How Can Background Artists Transition From The Background To Superstardom?
How Can Background Artists Transition From The Background To Superstardom?
Let’s explore some actions background singers can take to become stars
While staring at the stage at a recent Childish Gambino concert, my eyes diverted from Donald Glover. I glared at the stage’s far edges, where the dancers and instrumentalists performed.
Whenever I saw the drummer go off and jam or a dancer hit their marks exceptionally well, I envisioned something wishful and imaginary. What if they were the stars and this show was for them?
Imagining this scenario, I saw a future where the dancer was moving to a crowd chanting their name. The bassist was on their fifth sold-out tour, and the background singers were being celebrated at yet another award show. When I came back to reality, the background talent was still there, and I hoped they would eventually come true if they also had those dreams.
These ruminations made me think about all the background talent in the music industry who fulfill their destiny and accomplish their dreams. While it’s challenging, several major artists started behind the scenes.
This piece is for those who are still climbing their way to the top. Through the examples I share and the concrete advice and suggestions I provide, I hope to create that little glimmer of inspiration and increase their chances of transcending where they are to where they want to be.
I broke the piece into the following sections:
The Artists: In this section, we will uncover some artists who have transcended their background artists’ beginnings.
You Need To Take Action: This section will discuss the three major actions artists have taken to become stars.
But Where Do You Start? In this section, we will advise current background artists looking to take that scary first step onto the front of the stage.
The Backseat Is Only Temporary: In this section, we will summarize the piece and provide some remaining advice for artists on the cusp of stardom.
The Artists
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow spent her early years in the music industry singing backup for artists on stage and in the studio. The genres of the icons she sang behind varied from pop to rock and even folk. Therefore, it was no surprise that once Crow decided to go solo and perform original music, thanks to Hugh Padgham’s suggestion, her music contained the fusion of many of the same genres.
The transition from session singer and songwriter to rock maven was a long and painful one for Crow, profoundly affecting her mental health. When labels wanted to mold Crow into a dance-pop artist, a la Madonna or Cyndi Lauper, Crow passionately refused and continued as a high-demand studio collaborator working with Eric Clapton and Celine Dion. After a few years and a Padgham-assisted album being shelved by the label, Crow returned to the drawing board.
Thanks to strong connections in the industry, Crowe became a part of the rag-tag crew called Tuesday Night Music Club. The band of disparate songwriters and musicians (including but not limited to Bill Botrell and David Ricketts) met once a week to make music unburned by industry opinions or fan pressure. Songs made from those sessions eventually were organized into a debut album for Sheryl Crow that made her a dynamic presence in rock music with incredible songwriting chops and a rich, refreshing rock sound.
Crow became a pivotal figure in rock and roll whose music always contained the message of standing up for yourself regardless of grief, pain, or loss. Her music always sought something better and refused to be let down by present situations. Crow fans listen to her for her signature rasp and her willingness to dream and think outside of the box regarding the possibilities of our lives.
Over the course of her impressive and star-studded 30+ career, she’s dropped anthemic tunes, classic albums, and timeless hits. Crow was reaping the rewards of her hard work and success in her later years and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. She’s also been given honorary doctors and the Golden Plate Awards from The American Academy of Achievement. More recently, she’s been touring a lot with P!nk in stadiums to hundreds of thousands of fans nationwide.
(Sheryl Crow overcame many label dead ends and shelved albums before she broke through with her 1993 debut, Tuesday Night Music Club.)
Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross found his genius in his service to others. Vandross was a man of many talents, from songwriting to composing and singing, and would share those talents with dozens of talented musicians across genres. Vandross worked with musicians for about ten years for artists’ singles, albums, and commercial slots. One of those sessions was with David Bowie’s guitarists, who eventually introduced him to the English legend and opened Vandross up to an invitation to go on the road with Bowie for his Diamond Dogs Tour.
Vandross’s relationship with Bowie proved fruitful when Bowie introduced Vandross to the Broadway veteran Bete Midler. Not only did Vandross and Midler work on some gorgeous tunes for her, but she also introduced him to a producer at Atlantic Records, eventually leading to Vandross getting signed as a studio musician. For much of those ten years, Vandross assisted different Atlantic artists with their projects until it was his time to shine.
