# Solo recording artists who are more famous than their original band. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 8, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solo-recording-artists-who-are-more-famous-than-their-original-band/186985 "2003-07-08T13:08:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solo-recording-artists-who-are-more-famous-than-their-original-band/186985/41 "2003-07-09T05:06:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wumpus \* > \*\*I’d say Richard Thompson is better known than Fairport Convention, but I don’t know how big Fairport Convention was Back in the Day. \*\* **Fairport Convention** : Cool, yes, well-known, I’m not so sure. Of course Richard is not exactly a Top 10 hitmaker either. My vote goes to Richard as better known. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solo-recording-artists-who-are-more-famous-than-their-original-band/186985/42 "2003-07-09T05:35:21Z")
Here’s a pretty good one: **Kenny Rogers** was much bigger than **The First Edition** , even though they did have a handful of hits (“Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Down”, etc). ---
**Author:** ![available\_light](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@available\_light](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/available_light)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solo-recording-artists-who-are-more-famous-than-their-original-band/186985/43 "2003-07-11T09:23:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness \* > \*\*Dave Grohl attained more time in the spotlight as the leader of the Foo Fighters than as the drummer for Nirvana, where he was overshadowed by Cobain. \*\* Ok, maybe I’m being nitpicky here, but the OP challenge was to name solo artists who have become more famous than their group of origin. And there’s no way that Dave Grohl is more famous than Nirvana. Yes, maybe he’s come into his own or now has more time in the spotlight than he did before, but that wasn’t the question. [/nitpick mode] I suggest that Lauryn Hill is more famous than The Fugees. At least from a middle-class white perspective (mine) I had vaguely heard of The Fugees, but when Lauryn Hill released _The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill_ all of the sudden she was **everywhere**. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solo-recording-artists-who-are-more-famous-than-their-original-band/186985/44 "2003-07-11T10:32:15Z")
**Robert Palmer** and **Vinegar Joe** and, I suppose, **Elkie Brooks** and **Vinegar Joe** ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solo-recording-artists-who-are-more-famous-than-their-original-band/186985/45 "2003-07-11T10:41:47Z")
Robbie Williams / Take That ---
**Author:** ![refusal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@refusal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/refusal)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solo-recording-artists-who-are-more-famous-than-their-original-band/186985/46 "2003-07-11T11:00:21Z")
nitroglycerine forgot possibly the most famous member of the Magic Band to go onto greater things: Captain Beefheart. Although she only had one big solo hit, Maria McKee is far better known for “Show Me Heaven” than for her work with early-80s outfit Lone Justice (she’s still performing as a solo artist though). Alison Moyet vs. Yazoo, probably. Juliana Hatfield vs. The Blake Babies. David McAlmont vs. Thieves. Neneh Cherry vs. Rip Rig and Panic. ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solo-recording-artists-who-are-more-famous-than-their-original-band/186985/47 "2003-07-12T10:53:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by refusal \* > \*\*nitroglycerine forgot possibly the most famous member of the Magic Band to go onto greater things: Captain Beefheart. > \*\* ? I didn’t even mention the Magic Band. That was Beefhearts group. He was an associate of Frank’s in the early years, but IIRC he didn’t really show up on a Zappa album until Bongo Fury, and that was more of a collaboration. The good captian was already well known by then. Jon ---
**Author:** ![zuma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9c0ed/32.png) [@zuma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zuma)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solo-recording-artists-who-are-more-famous-than-their-original-band/186985/48 "2003-07-12T12:42:17Z")
Peter Frampton was the first one who came to mind. I had to google to remember the name of his first band, Humble Pie. ---
**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:** [July 12, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solo-recording-artists-who-are-more-famous-than-their-original-band/186985/49 "2003-07-12T12:49:31Z")
Bob Geldorf became much, much more famous than the rest of the “Boomtown Rats,” though not for singing. Benny & Bjorn of ABBA should be in this thread for their musical theatre work. In five years, they will be. Remember, I said it first. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solo-recording-artists-who-are-more-famous-than-their-original-band/186985/50 "2003-07-12T14:08:41Z")
Robyn Hitchcock/The Soft Boys Jonathan Richman/The Modern Lovers Mike Watt/Firehose Adrian Belew/the mid-70’s Zappa lineup that was his first gig Mitch Easter [as a producer]/Let’s Active Paul Carrack [Squeeze]/Roxy Music Phil Manzanera/Roxy Music Lisa Stansfield/Blue Zone debatable: Ryan Adams/Whiskeytown Bob Mould/Husker Du Juliana Hatfield/The Lemonheads both Kristen Hersh and Tonya Donelly, from Throwing Muses Jason Falkner/Jellyfish Mark Mothersbaugh [for film scoring]/Devo David Lowery/Camper Van Beethoven, then Cracker Mark Lanegan/The Screaming Trees both Peter Murphy [solo] and Daniel Ash [Love & Rockets]/Bauhaus Lisa Gerrard [film scores]/Dead Can Dance Alex Chilton/Big Star Paul Westerberg/The Replacements worth watching: Steve Malkmus/Pavement; The Silver Jews Damon Albarn [solo work and film scoring]/Blur [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solo-recording-artists-who-are-more-famous-than-their-original-band/186985.md?page=2)