List of pre-fame band departures explained

While many notable bands go through several lineup changes throughout their careers, this list of artists who left right before their bands became famous only lists members who quit or were fired from a band shortly before the band achieved mainstream commercial success.

Artists who were only meant to be temporary stand-ins in their bands should not be included in this list. The bands the listed artists left must be notable, can be from any genre of music, and include vocal groups whose members do not play instruments. Because these artists left before their former bands' mainstream breakthrough, they should not be considered part of their former bands' "classic" lineups.

Notable examples

Of these "nearly-men",^[1] drummer Pete Best, who was fired from the Beatles in 1962,^[2] just a year before "Beatlemania" started, has been cited as the best-known archetype.^{[3] [4] [5] [6]} Best has since become "famous for not being famous".^[7]

Jason Everman left two bands that went on to become famous: he was fired from Nirvana in 1989 and Soundgarden in 1990. According to The New York Times, Everman "wasn't just Pete Best ... He was Pete Best twice."^[8]

Some of these artists eventually went on to find mainstream success in another band or as a soloist. For example, Metallica's original lead guitarist, Dave Mustaine, formed his own thrash metal band Megadeth in 1983 after he was fired from his former band. While Metallica went on to achieve massive commercial success, Mustaine's Megadeth also enjoyed commercial success,^[9] selling 50 million records worldwide.^[10]

Alphabetic list

Artists are listed alphabetically by their surname, followed by the band they left, their former role in the band, the year they left, and the year their former band achieved mainstream success. Additional comments on the way the artist left (fired or quit) and their replacement, if any, may be added at the end. All entries are referenced with reliable sources.

Notes! class="unsortable"

