The Jobs 26 Rock + Metal Musicians Had Before They Were Famous

Everyone has at least one job on their resume that they weren’t thrilled to be working at one point. But, a job is a job, and we all need to find ways to make ends meet.

Even our favorite musicians had to start somewhere. Equipment and gear is expensive. Vans and other means of traveling to play gigs are expensive. So while a lot of them may have known that they weren’t destined to sit in a suit at a desk all day, they knew they had to do what it takes to kickstart their dreams. Others had entire other careers planned out, but we’re not focusing on that here.

Tony Iommi‘s job actually had a direct impact on Black Sabbath‘s heavy and sinister sound. Lemmy Kilmister was already in the music business before Motorhead and Hawkwind — he was a roadie for Jimi Hendrix.

It’s amazing to look at where our heroes and began and compare it to where they ended up. So keep that in mind if you are feeling unsatisfied with your current position as you scroll through the gallery below. Here are the jobs of 26 rock and metal musicians before they were famous.