To the uninitiated, the music industry may sound like all flashing scenes and wondrous lives. But the fact of the matter is that very few are overnight successes, as many artists would attest. Most of the top stars have had to face rejection and disappointment, only to release that one track that gets them into stardom. Herein are the enthralling stories of legendary artists who came so close to shelving their musical dreams before bagging a place in history for eternity.
#1: Elvis Presley — Before “That’s All Right” (1954)
He’s the King of Rock and Roll, but Elvis Presley’s ascent was not a cakewalk. Before the song that would become his first big hit, “That’s All Right,” Presley had been turned down by so many record labels that he’d begun questioning whether he really had what it took.
Driving a truck, Sam Phillips happened upon him, and then, as the story goes, luck, or maybe genius, took a chance on this strange new sound.