# When established performers join an established band. Usually as a replacement **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 10, 2022, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796 "2022-03-10T05:19:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/1 "2022-03-10T05:20:00Z")
It’s always kind of weird to me to see a seriously established performer join a famous band, and then the band will add their solo work to their set list. I can think of three examples. Joe Walsh in The Eagles. Now this was very early for them, and admittedly Im not familiar with Walsh’s pre-Eagles work. Larry Gowan in Styx. This was actually a while back. But past their heyday. I know they play at least ‘Criminal Mind’ and Larry is a more then suitable replacement for Dennis DeYoung. Neil Finn in Fleetwood Mac. This is the weirdest one. Seeing Fleetwood Mac playing Neil Finns work. Whether its Crowded House or Split Enz. I don’t anticipate Fleetwood Mac to be around very much longer What others? I don’t mean Supergroups or just any old replacement unless they were somewhat famous. Edit: I see Vince Gill joined The Eagles in 2017. I didn’t know that before today. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/2 "2022-03-10T05:25:55Z")
I believe that Van Halen would play some of Sammy Hagar’s solo songs, like “I Can’t Drive 55,” when he was their singer. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/3 "2022-03-10T05:33:11Z")
Perfect Example. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/4 "2022-03-10T05:34:17Z")
Joe Strummer fronting the Pogues after they tossed out Shane MacGowan has gotta be up there. That ensemble would drop “London Calling” into the live set. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IL9hDmoxkiA/hqdefault.jpg "The Pogues and Joe Strummer - London Calling") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL9hDmoxkiA) ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/5 "2022-03-10T05:55:50Z")
Axl Rose joining AC/DC Or does it have to be an established solo act that joins a band? ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/6 "2022-03-10T05:58:45Z")
Doesn’t have to be solo… ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/7 "2022-03-10T06:15:55Z")
Ronnie James Dio was already well-established from his time in Elf and Rainbow, and his early solo career, before he took Ozzy’s place in Black Sabbath. And when he in turn left the band, it was Ian Gillan of Deep Purple who took his place on the following album and tour, on which Sabbath added “Smoke on the Water” to their setlist. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/8 "2022-03-10T08:44:09Z")
Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction was a member of Red Hot Chili Peppers from 1993 and 1998, replacing John Frusciante. He recorded _One Hot Minute_ with them and went on tour, but I don’t know if they played any JA songs. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/9 "2022-03-10T15:23:41Z")
> [@Pavelb1](#): > > Neil Finn in Fleetwood Mac. This is the weirdest one. Seeing Fleetwood Mac playing Neil Finns work. Whether its Crowded House or Split Enz. I don’t anticipate Fleetwood Mac to be around very much longer You mention Fleetwood Mac and don’t mention Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks? They had their own album out before joining. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/10 "2022-03-10T15:33:07Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > You mention Fleetwood Mac and don’t mention Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks? They had their own album out before joining. They did, indeed, but the OP was specifically asking about new members whose previous songs got incorporated into their new band’s setlist (though that part of their question is in their post, not in the thread title). I don’t know if Fleetwood Mac regularly (if ever) played any of the songs that Lindsey and Stevie had from their earlier work. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/11 "2022-03-10T16:20:44Z")
They did. “Crystal,” for example. Not often though. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/12 "2022-03-10T16:45:24Z")
Did Springsteen and the E Street Band ever play anything from Nils Lofgren’s solo work? Or anything from Southside Johnny after Steve Van Zandt joined? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/13 "2022-03-10T16:46:59Z")
A couple borderline examples—I’m not sure whether or not they count: Todd Rundgren teaming up with members of The Cars to perform as [The New Cars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Cars) Several established artists joining [Ringo Starr & His All-Star Band](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringo_Starr_%26_His_All-Starr_Band), which featured their previous hits in its setlist. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/14 "2022-03-10T16:47:14Z")
Did Fleetwood Mac ever play any of the Stevie Nicks solo songs? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/15 "2022-03-10T16:55:06Z")
Isn’t **Yes** the poster child for this? Didn’t Vangelis join the band at one point? Be merciful, I’m not as up on Yes as some others. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/16 "2022-03-10T17:08:24Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Isn’t **Yes** the poster child for this? Didn’t Vangelis join the band at one point? Jon Anderson (Yes’s longtime lead singer) did several collaboration albums with Vangelis, but Vangelis was never an actual member of Yes. And, while Yes has, indeed, had a ton of members, for the most part, their membership hasn’t been a matter of a big-name artist who was in another band (or a solo act) joining them. In the early 1980s, when singer/guitarist Trevor Rabin replaced Steve Howe in their lineup, he brought with him a number of songs he’d been working on, several of which made it onto the _90125_ album (most notably “Owner of a Lonely Heart”), but Rabin wasn’t particularly well-known outside of his native South Africa at that point, and those songs weren’t ones that Rabin had already recorded and had any sort of success with. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/17 "2022-03-10T17:24:28Z")
Yes they have. They did “Stand Back” during their 2013 tour, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/18 "2022-03-10T17:29:35Z")
Vinnie Paul played [a single Pantera song](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=212207953156799) with Avenged Sevenfold after their original drummer died. He didn’t actually join the band, and the band _already_ covered the song (_Mouth for War_) in their live setlist sometimes. Mike Portnoy’s various post-Dream Theater projects have usually covered Dream Theater songs. Slayer has [covered Exodus song _Strike of the Beast_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2aFbdvVw2g) in their live set since (Exodus guitarist) Gary Holt joined Slayer to replace Jeff Hanneman. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/19 "2022-03-10T17:46:56Z")
Yeah “Van Hagar” was the first example I thought of. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796/20 "2022-03-10T18:27:23Z")
I first thought of Van Halen’s other other singer, Gary Cherone, but I’m not sure if Van Halen played any of Gary or Extreme’s music on tour. Gary’s single tour with Van Halen was noteworthy mostly for reviving older Van Halen songs that Sammy Hagar apparently didn’t want to perform. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-established-performers-join-an-established-band-usually-as-a-replacement/960796.md?page=2)