10 Struggling Artists Who Made It Big

Finding success is not a cakewalk, especially for an artist. Several people who are famous today at one time were struggling to find work or get accepted by the masses.

We praise them for their success but seldom acknowledge the blood, sweat, and tears they invested to get to that stage.

Here, take a look at some renowned artists that once struggled to become famous.

#1. Elvis Presley

The King of Rock and Roll wasn’t just handed over stardom. Soon after his debut performance, he was fired by his manager, who advised him to return to truck driving.

(Image Courtesy: The Apopka Voice)

#2. The Beatles

Among the greatest rock bands of all time, which was perhaps more famous than Jesus himself at one point, The Beatles didn’t have it easy either. They faced a lot of troubles while starting out, with a record label claiming to not like their sound and considering their music old.

(Image Courtesy: Playbuzz)

#3. J K Rowling

The goliath that Harry Potter books and movies became started out with several rejections from publishers. Rowling, who was barely surviving on welfare as a single mother often did not have enough money to send out manuscripts.

(Image Courtesy: Den of Geek)

#4. Theodor Seuss Geisel

Better known by his pen name, Dr. Seuss, who went on to sell more than 600 million copies in over 20 languages, had his first work rejected by 27 different publishers.

(Image Courtesy: Wikipedia)

#5. Beethoven

As a child, Beethoven struggled with the violin finding it hard to practice, and most of his teachers considered him hopeless and believed that he would never have a career in composing. Little did they know that the kid with hearing impairment was going to become one of the greatest composers the world would ever see.

(Image Courtesy: TSO)

#6. Jerry Seinfeld

It may be hard to digest but Jerry Seinfeld, among the most legendary comedians of his generation, froze at the sight of the audience and was booed off stage when he attempted stand-up comedy for the first time.

(Image Courtesy: Variety)

#7. Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings that sell for millions of dollars today, once drew no buyers and the legendary painter was forced to live an impoverished life with virtually no fame. It is believed that he sold only one painting in his life.

(Image Courtesy: Bio)

#8. Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey is famed as one of the greatest comedians, but it wasn’t always great for the comedian. He was booed off stage during his first stint at stand-up comedy in Toronto and also failed to land a part while auditioning for Saturday Night Live.

#9. Stephen King

Stephen King has a list of critically acclaimed novels, many of which have been turned into movies, and everybody is all too familiar with this fact. However, what most people don’t know is that his first novel, Carrie, was turned down 30 times before finally being published.

(Image Courtesy: bilgibaba)

#10. Walt Disney

Walt Disney has left a legacy of laughs behind him, but he too had a rocky start. He was fired by his editor who believed he had no good ideas and lacked imagination.

(Image Courtesy: Variety)

Thus, failing at something, in the beginning, doesn’t imply that you cannot get better at it. These ten legends proved that hard work, dedication, and ruthless perseverance can take you to unimaginable heights. Do you know any other successful people who struggled in the early part of their career? Let us know through your comments below.