Surprisingly enough, even once Vandross broke through as a solo act with 1981’s Never Too Much, he still wrote and composed other artists’ albums and singles in between his own projects. Vandross was a massive music fan who loved sharing his brilliance and ideas with other iconic acts.
Known globally for his mature and masculine timbre, the NYC-based singer wooed four decades of fans with his ruminations on love and steamy relationships. A singular figure in R&B music, Vandross, helped usher in a wave of quiet storm artists whose ears for melody and understanding of the heart still ring in the minds and chests of listeners several decades later.
(For a decade, Luther Vandross rose in the ranks as a go-to session songwriter, vocalists, and producer.)
John Legend
Growing up, John Legend’s home life was a perfect breeding ground for the talented musician to hone his craft before he was even a teenager. Born in Springfield, Ohio, Legend’s parents were all musicians. While his mom sang and directed a church choir, his father and brother played drums for the church. His family helped him learn how to play the piano starting at four years old, and by seven, he was welcomed to play at the local church.
Legend’s quick ascensions in piano technique were paralleled by his academic acumen, skipping two grades in grammar school. Legend’s academic prowess extended into high school (of which he was salutatorian) and university, which he entered at 15.
At the University of Pennsylvania, he was a gifted jazz and a capella musical director. His stellar performance of Joan Osborne’s “One of Us” got the school’s jazz and a Cappella group placement in the Best of Collegiate a Cappella compilation CD. Legend stood out for having a voice beyond his years, a knack for music history, and a drive to perform live at an elite level.
His name was making the rounds so well that, through a mutual friend, while Legend was still in college, he met Lauryn Hill and played piano on her track “Everything Is Everything” from her glorious album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
As an early twenty-something, Legend split his time between playing at night clubs and working as a management consultant. Eventually, he networked well enough to land a spot on Kanye West’s new label, G.O.O.D. Music, and made a splash in the industry with the soulful debut Gifted. It was a surprise commercial success; the project also landed him three Grammys, including the career highlight Best New Artist.
Legend, of course, kept it up with the accolades and eventually, through excellent project selection and continued passion, became one of only 15 EGOT recipients and the first African American to achieve the proud milestone. Legend has lived up to his last name over the last three decades and is an example for young artists looking to find their place in the industry from behind the scenes.
(As a standout musician and student at the University of Pennsylvania Legend landed his first major album placement on Lauryn Hill’s track “Everything is Everything” for the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.)
Jennifer Lopez
In the early 1990s, Jennifer Lopez was kicked out of her home when she told her parents she wanted to pursue dancing rather than continue her education at Baruch College. Sleeping on the dance studio floor most nights, Lopez trained with talented local dancers and networked her way into additional gigs.
From European shows with Golden Musicals of Broadway (a touring dance show) and a stint in Japan with Synchronicity (a Japanese show), Lopez quickly established herself as an expressive, acrobatic, and disciplined hip-hop dancer. Soon, she was dancing back up for stars like Janet Jackson and MC Hammer and landed her breakthrough dancing role on the popular sketch comedy show In Living Color.
Jennifer Lopez has since become a cultural icon in many fields outside of dance. Still, her commitment to dance has remained strong, and she’s promoted the art of dance in many of her music videos, including Afro-Latino dance genres like salsa and tango. She broke barriers in film by becoming the first Latin actress to make $1 million for a film and has released several number-one albums and blockbuster films for over thirty years.
When Lopez walks onto any runway or speaks on any topic, it makes headline news. She’s also headlined at the Super Bowl and performed at presidential inauguration ceremonies. There are few greater examples of how hard work can take an artist from the background to the middle of the stage.
(Jennifer Lopez traveled around the world with different dance crews for companies and TV shows before gaining the attention of (and working with) industry legends like Janet Jackson and MC Hammer.)
