Even the most famous rockers of all time had to start somewhere. Before they were famous, the rockers below played in bands that are now just a footnote in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. These bands might not be known to most, but they played in a big role in some of the greatest recordings ever made.
Rod Stewart – Far from an overnight success, Stewart moved around the London scene in a number of bands ranging from little known acts such as Jimmy Powell & the Five Dimensions and Steampacket. A few short years later, Rod received his first big break as lead singer of The Jeff Beck Group.
Elton John – As a young teen, Reginald Dwight formed his first band – The Corvettes. Following their breakup, Dwight and a friend formed the band Bluesology which in the mid 1960’s became the backing band for visiting American artists such as The Isley Brothers. After a few years with Bluesology, Dwight changed his name to Elton John and the rest is music history.
Robert Plant – Prior to international stardom, Plant joined up with future Zeppelin bandmate John Bonham in the bands Crawling King Snake and Band of Joy. Jimmy Page discovered the young singer and selected Plant to become the lead singer of Led Zeppelin.
Alice Cooper – Vincent Damon Furnier formed his first band – the Earwigs – in 1964 while still in high school. The band changed their name to the Spiders shortly thereafter. Once out of high school, the band continued to grow and eventually changed their name to Nazz. However, the name would not last long as they discovered that Todd Rundgren already had a band with the same name. From there, the group landed on the name Alice Cooper. Eventually, Furnier would adopt the name Alice Cooper as his own stage name.
Don Henley – Around 1964, Henley and some high school friends formed a band called the Four Speeds which later was renamed Felicity before finally deciding on Shiloh as their band name. With the help of Kenny Rogers, the band were signed to a label and recorded one album before breaking up in 1971. Soon after, Henley met Glen Frey and the two were asked to be part of Linda Ronstadt’s backing band. It didn’t take long for the chemistry to be realized and Henley and Frey formed the Eagles.
Glenn Frey – While in high school, Frey formed his first band the Subterraneans. After graduating high school, Frey joined The Four of Us. Over the next few years, Frey would also form the Mushrooms and Heavy Metal Kids as well as work with Bob Seger. In the late 60’s Frey moved to L.A. and formed Longbranch Pennywhistle with J.D. Souther. The band released one album and then disbanded 1971. Soon after, Frey worked with Don Henley as part of Linda Ronstadt’s backing band before forming the Eagles.
Bruce Springsteen – As a young teen, Springsteen played in his first band called the Rogues. His next band – the Castiles – provided young Bruce the opportunity to play lead guitar and sing. Following the initial bands, Springsteen would bounce around in a number of bands including Earth, Steel Mill, Dr. Zoom & the Sonic Boom, and the Sundance Blues Band. In 1971, he would form the Bruce Springsteen Band before eventually being signed to a record deal that would include his newly named E Street Band.
