10 Singers Who Left Bands Before They Got Famous

It’s very rare for a band to strike gold with their initial lineup. Most groups, no matter how talented they are, go through personnel changes before landing on the one that clicks.

While any kind of lineup change carries the potential for new and different chemistry, replacing a lead singer is perhaps the biggest shakeup possible. After all, the frontman is the central figure in almost every act, charged with connecting with the fans both in concert and on records.

Rock history is littered with stories of new vocalists whose arrival helped catapult their band to stardom – like Bruce Dickinson joining Iron Maiden, or Simon Le Bon’s addition to Duran Duran. But for every one of these tales, there are the singers who came before them, most of whom now sit as footnotes in their previous band’s history.

READ MORE: Forgotten Frontmen: 27 Led Singers Fans Don't Remember

Some of these early singers quit voluntarily, while others were forced out due to artistic or personal differences. Dave Evans, original singer of AC/DC, had a different reason for leaving: money.

“We had a hit record and we were doing so many shows – sometimes we were doing three shows a day – and I was not getting paid," the rocker recalled. "I had to pay rent back at my apartment in Sydney, I was paying off a car, working my ass off and not getting any money.”

Below, we’ve highlighted 10 Singers Who Left Bands Before They Got Famous. Our focus was mainly on the vocalists who were immediately replaced by frontmen who elevated the act to the upper echelon of rock stardom. Think of these as the guys who came before THE GUYS.