Worst Pre-Fame Jobs
We’ve all had to endure crappy jobs in our lives. Whether you were scooping ice cream as a kid, washing dishes to pay your massive student loans, or just wanted to jam an icepick into your boss’ skull — we all have our horror stories.
Rock stars have the greatest job on the planet, right? Playing music to packed houses, getting tons of chicks, making a boatload of cash and seeing the world in the process. However, it’s easy to forget that even the most celebrated musicians are, in fact, just normal people like us. Additionally, the rockers on this list not only worked day jobs to fund their passion, but worked some of the worst jobs out there.
Kurt Cobain
Arguably the most iconic musician of the 1990s, Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain was a true grassroots musician who turned the music industry upside-down with the single ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit.’ However, Cobain was smelling other odors before Nirvana made it big — working as a janitor.
To finance his passion for music, Kurt Cobain mastered the custodial arts for Lemon’s Janitorial Service. Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic recently gave some insight into Cobain’s former day job.
“Here was a man who would never clean his kitchen or take out the garbage, or do those kind of chores, but Kurt Cobain was not a lazy person. Basically he cleaned toilets – that’s how he paid for that demo.”
Ozzy Osbourne
If you think Tony Iommi is the only Black Sabbath member who chopped his fingers off while on the job, you’d be incorrect. Frontman Ozzy Osbourne actually chopped off the end of his thumb at the age of 15 while working as a plumber’s assistant. But that’s not the only crappy job metal’s ‘Prince of Darkness’ worked in his early years — Ozzy also once landed a gig at a British slaughterhouse.
Bringing new meaning to “mad cow disease,” Ozzy worked in the slaughterhouse for two years, reportedly killing cows. The legendary Sabbath frontman is now a vegetarian.
Jonathan Davis
You may be surprised to read that music wasn’t the first love of Korn singer Jonathan Davis. In fact, the vocalist studied at the San Francisco School of Mortuary Science during his college years. Davis became a professional embalmer for a funeral home as well as an assistant in the Kern County Coroner’s Department.
Davis spoke about his grim career path with the now-defunct web magazine Addicted to Noise. “My dad and mom both thought I was a problem child or some[one] that wanted to cut up dead bodies,” says Davis. “I’ve seen [the dark side of life]. Other people don’t see it first hand — they read about it or see pictures, but when you see it staring you right in the face, it’s an eye-opener.”
Bullet for My Valentine Members
Before they became Britain’s fastest-growing metal band, Bullet for My Valentine frontman Matt Tuck and guitarist Michael Paget both worked jobs that they elegantly explained as not their ideal gig.
While talking to Noisecreep, Tuck spoke about a career which lasted all but 10 minutes. “I was an envelope-filler for a junk mail service and it was fucking crap! It was the worst 10 minutes of my life — rock bottom shit. I walked out pretty quickly.”
Paget also spoke about the gig he most despised. “My worst job ever was when I worked in a dartboard factory. It was a complete shithole and every day was terrible. The roof leaked too so when it rained people would get dripped on, and there would be puddles on the floor.”
Anvil Members
Possibly the most unlikely phenomenon in metal music history, Canadian heavy metal band Anvil finally made it big after the release of the documentary, ‘Anvil: The Story of Anvil.’ Having existed since 1978, the band struggled to grasp fame all the way into their fifties — working day jobs the entire time to support their passion.
As documented in the film, frontman Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow worked a job transporting food to schools and institutions for Children’s Choice Catering, as drummer Robb Reiner worked construction. After the documentary’s success, the band were selected by AC/DC to open at their first few ‘Black Ice World Tour’ shows — and yes, the band members have been able to quit their day jobs.
David Lee Roth
“Somebody get me a doctor!,” was a phrase David Lee Roth probably heard more than once during his pre-fame time as a hospital orderly.
Yes, the Van Halen frontman once fluffed pillows and cleaned bedpans, presumably while hassling the nurses to high heaven. Later in his life, Roth returned to the medical field, becoming a certified ambulance paramedic in New York City.
Tony Iommi
If not for his impressive will to overcome, Tony Iommi‘s last day at his worst job ever could have ended one of rock’s most legendary careers before it took off.
The Black Sabbath guitarist had the tips of two fingers on his fretting hand cut off while working at a sheet metal factory, and feared he’d never be able to play again. Luckily, some homemade prosthectics and a Django Reinhardt record from a friend helped him get back on the road to rock immortality
Rod Stewart
Quick, name three rock stars you would expect to have held jobs as gravediggers in their pre-rock and roll days. Names like Alice Cooper, Gene Simmons, and Ozzy Osbourne probably come to mind, right?
