Rockers with unusual day jobs

They rock the stage, no doubt. But let’s face it. No one is born a star. So, before these rockers hit the zenith of popularity, they take up many odd jobs to make two ends meet. The history of rock ’n’ roll and heavy metal is replete with names of such legends. CT lists a few rockers, who had unusual day jobs before fame struck...
Maria Brink
From being an upstart singer to creating a major musical act, In This Moment vocalist Maria Brinks too had her share of struggle before attaining stardom.For two years she worked in stores, and sang in coffee shops and bars, sustaining herself through dark times. Besides being a musician, Maria is also an accomplished painter. She often does custom paintings for her website, Wonderland.
Till Lindemann
Born in Leipzig, East Germany, Till loves all things horrendous. Vocalist of German industrial metal band, Rammstein, he is best known for his use of excessive pyrotechnics, stage performances and his baritone. Till’s use of lyrics in songs has often sparked controversies, particularly when it comes to Nazism. Listed among the 50 greatest metal frontmen of all time, Till also tried his hands at weaving baskets, as a peat cutter, gallery technician and apprentice carpenter.
Gene Simmons
You’ll be surprised to know that Gene, one of the most iconic faces of the late ’70s, started his career as an elementary school teacher. Vocalist and bassist of the glam metal band, KISS, Gene Simmons aka The Demon was fired from school for introducing Spiderman comic books, as he thought that’s what the kids would like to read. How thoughtful!
Work hard by day, Rock harder by night
Chuck Billy
Don’t be fooled by his appearance. Chuck, the vocalist of American thrash metal band, Testament, hates sitting around at home after getting back from the road. So, he works as a safety coordinator in a truck company and often tours the globe, conducting lectures on safety issues for truck drivers.
Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza
The Exodus frontman joined a union as a carpenter after parting ways with the band in 1993. The musician claimed in a recent interview that he was making a good living out of installing doors in highrises and offices till he got a call back from the band members.
Jack White
You may know this tall, lanky guy with pallid skin as the well-known frontman of The White Stripes. But did you know that Jack made a living as an upholsterer in the early ’90s? He even started a band called The Upholsters in honour of the 25th anniversary of the shop his mentor Brian Muldoon owned. What’s even more interesting is that the band then could only produce 100 vinyl copies and Jack White hid them all in the cushions of the furniture he made, because nobody would buy them.
Serj Tankian
Popular for his music and signature pointed beard, Serj is not only known for his fast and rhythmical middle-east vocal style, but also his eccentric yet enigmatic stage presence. His long-standing stint as the vocalist of System of a Down brought home many laurels, including a Grammy. However, few know that this rocker once ran a small accounting software company to earn his daily bread.
Alissa White Gluz
Former lead singer and one of the founding members of the Canadian metal band, The Agonist, and current lead singer for the Swedish melodic death metal group, Arch Enemy, Alissa has been a constant crusader for animal rights since 1998. She was even conferred the Libby Award by PETA for her worldwide campaigns against hunting of Canadian seals.
David Draiman
Who would have thought that the composer of songs like Stupify, Down with the sickness and Inside the fire could also be a mechanical engineer, healthcare administrator and a small business owner. David Draiman, vocalist of Disturbed, also ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2013 without success.
Nocturno Culto
A rebel, a musician, a school teacher and a filmmaker — Ted Skjellum has been the vocalist, lead guitarist, and partial bassist (shared with Fenriz) of the black metal band, Darkthrone. Often referred to by his stage names, Nocturno Culto, Nocturno and Kveldulv, this Norwegian musician has also released a documentary, The Misanthrope, dealing with black metal music and life in Norway.
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