3 Rock Frontmen From the 1970s Who Found New Life as Solo Artists

As an artist, sometimes a new muse calls you. You never know where the light of curiosity will take you. Sometimes that means working in a group with many other musicians, and sometimes that means going solo. Here below, we wanted to highlight three times an artist felt like they had to depart a band and find a new career on their own. Indeed, these are three rock frontmen from the 1970s who found new life as solo artists.

Peter Gabriel

Born in England on February 13, 1950, Peter Gabriel rose to fame with the rock band Genesis, which released its debut studio LP, From Genesis to Revelation, in 1969, and continued to be a powerhouse group in the 1970s. But Gabriel famously left Genesis in the summer of 1975 to pursue a solo career. And in 1977, Gabriel released his self-titled debut solo album—the first of 11, with the latest, OI, set to drop later this year.

Lou Reed

Born in New York City on March 2, 1942, Lou Reed rose to fame as the frontman for the rock band the Velvet Underground. That group released its debut LP, The Velvet Underground & Nico, in 1967. Four more records followed, including the group’s final release, Squeeze, in 1973. But it was a year before, in 1972, when Reed released his debut self-titled solo album. That album would mark the first of 22 solo albums, with the final record, Hudson River Wind Meditations, dropping in 2007.

Iggy Pop

Songwriter and performer Iggy Pop is a magnet for your eyes and ears. When he gets on stage, there is no looking away. Born in Michigan on April 21, 1947, the artist has played in a handful of bands throughout his career. Most famously, Pop rose to popularity with the group The Stooges, which released its debut album in 1969 and two more records—Fun House and Raw Power—in the 1970s. But it was in March of 1977 when Pop ventured out solo, releasing his debut album, The Idiot. A few months later, Pop followed that up with his LP, Lust for Life, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Photo by Clayton Call/Redferns

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