Ref
	Boyz II Men	Vocalist	1988	1991	Quit
	Pink Floyd	Guitarist, vocalist	1968	1973	Fired and replaced by David Gilmour	^[11]
	Mis-Teeq (then known as Face2Face)	Vocalist	1998	2001	Left to join S Club 7 who also gained success, scoring 11 top 10 singles.	^[12] ^[13]
		Drummer	1962	1963	Fired and replaced by Ringo Starr
	Slipknot	Guitarist	1998	1999	Replaced by Jim Root. Recorded for some tracks of Slipknot but left the band before the album's release.	^[14]
		Vocalist	1963	1964	Fired and replaced by David Ruffin	^[15]
	Kittie	Bassist	1999	2000	Played on debut album Spit and appeared on the cover of its original release, but quit Kittie two months before its release. She was replaced by Talena Atfield, who appears on the cover of all reissues of the album since 2000.
	Steps	Vocalist	1997	1997	Quit and replaced by Claire Richards and Faye Tozer	^[16] ^[17]
	Nirvana	Drummer	1990	1991	Quit and replaced by Dave Grohl	^[18]
		Drummer	1962	1963	Quit and replaced by Charlie Watts
	Duran Duran	Bassist	1979	1981	Quit and replaced by John Taylor, who was already a member of the band, switching from guitar to bass guitar.
	Slipknot	Vocalist, percussionist	1997	1999	Replaced as vocalist by Corey Taylor and switched to percussion, then left the band and was replaced by Greg Welts.	^[19]
	Weezer	Guitarist	1993	1994	Fired and replaced by Brian Bell	^[20]
	Duran Duran	Guitarist	1980	1981	Quit and replaced by Andy Taylor
	Styx	Guitarist	1975	1975	Left and replaced by Tommy Shaw
	Destiny's Child (then known as Girl's Tyme)	Vocalist	1993	1997	Fired and replaced by LeToya Luckett	^[21] ^[22] ^[23]
	Coast to Coast	Guitarist	1979	1980	Quit
	Duran Duran	Vocalist/bassist/ drummer	1979	1981	Quit and replaced by Andy Wickett
	Nirvana	Guitarist	1989	1991	Fired
	Soundgarden	Bassist	1990	1992	Fired and replaced by Ben Shepherd
	Supertramp	Bassist	1970	1972	Left and replaced by Dougie Thompson
	NSYNC	Vocalist	1995	1997	Quit and replaced by Lance Bass	^[24]
		Bassist	1987	1989	Quit and replaced by Mani
	Westlife	Vocalist	1998	1999	Fired and replaced by Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden	^[25]
	Pantera	Vocalist	1986	1990	Quit and replaced by Phil Anselmo
	Dave Matthews Band	Keyboardist	1993	1994	Quit	^[26]
	Queen	Bassist	1970	1974	Quit, replaced by Barry Mitchell, then Doug Bogie, then John Deacon	^[27]
	Guns N' Roses	Guitarist	1985	1987	Quit and replaced by Slash
	The Smiths	Bassist	1982	1983	Fired and replaced by Andy Rourke	^[28] ^[29]
	Black Eyed Peas	Vocalist	2000	2003	Quit and later replaced by Fergie
	Gin Blossoms	Guitarist	1992	1993	Fired and replaced by Scott Johnson	^[30]
	TLC	Vocalist	1991	1992	Fired and replaced by Rozonda Thomas	^[31]
	Rush	Vocalist, bassist	1968	1974	Left and replaced by Geddy Lee
	Westlife	Vocalist	1998	1999	Fired and replaced by Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden
	Green Day	Drummer	1990	1994	Replaced while at college by Tré Cool
	Girls' Generation	Vocalist	2007	2007	Quit	^[32]
	Spice Girls (then known as Touch)	Vocalist	1994	1996	Quit and replaced by Emma Bunton	^[33]
	Pink Floyd	Guitarist	1965	1967	Quit	^[34]
