One of the most difficult jobs a musician has to make is when to quit the day job in order to devote their lives to music full-time.
- Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips worked as a fry cook at a fast food seafood restaurant for ten years until the band took off with the song “She Don’t Use Jelly” in 1993.
- Nels Cline of Wilco kept his job in a bookstore for most of his life, even while playing with a ton of other bands. He gave up the bookstore gig at age 48.
- Ian Curtis of Joy Division hung on to his job as an unemployment officer as long as he could because, frankly, he needed the money.
- And Kele Okereke of Britain’s Bloc Party still worked at a movie theatre even after the band got their first record deal.
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