Katy Perry
Unlike most background singers that cross over, Perry was initially billed as a solo frontwoman, banished back to the support role, and then returned as a mainstream star. Thanks to her Christian upbringing, Perry was originally interested in putting out Christian music. As a teenager, she was signed to Red Hill Records and even released an album under her birth name, Katy Hudson. Due to its poor performance, Perry’s career went down a winding road, and she sang and wrote in support of many different kinds of artists, from the Christian metal band P.O.D. to Mick Jagger.
Fortunately, the support she provided and the network she was building landed her a spot on the label Capital and earned her the marketing and label push to make a serious splash with her rebranded debut album, One Of The Boys. Once her single “Ur So Gay” dropped with the assistance of Drew Pearson and Greg Wells, Perry never looked back and became one of the most consequential pop stars of the 2010s.
Katy Perry’s career is filled with big personality moments and even large emotion-driven songs. If anthemic music were a genre, that would be the name of her style of pop music. Her voice could fill up a stadium at the touch of a button, and her subversive lyrics helped make her a counterculture figure well-planted in the mainstream, similar to Lady Gaga’s movement in pop culture around the same time.
Perry went on to regularly host music award shows and even landed a premier seat as an American Idol judge. Her passionate voice, mixed with her glittery and fashionable ascetic, has made her a household name for two generations, with few questioning whether the next generation will know who Katy Perry is.
(Katy Perry wrote the song “lost” about those early years in Los Angeles when she was still finding her way.)
You Need To Take Action
Action #1 — Leverage Your Relationships
How To Do It: For artists assisting the major artists on tour or in the studio, the most important thing you can do is build a lasting relationship with them. Find different and unique ways to connect with the artists away from the work or the other background singers. Maybe there’s a restaurant in town you could both attend, or maybe there’s a show you both can enjoy.
You can chat about the latest season of a commonly enjoyed TV series and give hot takes to one another. The ideal situation would allow you, the background singer, to keep that relationship even after the studio session or tour finishes. Get their contact information, not just the one they give out via their manager.
Example: When John Legend met Kanye West, they were both budding artists in the music industry trying to be seen in the busy streets of New York City. While West broke through first, he remembered the talent of Legend. He introduced him to artists he would be in the studio with, such as Alicia Keys, and helped raise the legend’s profile as a respectable artist who can contribute significantly to the final product of a song. Through this extremely powerful relationship, Legend eventually signed up for Columbia Records with West’s cosign and oversight over his first project.
(Legend worked with West for years before either got signed. So when West got signed first, he made a point to bring Legend to exclusive studio sessions with major artists.)
Action #2 — Take Risks Early
How To Do It: Artists performing background vocals at concerts, music videos, and other staged performances will remain there if they don’t take risks. Background singers must be talented enough to complement the leading artist but subtle enough to remain invisible to the audience.
Therefore, background artists must make bold moves to stand out, break that mold, and change viewers’ perspectives of their talent. They could do open mics five days a week for six months to a year. Perhaps they join a new group on their off days and perform lead with them, getting their name out there as capable of leading a music group. There are several ways background artists can and should make their voices known. The biggest hump is getting started.
Example: Before Jennifer Lopez had a name, she was like any other aspiring dancer in New York City. With some talent and drive, Lopez dropped out of college to pursue her dream. She doubled down on her commitment to the far-fetched dream and slept on the dance studio floor where she would practice. These hardships made Lopez who she was and helped her realize there are no shortcuts to success and no substitute for hard work.
(Kicked out of her parent’s home with little money and a dream, Jennifer Lopez slept in the same dance studio she was taking lessons in.)
Action #3 — Continue Chasing The Dream Even After You Initially Fail
How To Do It: The initial failures after trying something new convince many people to stop trying. In that instance, we see background singers and dancers who stay in the background for the rest of their careers. If they wanted to do that, that would be fine, but for those who want something different in their career, it’s a tragedy.
When artists have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and keep trying, new possibilities can happen. Background artists must be relentless in their drive, discover new ways to reach the same goal, and refuse to give up. Sometimes, all that’s left to do is meet the right person and have their music reach the ear of the right executive.