	Westlife	Vocalist	1998	1999	Fired and replaced by Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden
		Drummer	1987	1994	Quit and replaced by Ron Welty
	98 Degrees	Vocalist	1996	1998	Quit and replaced by Drew Lachey	^[35] ^[36]
	Santana	Drummer	1968	1969	Quit and replaced by Michael Shrieve	^[37]
	Dixie Chicks	Guitarist	1992	1995	Quit	^[38]
		Vocalist	1962	1964	Quit	^[39]
	Metallica	Bassist	1982	1986	Quit and replaced by Cliff Burton	^[40]
	Mis-Teeq	Vocalist	2001	2001	Quit
	Coast to Coast	Vocalist	1980	1980	Quit and replaced by Sandy Fontaine
	Spice Girls (then known as Touch)	Vocalist	1994	1996	Quit and replaced by Melanie C	^[41]
	Metallica	Guitarist	1983	1986	Fired and replaced by Kirk Hammett
	Boyz II Men	Vocalist	1989	1991	Quit
	Steps	Vocalist	1997	1997	Quit and replaced by Lee Latchford-Evans
		Guitarist	1977	1979	Fired and replaced by Andy Summers	^[42]
	Girls' Generation	Vocalist	2007	2007	Quit	^[43]
	My Chemical Romance	Drummer	2004	2004	Fired and replaced by Bob Bryar
	Genesis	Guitarist	1970	1972	Quit and replaced by Steve Hackett
	Another Level	Vocalist	1997	1998	Left and became a solo UK garage singer known as JJ, appearing on two top 10 hits by DJ Luck & MC Neat in 2000.	^[44]
		Vocalist	1990	1993	Quit and replaced by Dolores O'Riordan
	Atomic Kitten	Vocalist	1999	1999	Quit and replaced by Natasha Hamilton, Range would later find success with Sugababes.	^[45]
	Blink-182	Drummer	1998	1999	Fired and replaced by Travis Barker	^[46]
	Boyzone	Vocalist	1994	1994	Fired and replaced by Mikey Graham	^[47] ^[48]
	Rush	Drummer	1974	1974	Left and replaced by Neil Peart	^[49]
	Twenty One Pilots	Drummer	2011	2015	Quit and replaced by Josh Dun	^[50]
		Drummer	1964	1965	Fired and replaced by Keith Moon	^[51]
	Beastie Boys	Drummer	1984	1986		^[52]
	Boyz II Men	Vocalist	1988	1991	Quit
	No Doubt	Keyboardist	1994	1995	Quit	^[53]
	Spice Girls	Vocalist	1994	1996	Quit and replaced by Abigail Kis, prior to Emma Bunton	^[54] ^[55]
	Steps	Vocalist	1997	1997	Quit and replaced by Claire Richards and Faye Tozer
		Keyboardist	1963	1963	Fired, but retained as studio and touring member
	Soundgarden	Drummer	1985	1992	Quit to spend time with his family and replaced by Matt Cameron
		Bassist, vocalist	1961	1963	Quit to pursue a career as a painter
	Destiny's Child (then known as Girl's Tyme)	Vocalist	1993	1997	Fired and replaced by LeToya Luckett
	Destiny's Child (then known as Girl's Tyme)	Vocalist	1993	1997	Fired and replaced by LeToya Luckett
	Duran Duran	Vocalist	1980	1981	Quit and replaced by Simon Le Bon
	Twenty One Pilots	Bassist	2011	2015	Quit	^[56]
	New Kids on the Block	Vocalist	1985	1988	Quit and replaced by Joey McIntyre	^[57]
	Boyz II Men	Vocalist	1988	1991	Quit
	Boyzone	Vocalist	1994	1994	Quit
	Slipknot	Percussionist	1998	1999	Replaced by Chris Fehn
	Duran Duran	Vocalist	1980	1981	Quit and replaced by Jeff Thomas, prior to Simon Le Bon	^[58]
	Miss A	Vocalist	2010	2010	Left and joined Wonder Girls instead	^[59] ^[60]
	Soundgarden	Bassist	1989	1992	Quit and replaced by Jason Everman	^[61]
	The Bangles	Bassist	1983	1986	Quit and replaced by Michael Steele; Zilinskas later rejoined the band in 2018.