Where would the always dapper and usually extremely chipper Rod Stewart have turned up on your list, if at all? Well, you better move him up because he did in fact spend a few weeks at just such a job. We can only presume he quit after getting dirt on one of his fine suits, or even worse… denting his famous hair.
Jon Bon Jovi
Somewhere in your basement, quite possibly, lies proof of Jon Bon Jovi‘s creative skills. No, we’re not talking about your ‘Slippery When Wet’ cassette.
Before he made it big, Mr. ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ earned money (which he then spent on hairspray, we presume) making Christmas decorations. Kinda makes sense, right? After all those sold-out world tours, he’s worn enough glitter, fringe and bright colors to fill a whole forest of holiday trees
Mick Jagger
Prior to making his name as one of the biggest and most recognizable rock stars as frontman of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger worked as a porter ( errand runner) at a mental hospital.
Suddenly, songs like ’19th Nervous Breakdown’ and ‘Mother’s Little Helper’ make a lot more sense, huh? You could also say this explains how he’s able to deal with Keith Richards… of course, some days the guitarist would probably suggest Jagger should have been a patient, not an employee.
JOE STRUMMER
Fans from multiple generations dug the iconic punk vibe of Joe Strummer, but did you know that the late Clash singer used to dig graves before he was a star? He held the gig as a day job while rocking with the Vultures, one of his earliest bands.
He also spent some time working above ground, although that job — carpet salesman — was a little bit less punk rock.
STING
Lots of jobs suck, but Sting considered his time working as a tax officer in Manchester, England as a “soul-destroying day job.”
Other gigs he held down included bus conductor, construction worker and teacher before he hit big with the Police — the band, of course, not the job.
JACK WHITE
Leave it to the eccentric Jack White to come up with this slogan for the upholstery company he ran before finding fame with the White Stripes: “Your furniture’s not dead.”
Consider the one-man business a dry run for his current gig running Third Man Records — he named it Third Man Upholstery.
BRANDON FLOWERS
It’s not the dirtiest or most demeaning job in the world — but perhaps a bit ironic, considering where Brandon Flowers ended up. The Killers singer used to be a bellhop for the high rollers at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. “It was usually just miserable,” he’s said. “I’d make like $2 on the graveyard shift.”
Now, as an A-list rocker who spends a lot of time on the road, he obviously often enlists the services of similar hotel employees these days. Hope he tips well.
DAVE GAHAN
Before finding fame and fortune as the frontman of Depeche Mode, Dave Gahan held down a series of menial jobs — soft drinks vendor, grocery store clerk, gas station attendant, even construction worker — before he was turned down after applying to be a pipe fitter with a gas company.
Dejected, he fell back on art school, which eventually led him to start a band
DIDDY
Even the mega glamorous Diddy — aka. P. Diddy, aka rapper and millionaire mogul Sean Combs — came from not-so-glam beginnings.
Before becoming a star, Diddy was working at El Torito, a Mexican restaurant where he had — legitimately — the worst job ever: cleaning the bathrooms. And in true Diddy form, he’s not so humble about it.
In an interview with EW, Diddy makes sure to defend his old job while still coming out on top, saying, “It was a job! But I was the best bathroom cleaner that ever was.” We bet you were, Diddy. We bet you were.
FLO RIDA
Flo Rida knows a little something about getting low — and it’s not just a hit song.
The hip-hop artist used to work the graveyard shift at the MGM Grand Casino Hotel in Las Vegas. While customers gambled away their life savings and indulged in extravagance, Flo Rida was busy digging through people’s leftovers.
He says in an interview, “I worked the graveyard shift… I had to go through [the] trash to find silverware that someone might’ve thrown in [away].” From rags to riches, right?
CYNDI LAUPER
Before she became an ’80s icon, singer and MAC makeup spokeswoman Cyndi Lauper spent some time at a not so fun job.
Prior to hitting it big in the music industry, Lauper made ends meet by cleaning out the cages at a dog kennel. Now, human poop scooper is not the most sophisticated or exciting job by any means, but Ms. Lauper is a known animal lover, so it makes sense.
Nonetheless, as her classic song says, girls just wanna have fun — and cleaning up dog crap isn’t anyone’s idea of a good time.
