The stars have to be aligned perfectly to launch a successful career in the entertainment biz. For those who are determined to climb to the top, it can be a painful journey, with stops and starts along the way. The path to stardom is seldom linear. But for those who persist, the rewards can be very great. There’s incalculable wealth, international fame, heady professional opportunities, legions of fans, and the allure of inhabiting the pinnacle. Some country superstars had a rough time initially making it. Then they roared back. With an admiring tip of the hat to the people who never give up, here are their stories.
Morgan Wallen
Early in his career, Wallen seemed to be an unlikely candidate for major success. The “I’m the Problem” singer is now, at 32, undoubtedly one of the most phenomenal performers in the country genre. According to Billboard, “In total, only six acts, including Wallen, have at least three albums that have spent at least 10 weeks at No. 1.” (The others are the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, the Kingston Trio and Taylor Swift.) He has a ton of prestigious awards from the ACM, CMA, Billboard, and AMA.
But it wasn’t always that way. Wallen, a former landscaper, competed on The Voice, in 2014 during season 6. He got shown to the door in the playoffs. But it was definitely the beginning, not the end for him. After that, he gained a tenuous foothold in the industry. We know the rest.
Shania Twain
Twain has a massively historic blockbuster album to her credit – Come On Over. The 1997 LP burst out of the gate and to date has sold some 40 million copies. Per Biography, however, her start in life and music was fraught with pitfalls. The Canadian singer, 59, endured harsh poverty, the tragic deaths of her parents in an auto accident, and scant musical success at first. She sang as a scared child in clubs. As a teen, Twain couldn’t sustain herself with what little she earned singing, so she worked at McDonald’s. Her career began sluggishly.
Even so, Twain bravely kept plugging away. Maybe she was mindful of her first name, an Ogibwe word meaning, “I’m on my way.” Per the outlet, her first, self-titled album in 1993 “was not a big success.” Then came another LP, The Woman in Me in 1995. That one did well and found its audience. One of its singles, “Any Man of Mine,” achieved number 1 status. Two years later, Come On Over blew listeners away. It still packs a punch.
Roger Miller
Miller’s story resembles a classic hard-luck tale. He came alive much later in his career. According to the Country Music Hall of Fame web site, “A struggling honky-tonk singer and songwriter when he first hit Nashville in 1957, he blossomed into a country-pop superstar….” Miller eventually earned a staggering 11 Grammys and a Tony award. Success eluded him until he inked a deal with RCA in 1960 and recorded a pair of moderately well-received singles.
Per the outlet, “Miller’s RCA career never quite panned out, though, and by 1963 he was ready to quit Nashville to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles.” When the singer signed with Smash Records, however, his professional destiny changed for the better. Tracks like “Dang Me” and “King of the Road,” now a country standard, established Miller as one of country’s true and enduring greats.