Notes and References

1. Web site: David Lister: The lucrative business of being a nearly-man of rock music. The Independent. Lister. David. 8 April 2011. 20 April 2017.
2. TIME. Gone Too Soon? Artists Who Left Bands Before their Prime. 22 August 2012. Pous. Terri.
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3. Web site: The nearly men of pop music: I'm (not) with the band. The Independent. 9 August 2005. 20 April 2017.
4. Web site: Pete Best Syndrome: 10 Dudes Who Left Big Bands To Wallow In Obscurity. VH1. Runtagh. Jordan. 9 August 2013. 21 April 2017.
5. Web site: Bad Timing – 31 Musicians Who Quit Bands Right Before They Became Famous. NME. 29 July 2015. Horton. Matthew. 18 April 2017.
6. Web site: Beatles behaving badly: what John and I got up to, by the drummer who was booted out. The Daily Telegraph. 28 September 2006. Perry. Andrew. 20 April 2017.
7. Web site: Ex-Beatles drummer Pete Best rocks on. 10 May 2008. fosters.com. Dover. Robert M. Cook. 18 April 2017.
8. Web site: The Rock 'n' Roll Casualty Who Became a War Hero. The New York Times. Tarver. Clay. 2 July 2013. 20 April 2017.
9. Web site: Almost Famous: Musicians Who Just Missed Their Shot. Willman. Chris. 10 July 2013. Yahoo! Music. 21 April 2017.
10. News: McPhate. Christian. Megadeth Bassist Dave Ellefson on the Metal Aging Process. November 23, 2013. Dallas Observer. July 11, 2013. November 12, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141112220450/http://www.dallasobserver.com/2013-07-11/music/megadeth-bassist-dave-ellefson-on-the-metal-aging-process/. dead.
11. Web site: Rutan . Ayron . 25 July 2022 . Rockers Who Were Replaced Before Their Band Got Famous . 7 June 2023 . Loudwire.
12. Web site: S Club 7's Tina on that red carpet dress: 'I thought, Where's the rest of it?'. Emma. Kelly. December 12, 2020.
13. Web site: Tina Barett was in Mis-Teeq before S Club 7 and nobody knew. Lana. Byrnes. March 4, 2021. OK! Magazine.
14. Book: Crampton . Mark . Barcode Killers: The Slipknot Story in Words and Pictures . 2001 . Chrome Dreams . UK . 1-84240-126-2 . 35.
15. Web site: People Who Left a Band Right Before Fame Hit. Porter. Joseph. guff.com. 21 August 2015. 20 April 2017.
16. Web site: The Original Steps . generationsteps.co.uk . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20140525233237/http://www.generationsteps.co.uk/includes/image.php?archive%2Fmagazines%2Fimages%2F1998%2Ftfs1.jpg . 25 May 2014 .
17. Web site: Steps Reunion on Sky Living HD - Here the band reveal how they got together at the first audition - Sky Living HD . Skyliving.sky.com .
18. Web site: Almost Famous: Five Musicians Who Left Before Their Bands Blew Up. SF Weekly. Alexandra. Rae. 17 January 2013. 20 April 2017. 20 April 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170420102211/http://archives.sfweekly.com/shookdown/2013/01/17/almost-famous-five-musicians-who-left-before-their-bands-blew-up. dead.
19. Book: Arnopp . Jason . Slipknot: Inside the Sickness, Behind the Masks . 2001 . Ebury . UK . 0-09-187933-7 . 71–74.
20. Web site: Valania . Johnathan . PHAWKER.COM – Curated News, Gossip, Concert Reviews, Fearless Political Commentary, Interviews….Plus, the Usual Sex, Drugs and Rock n' Roll » Blog Archive » EXCERPT: The Complete Oral History Of Weezer . https://web.archive.org/web/20160507192456/http://www.phawker.com/2014/10/02/excerpt-the-complete-oral-history-of-weezer/ . dead . 7 May 2016 . Magnet Magazine . 17 February 2019 . 7 May 2016.
21. Beyonce: All New . E! Online .
22. Web site: Beyoncé Knowles: Biography. People. April 13, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20070426055053/http://www.people.com/people/beyonce_knowles/biography. April 26, 2007. live.
23. News: Kaufman. Gil. Destiny's Child's Long Road To Fame (The Song Isn't Called 'Survivor' For Nothing). MTV News. June 13, 2005. April 13, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20110624084104/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1504044/destinys-childs-long-road-fame.jhtml. June 24, 2011. dead.
24. Web site: A History Of *NSYNC's Breakup, According To Bandmates Not Named Justin Timberlake. HuffPost. 30 April 2018. 14 February 2019.
25. News: Where Are They Now? : Westlife. OutLoud!Culture . June 16, 2018.
26. Web site: Interview with Peter Griesar. Nancies. 30 May 2019.
27. Book: Blake, Mark. 2010. Is This The Real Life? The Untold Story of Queen. 94. Arum Press. 978-1-84513-713-7.
28. Web site: Boy, Interrupted: Memoir Of A Former Smith by Dale Hibbert: a top pop memoir. Rogan, Johnny. The Irish Times. 22 December 2015. 28 February 2022.