RICK ROSS
When photos were released of rapper Rick Ross as a corrections officer, many questioned his street cred. After all, here was a guy who rapped about breaking the law with the same regularity with which most people brush their teeth.
At first, Ross denied the authenticity of the photos, but he later ‘fessed up to XXL Mag and defended his old life, saying, “Yes, it was me in those pictures. But I’ma tell you this. Me taking that job, I was doing my job. You understand what I mean?”
Regardless of what he said to try and restore his hardcore rep, Ricky Rozay got arrested in 2008 on gun and drug charges, so that surely reversed any ill opinions of the former CO.
GOOD CHARLOTTE
Brothers Joel and Benji Madden shared more than just their popular punk band. The boys of Good Charlotte also shared a crummy job together before they became famous.
The twin brothers worked as lowly assistants in a hair salon, shampooing customer’s heads. Those boys have had some crazy hairstyles over the years, so working in a hair salon seems like a no-brainer. Lucky for us they had bigger plans.
GWEN STEFANI
Before she made a splash as the lead singer of California pop-ska sensation No Doubt, and long before her glamorous solo career took off, Gwen Stefani worked at a local Dairy Queen.
Though the name sounds royal, her job at the fast food palace was anything but — the singer spent her days mopping the floors to earn her paychecks alongside her brother and fellow musician Eric.
KANYE WEST
Back in 2009, Kanye West interned at the Gap while studying fashion. But long before he became the mogul he is today, the rapper actually worked as a sales assistant for the company.
He breaks it down in his song “Spaceship” from his debut album, ‘The College Dropout’: “Let’s go back, back to the Gap / Look at my check, wasn’t no scratch / So if I stole, wasn’t my fault / Yeah I stole, never got caught / They take me to the back and pat me / Askin’ me about some khakis (…) Takin’ my hits, writin’ my hits / Writin’ my rhymes, playin’ my mind / This fuckin job can’t help him / So I quit, y’all welcome.”
MADONNA
When Madonna moved to New York to make it big, she took a job at a Dunkin’ Donuts to pay the bills. The Material Girl didn’t last very long slinging donuts and coffee to (or should we say “at”) customers.
She says in an interview, “I was sacked from Dunkin’ Donuts for squirting the donuts jelly all over the customers.” Looks like the controversial Madonna was brewing up more than just coffee, even way back then.
Blake Shelton
Blake Shelton probably had the most boring pre-fame job. He dubbed tapes — as in cassette tapes. There’s a small portion of Taste of Country readers who’ve never held a cassette tape (or tried to reel it back in with a pencil), but even those who remember the days of Side A and Side B didn’t know that people got paid to dub cassette tapes. That would be like if people got paid to look at Facebook all day. Oh, wait…
Another job Shelton held before releasing ‘Austin’ in 2001 was painting houses. He says he liked that job much better.
Reba McEntire
If you’re squeamish, pass by this story of a worst pre-fame job. Reba McEntire was a cowgirl who helped her father turn bulls into steers. That means she … well, she tells the story better.
“I would stand behind the bull and hold his tail while Daddy sliced the sack and cut the cord and let the testicles fall … Daddy would pass the testicles to me and I’d put them in a bucket.”
Are you wondering the same thing as us? What did they do with the bucket?
Faith Hill
“Fries, burgers, cash register — I did it all,” Faith Hill says about working at McDonald’s. “I hated it. God bless the people that work there.”
Hill flipped burgers prior to moving to Nashville. To be fair, the opportunities for a young woman in Star, Miss. were limited. Heck, the opportunities for teenagers everywhere are limited. That’s why so many of these Worst Pre-Fame Jobs are an artist’s first jobs. He or she either gets older, smarter or both.
Upon moving to Nashville, Hill ditched restaurant work in favor of a job behind a desk at publishing office. She no doubt smelled better at the end of each day.
Dierks Bentley
Before Dierks Bentley landed ‘What Was I Thinkin” on the country charts he was making money any way he could. The singer might have held the most disgusting pre-fame job: emptying house-boat toilets after they’d been on the water for a day, week or longer.
Unfortunately he wasn’t working with modern equipment, so there were malfunctions. “I tried to outrun the rain,” he says of one specific stormy morning. “Got nailed.” No day on the road can ever be that bad.
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Loudwire, Ultimate Classic Rock, PopCrush, Diffuser.fm, Taste of Country