Example: When Katy Perry’s first label situation fell through, she connected with producer Glen Ballard and did a live stint at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles. This quasi-residency got her name out there on the West Coast and helped lead to further relationships that she leapfrogged off. The central stepping stone was signing to Columbia Records and crafting another debut album.
Unfortunately, the Columbia situation also disintegrated before the album was released. However, Perry did not stop there and eventually worked with music executive Angelica Cob-Baehler to get signed to Capital Records. Many of Perry’s new opportunities came when she was met with a challenging scenario and physically worked her way out of it through her tenacity and music industry relationships.
(Perry’s consistent performances at the Hotel Cafe venue in California helped raise her visibility to industry insiders.)
But Where Do You Start?
Initial Step #1 — Look At The Folks Around You
How To Do It: Many artists desperately wish for all of their success to come from hard work—that they only need to try a little bit harder. The reality is far more communal. When artists are starting out trying to break out of the mold of being invisible background singers, they need to take inventory of the support system and connections around them currently. Start there; those are the lifelines.
Example: Victoria Monet’s career stagnated after the commercial failure of her first mainstream group, Purple Reign. The subsequent decade of being a career-in-demand songwriter allowed her to forge lasting relationships with some of the most influential voices in the industry. Whenever Monet released solo music, the projects included collaborations with the musicians around her, legitimizing her name as an act worth listening to when she had the lead mic.
(Whenever Victoria Monet wasn’t helping a major artist on a single or their album, she was releasing EPs under her name on a nearly annual basis to build her own fanbase.)
Initial Step #2 — Utilize The Skill That Separates You From The Pack
How To Do It: Becoming a successful background singer is arduous work. To compete in the overly selective job field, singers need to impress the best of the best musicians. From singing to dancing, background dancers must please the musician, their label, and their fans’ high expectations.
As challenging as that process sounds, becoming the lead artist is even more complicated. Therefore, background singers need to unpack their unique qualifiers to step into that next level of difficulty. Maybe it’s the tone of voice, songwriting, or brand image. Whatever they can use to stand out, they need to capitalize on that.
Example: When Mariah Carey was performing backup for pop/dance singer Brenda Starr, she worked on her demo tape on the side. On the tape, she sang with her signature passion and using her cutting whistle notes. At whatever social activity she could attend, a young Carey would pass out her demo to music industry insiders, hoping to sign with them. Fortunately, Tommy Matola, the CEO of Sony Music, loved her work and fought hard to sign her amidst a bidding war.
(Looking to capture the attention of label executives or staff persons Carey spent months passing around her demo to anyone who would listen.)
The Backseat Is Only Temporary
Thousands of background artists are doing their best to make the major artists shine. Very few of these background artists make it big on the center stage. Among the few are the following:
Sheryl Crow
Luther Vandross
John Legend
Jennifer Lopez
Katy Perry
These artists didn’t come from the shadows of the background by luck or mistake. All these artists took action and made specific steps to better their situation and stand out from the crowd. Three of the most crucial action items artists need to take to get out from the background are the following:
Action #1 — Leverage Your Relationships
Action #2 — Take Risks Early
Action #3 — Continue Chasing The Dream Even After You Initially Fail
The three actions above may seem daunting for artists who are still in the background. Those three action steps are more long-term oriented and require repeated attempts and consistency. Therefore, for young background singers and dancers, thinking more about how to start is more beneficial. Below are two key places background artists need to begin to rise eventually.
Initial Step #1 — Look At The Folks Around You
Initial Step #2 — Utilize The Skill That Separates You From The Pack
If you are a new artist, hopefully this piece inspired you to take the necessary steps to change your current situation. In addition, the steps mentioned above should provide you with realistic expectations about what it takes to become a leading artist from the periphery of the background. Talent and drive are a baseline expectation, but networking and consistency are intangibles that can’t be replaced or fast-forwarded.
At one point, every artist mentioned above was in your shoes. Even if your moment feels light years away, know that every day, you are one day closer to that golden stage in your career.
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