to not leave his band that he started with seek more money and fame as a solo artist.
John Fogarty pretty much took over his big brother Tom’s band, Creedence Clearwater Revival.
And people often forget, Alice Cooper was originally the name of a BAND, a band that featured Vince Furnier as its lead singer. Over time, Vince pretty much BECAME Alice Cooper. The other members gradually dropped out, and people came to think that Alice Cooper was simply an individual.
IF this is the year Alice Cooper is elected to the Rock Hall of Fame, I wonder if Vince will be inducted alone, or if his old bandmates (like Mike Bruce) will be inducted with him.
The Commodores - decent group with an emphasis on mainstream accessible funk.
Lionel Ritchie wrote a few sweet ballads that became huge hits.
The Commodres become a band who seems to record nothing but Lionel Ritchie ballads.
Lionel Ritchie goes solo.
Nobody seems to remember the original tone on the Commodores, and the band tours with the big draws being the Lionel Ritchie songs.
Exchange “the Commodores” with “Chicago”, “Lionel Ritchie” with “Peter Cetera” and "Funk with “Prog Rock”. and it reads the same.