Movies, music, comedy, etc… Someone who could have been on top, but for whatever reason, people stopped paying attention to them, even though they are just as talented, and/or still releasing material that is just as good as it was before. Or it could be someone like Van Gogh. Or it could be someone who has a cult audience, and you’re thinking, “If this person was given a chance for a huge audience, they’d be so popular and respected”
I think this happens quite a bit to talented guitarists. Either they can’t sing and try to, or they hook up with a singer that doesn’t pair well with their playing. They are recognized for their amazing musicianship, but don’t seem to ever have hit songs or become A list stars.
Two examples are Yngwe Malmstein and Joe Satriani.
I doubt many people know who Clu Gulager is but his work often made me sit up and go “Heyyy…I like what you’re doing there”.
I’ll give you a better example, since both of those people are well known and have a huge number of fans: Luke Jaeger.
Mr. Jaeger writes and records under the band name Sleep Terror. HIs first EP and full-length were written and recorded solely by Mr. Jaeger, but his last two albums have featured a very talented drummer. All other instruments are played by Mr. Jaeger; there are no vocals on any Sleep Terror tune.
The music is mix of surf, flamenco, jazz and technical death metal, all done with impeccable taste and flair. AFAIK, his only outlet or sales is thru Bandcamp. My favorite of his output so far is El Insomne.
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Another favorite of mine is a guy named Andrew Falkous who records under the moniker Christian Fitness. His songs are catchy, quirky and fun. The style is as if Gang of Four were having a really good, happy day and decided to call in John Cooper Clarke to write lyrics and do vocals for them. AFAIK, he also primarily sells his work on Bandcamp. My favorite of his six albums is Slap Bass Hunks.
Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino
I don’t know why Jeremy Jordan isn’t a hundred times more famous.
Add Roy Buchanan and Steve Vai.
The problem is yhat though their technique is masterful, there are flaws in their game that limits them. You can only go so far on technique alone. Jimi Hendrix was also a masterful guitar player, but he was also a great singer who could write a memorable song (and knew when technique was not enough).
John Fullbright Fat Man John Fullbright "Fat Man" - YouTube
Fullbright Satan And St. Paul John Fullbright "Satan & St. Paul" - YouTube
Musically, there’s this fella named Chris Smither that (almost) no one knows about. Boy, he’s good! And good news: Now you all know! 
[quote=“bobot, post:9, topic:839998”]
Musically, there’s this fella named Chris Smither that (almost) no one knows about. Boy, he’s good! And good news: Now you all know! 
Long time fan of Chris Smither here!. I’m going to see him (for about the 5th time) next week.
I’ll add David Lindley to the conversation. He plays basically anything with strings (and probably some things without strings), was the go-to sideman for everybody in the pop world in the '70’s. Think Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Linda Ronstadt, Curtis Mayfield, James Taylor, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Toto, Rod Stewart and Joe Walsh among others.
He also fronts his own band and has explored world music with musicians from Africa.
Just an amazingly talented guy who is not well-known despite his success.
Clu Gulager is rock solid in whatever he does; if I saw his name in the opening credits, I always watched, no matter how awful I thought the movie was going to be.
You think it’s technique alone? They have written memorable songs. Vai and Satriani have a loyal fan base and have been putting out records for many years.
They just play in a genre that is not mainstream. Instrumental guitar music is not for everybody. And popular does not always equal good.
Hammered Dulcimer-master Ted Yoder should be touring concert halls rather than elementary schoolsin my opinion.
Catherine Howe - wonderful singer, was attractive, good songs, good band… Never understood why she basically had to retire for decades only to come back because of her song “Harry” (thanks to the prince)
Sometimes it’s a matter of playing an unusual instrument. I really like txalaparta (a xylophone made from and played with logs), but don’t ask me to name any players other than Kepa Junkera.
Tom Paxton. You may not know his name, but you know a lot of the songs he wrote, but you think they were written by someone else or are “traditional folk songs.” He has been in the business since the early 1960’s, and his songs have been covered by a lot of people. Paxton is a song writing mastermind, right below Bob Dylan in my book.
I was using the metric of “household name” as opposed to “respect within the industry.”
YMMV, and all that.
Sorry, if a middle-aged white guy knows him (and his stage name), has seen performances and his videos… and knows that he’s the second-best Lando Calrissian of all time… then he’s definitely appreciated.
That first link totally fucking rocks! Thank you for posting this!