29. Web site: How we made: Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce on the Smiths' first gig . 23 January 2012. The Guardian. 28 February 2022.
30. Web site: 6 Musicians Who Left Bands Right Before They Got Famous. CollegeHumor. 5 August 2009.
31. Web site: 39 Things You Didn't Know About TLC. Capital XTRA. 18 April 2017.
32. News: Luo, Benny. Former SNSD Trainee Reveals the Distorted Reality of Beauty in K-Pop. NextShark. September 29, 2016. December 14, 2021.
33. News: Emma Bunton 'won place in Spice Girls thanks to platform shoes' as she was too short. Metro UK. June 7, 2021. December 18, 2021. Owen. Tonks.
34. Web site: Pink Floyd: Official Facebook site. Facebook. 24 January 2018.
35. News: Ex-98 Degrees singer Drew Lachey set to host HGTV $250,000 Challenge . Huff. Richard . May 28, 2009 . . January 21, 2011 .
36. News: Pop group delivers lyrical food for thought. Toledo Blade. July 14, 2001.
37. Web site: Live at the Fillmore 1968. AllMusic. 1 February 2022.
38. Web site: Big Twang. 2005. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20050309041613/http://www.dixie-chicks.com/bigtwang/bio.html. 2005-03-09.
39. Web site: 10 Musicians Who Left Famous Bands (Before They Got Famous). Keppler. Nick. Myspace. 12 January 2017.
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40. Web site: Ron McGovney Interview 1997. 15 January 1997. https://web.archive.org/web/20031107130133/http://www.metallicaworld.co.uk/Interviews/1997_ronmcgovney.htm. 2003-11-07.
41. News: Spice Girl singer Lianne Morgan's battle with condition that means she cannot speak. Wales Online. June 17, 2012.
42. Web site: I coulda been a contender. Irish Independent. Power. Ed. 11 June 2007. 21 April 2017.
43. 함은정, "티아라 소연 "소녀시대 탈퇴 후 가장 힘들었다"(인터뷰). Starnews. April 13, 2010. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
44. Web site: Asino & Laurent Wery feat. Justin Quinn releases Embrace | FrontView Magazine.
45. Earp, Catherine (22 February 2013)."Ten Things About... Atomic Kitten". Digital Spy. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
46. Web site: 17 January 2023 . 10 Artists Who Left or Got Fired Just Before Their Band Became Famous . 7 June 2023 . Paste.
47. News: What happened to Boyzone's forgotten members - heroin, murderous ex and billionaire. Kindon. Frances. October 13, 2020 . Mirror. December 16, 2021.
48. http://aditimukherjee.tripod.com/tthistory.htm BOYZONE HISTORY
49. Elliott, Paul (3 February 2016)."The History Of Rush by Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson: The Early Years". Louder. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
50. Web site: Member Change: Chris' Farewell . Salih . Chris . May 9, 2011 . . August 22, 2016 .
51. Book: https://books.google.com/books?id=_dEddefiYx0C&q=doug+sandom&pg=PR13. New Book of Rock Lists. Expelled: 25 People Who Quit or Were Fired Before Their Groups Became Famous. 265. Marsh. Dave. Bernard. James. 1 November 1994. Simon and Schuster. 978-0671787004.
52. Book: Zwickel, Jonathan A.. Beastie Boys: A Musical Biography. ABC-CLIO. 19. 4 January 2011. 978-0313365584.
53. Web site: Almost famous: Other members of bands who fell by the wayside. Bignell. Paul. The Independent. 7 July 2012. 20 April 2017.
54. Web site: Meet the 'Raw' Spice Girl. 24 April 1998. People.com. Silverman. Stephen M.. 18 April 2017.
55. Web site: Twenty years ago this month the Spice Girls were weeks away from stardom — where are they now?. News.com.au. Adams. Cameron. 11 June 2016. 18 April 2017.
56. Web site: Nick Thomas' Farewell . Thomas . Nick . June 3, 2011 . . August 22, 2016 .
57. Web site: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Mark Wahlberg. Glamour. 6 January 2010. 6 January 2010.
58. Web site: Andy Wickett: the Duran Duran star who never was. 25 May 2009. Jackson. Lorne. Birmingham Post. 20 April 2017.
59. News: Chinese Wonder Girls show off their dance skills. 6Theory Media, LLC. January 22, 2010. November 6, 2013. October 30, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131030173626/http://www.allkpop.com/article/2010/01/chinese-wonder-girls-show-off-their-dance-skills#axzz2jpmSO8uI. live.
60. http://wondergirlsworld.com/blog_mu/2010/01/22/jypentertainmentofficialannouncement/ JYP ENTERTAINMENT OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
61. Web site: Hiro Yamamoto: Founding Member of Soundgarden & Original Bass Player. feelnumb.com. 25 April 2011. 12 December 2020. 17 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190417162751/http://www.feelnumb.com/2011/04/25/hiro-yamamoto-founding-memeber-of-soundgarden-and-original-bass-player/. dead.