Buzz
The Spanish term buscar, meaning "to search," gave birth to the word busker. The tradition of busking, or performing on the streets, is what led to the rise of these famous figures.
1. Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart himself admits that he’s good at only two things: playing football (soccer) and singing. After failing to secure a spot with Brentford F.C., music became his professional path. While his rise to fame, wealth, and high-profile marriages seem like a fairy tale, his journey wasn’t always smooth. After a failed stint with his first band, The Raiders, Stewart took his voice—unwanted at the time—to the streets of London. He joined forces with English folk artist Wizz Jones, and the duo toured Europe, performing for pennies and sleeping under bridges until Stewart was deported from Spain for vagrancy. That same vagrant went on to sell 100 million records globally.
2. Tracy Chapman
While studying at Tufts University, Tracy Chapman would often perform in Harvard Square, a popular spot for buskers due to its bustling foot traffic. In fact, the area is so sought after by performers that one must obtain a permit from the Cambridge Arts Council to play there. Through her performances on the streets and in local coffeehouses, Chapman caught the attention of Brian Koppelman, a fellow Tufts student whose father, Charles Koppelman, ran a record label. The senior Koppelman introduced her to key figures in the music industry, including producer David Kershenbaum. In 1987, just after graduating, Chapman was signed by Elektra Records. By 1988, she had released a critically acclaimed album and was performing at Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday tribute concert.
3. Robin Williams
If Robin Williams seems like the type of person you’d steer clear of while walking around New York City, that’s because, at one point, he was. During his time at the esteemed Juilliard School, where he was one of only two students accepted into an advanced program (the other being Christopher Reeve), Williams made extra money performing as a mime outside the Museum of Modern Art. But life soon turned in his favor, and Williams went on to win an Academy Award, multiple Emmys, Golden Globes, and Grammys, all for projects where he was speaking, not performing in silence.
4. Eddie Izzard
British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard has known since the age of seven that he wanted to perform, but it wasn’t until he enrolled in accounting at the University of Sheffield that he first tried his hand at comedy. Alongside a school friend, Izzard frequently performed in Covent Garden, a vibrant area in London’s West End. Though their partnership was short-lived, Izzard spent much of the 1980s performing on European streets. By the early '90s, he had become a recognizable figure in the British comedy scene, and in 2000, he won two Emmys for his one-man show, “Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill,” produced by fellow former street performer Robin Williams.
5. B.B. King
Before he became the legendary “B.B. King,” Riley B. King was simply a young man strumming his guitar on the streets of Mississippi for loose change. He would perform in as many as four different towns in a single night. Eventually, he made his way to Memphis, where the legacy of blues and jazz was deeply rooted, including his cousin, Bukka White. In Memphis, King performed alongside some of the greatest artists of the time, securing a job as a radio DJ. In need of a radio-friendly name, he adopted “Beale Street Blues Boy,” after the famous Beale Street in downtown Memphis, which was later shortened to “Blues Boy” and eventually just “B.B.” Now, everyone knows B.B. King and his iconic guitar, Lucille.
6. Pierce Brosnan
After moving from Ireland to England as a youth, Pierce Brosnan was eager to escape his London classroom—where his peers called him “Irish”—and immerse himself in the world of art. While training to become a commercial illustrator, he attended a workshop where a fire-eater taught him his craft. Before long, Brosnan had one of the most sought-after street performances in town, attracting the attention of a circus agent. This led to classes at Drama Centre London, where his acting career took off, eventually landing him roles—most notably behind the wheel of an Aston Martin.
7. Bernie Mac
Becoming one of the “Original Kings of Comedy” isn’t something you can just claim without the experience to back it up. Bernie Mac proved this by earning his place. Before starring in major films and a network sitcom, Mac was honing his craft, performing jokes across the South Side of Chicago. His two years performing on the streets helped him build unshakable confidence, which was evident when he boldly began his set on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam by saying, “I ain’t scared of you motherf***ers.” In 2012, the street where he grew up, West 69th Street in the Englewood neighborhood, was honorarily renamed “Bernie Mac Street.”
8. Jewel
Hailing from Homer, Alaska, Jewel Kilcher had just completed her first semester at a fine arts school in Michigan when she decided to hit the road as a street performer. Armed with her guitar, the four chords she knew how to play, and a skinning knife for safety, Jewel made her way as far as Mexico. After graduating, she returned to her wandering lifestyle, living out of her car and performing in coffee shops around San Diego. Her big break came when she signed with Atlantic Records, and her debut album, Pieces of You, went on to sell 12 million copies in the United States alone. Hopefully, those small hands of hers didn’t have too much trouble counting all that money.
9. Benjamin Franklin
Author, diplomat, founding father, inventor, printer, postmaster, scientist, street performer—Benjamin Franklin was pretty much everything except president. As a young boy in Boston, Franklin would perform original songs and read poems that reflected on current events, selling prints of his works to his fellow colonists. His overbearing father, however, didn’t approve of his street performances and put an end to young Ben’s public acts. Growing up under such restrictions, it’s no surprise that Franklin later became a strong advocate for free speech.
