Ron Sexsmith - gets great reviews and accolades, but not much else, really.
The Tragically Hip - great music, hugely popular in Canada, but not as much anywhere else. Maybe just too “Canadian”?
I’ve seen Stanhope 3 times, and I like the small venues. His last special was the first one I thought that wasn’t too great. When I last saw him live, he was basically repeating himself.
The Monkees. A band put together for a TV show, ignoring the fact that they all were capable musicians and singers, recorded songs written by great songwriters (Boyce & Hart, Neil Diamond & Michael Nesmith), but always seen as a “fad.” The band pretty much faded away after the TV ended.
…until the reunion tours that drew millions of fans to see them, even when it wasn’t all 4 of the guys.
Not a great example, IMO.
In what field because if you mean acting (as Lando in the Han Solo movie) I quite agree with you. Pretty sure he’s appreciated in music.
In the same vein I’d add Colin James. Big in Canada, almost unknown everywhere else. He toured with Stevie Ray Vaughan back in the day, and Vaughan couldn’t stop singing praises about his playing and songwriting.
James tours continually, and sells out medium sized venues in Canada (1,000-3,000 people).
I think the Tragically Hip were a little more popular in the U.S. - especially in the border states.
When Gord died, there was some news here in the US.
Andrew Vachss. His Burke novels are absolutely wonderful and deserve to be made into movies of a TV series.
Gotta go with the others; Donald Glover “popped” on my radar for his role in The Martian, and I was happy to see him in Spiderman: Homecoming (not a large role, but he owned it), and then his turn as Lando Calrissian in Solo*, which I thought was spot on consistent with Billy Dee Williams, while not being derivative, if that even makes sense. Basically, Mr. Glover owned that role, too!
*I didn’t think Solo overall was a very good movie, in spite of good to outstanding individual performances. The story just wasn’t really there.