Earlier in the week I was listening to the radio and heard something Ozzy Osborne said that was interesting. He recently worked with Slash, ex-guitarist of Guns n Roses. Ozzy stated if he had the chance he would tell Slash, “Man you guys were great, (Guns n Roses) you could have been as big as the Rolling Stones.” I agree with his statement. But it makes me think about all of today’s musical groups. Why they seem to have a shorter professional life than those of the past.
I was talking with one of my friends about Ozzy’s statement and he also agreed that Guns n Roses could have been one of those very special musical acts. Then we started to discuss the reasons why so many have problems staying together. These days artists overall are exposed to the general public a great deal more than in the past. When I was younger I, like so many of my counterparts, really liked the Jackson Five. There was a lot of information about the groups readily available. But, much of the information of their life and struggles was not made available until much later, when the group had grown up and moved on. But there is the point: the information did not surface until the technology was available to dispense it. Now, we live in a time when everything is known about everyone famous, especially problems and turmoil. When it comes to musical groups, the front man or woman is truly in the forefront of everything the group does – good or bad. If good, then he or she is immediately pressured into a solo career. If bad, all members including those in the front are looking to get away as if escaping from the scene of a crime. How can a group continue to perform and tour and work together amid such pressure to disband? Hmmm.