Sometimes things work out differently for the rest of us. Not everyone is set to become Paul McCartneys and Mick Jaggers of the music scene. It basically calls for the right combination of skill, attitude, and maybe a pinch of luck to find what it takes to get to the top.
As bands and artists often reach a fork on their roads, not everyone takes a unanimous vote on which path to take. Here are four musicians who left right before their bands hit stardom.
Andy Nicholson, bassist for the Arctic Monkeys
Andy Nicholson provided bass and backing vocals for the Arctic Monkeys from 2002 to 2006. Nick O' Malley replaced him soon after he missed the North American leg of their tour due to fatigue, reportedly caused by "an intensive period of touring." On the Monkeys' return to UK, Nicholson confirmed his decision to leave the band and O'Malley was formally added as the band's bassist.
Two years later, he founded British-Irish band Mongrel with Reverend and The Makers' Jon McClure, a band that Nicholson would later join in 2009. Besides his post-Monkey bands, he is currently a producer and DJ in the hip-hop collective Clubs & Spades. Nicholson also forms half of the British production duo Sticky Blood.
Jason Everman, guitarist for Nirvana and bassist for Soundgarden
For music fans, leaving the rock stardom train not once, but twice must be the ultimate bummer. However, for Jason Everman, Sergeant First Class in the United States Army, all is in the past. He is credited as the guitarist on the Nirvana album "Bleach," although he did not play on the album. He did, however, pay the fees for their recording session. He was dismissed from the band by Kurt Cobain, apparently for being a "moody metalhead."
Everman then ended up playing bass for Soundgarden, a fellow grunge icon of the 90s. He was the successor to Hiro Yamamoto, but after completing their promotional tour in support of "Louder Than Love," he was again sacked from the band. He told The New York Times in an interview that he "was in all the cool bands." Everman later joined the Army and trained at Fort Benning in Georgia, and later served with the Special Forces. RELATED: Nirvana Vinyl Records to Fill Your "Heart-Shaped Box" In 1976, the future U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. put out a notice for interested musicians in his band. The brothers David, who would later be known as "The Edge," and Dik Evans, were among the first to respond to the call. Being older than other band members, he was becoming the odd man out and later left the group. The now-four-piece band changed its name to U2, won a talent contest, and started becoming the worldwide icon they currently are. Dik went on and founded the Irish band The Virgin Prunes, where he was the guitarist until 1984. It was followed by his stint with The Kid Sisters, who later changed their name to The Screech Owls. Punk royalty Green Day was first formed by teenage friends Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt in 1987, with original drummer Raj Punjabi. Kiffmeyer, also known as Al Sobrante, replaced Punjabi and performed in their 1990 debut album "39/Smooth." Later in the year, Kiffmeyer attended college in Arcata, CA. To fill in for his absences, Armstrong and Dirnt accepted Tré Cool, drummer for a fellow punk rock band The Lookouts, and stayed permanently. Kiffmeyer helped Green Day as its executive producer for their 1991 studio album "Kerplunk." After joining a few other bands, he moved to San Francisco, where he works as a photography director. Kiffmeyer, however, joined his Green Day bandmates for a one-off show in Ohio back in 2015.
Jason Everman, former member of grunge icons Nirvana and Soundgarden, has joined the US Army and served with the Special Forces.Dik Evans, guitarist for U2
Dik Evans, together with his brother David "The Edge" Evans, are among the earliest members and co-founders of the band that would become known as U2.John Kiffmeyer, Drummer for Green Day
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