Musician Careers That Were Destroyed By A Moment In History
Reaching the peak of success in the music industry comes with a harsh reality: the only direction from the top is down. For these artists, careers unraveled due to everything from criminal scandals and wardrobe mishaps to infamous lip-syncing disasters, leaving their once-thriving reputations in ruins.
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00:00Reaching the peak of success in the music industry comes with a harsh reality.
00:04The only direction from the top is down.
00:06For these artists, careers unraveled due to everything from criminal scandals and wardrobe mishaps
00:12to infamous lip-syncing disasters, leaving their once-thriving reputations in ruins.
00:17In 2014, CeeLo Green's career took a drastic downturn following serious allegations of indecent assault against an unconscious woman.
00:25In a misguided attempt to defend himself, he took to Twitter, asserting his innocence
00:30and making bizarre comments about the nature of consent that only deepened public outrage.
00:35Ultimately, Green avoided the more severe charges, but was convicted on a lesser count related to drug distribution.
00:41He received three years of probation and community service as a result.
00:45Despite escaping the harshest consequences, his career has struggled to regain its former glory.
00:51Since then, Green's most notable appearances include a performance at the 2017 World Aquatics Championship in Budapest
00:58and voice work on the animated series Teen Titans Go!.
01:01The fallout from the scandal, however, has overshadowed his previous successes,
01:05and he remains a controversial figure in the music industry.
01:08Ashley Simpson's career took a nosedive after her infamous 2004 Saturday Night Live performance.
01:14During the show, her band mistakenly played a song she had already performed, revealing that her vocals were pre-recorded.
01:21While many artists have lip-synched before, fans were unforgiving of Simpson's misstep.
01:25Following the incident, Simpson faced intense backlash from critics and fans alike, who viewed her lip-synching as deceptive.
01:32Her attempt to explain the situation, blaming it on acid reflux, only fueled further criticism.
01:38The fallout was swift and long-lasting.
01:41Despite releasing two more albums, neither matched the success of her earlier work, and she hasn't seen a top ten hit since.
01:47To this day, the SNL incident remains a defining moment in her career, casting a shadow over her once-promising trajectory.
01:55Ashley Simpson isn't the only musician to have derailed her career on Saturday Night Live.
02:00In 1992, Sinead O'Connor pioneered this with her infamous performance of Bob Marley's War,
02:06which she concluded by tearing up a photo of the Pope.
02:09The act outraged many, especially in a country where nearly 25% of the population is Catholic.
02:15O'Connor's intent was to protest child abuse in the Catholic Church, an issue not widely recognized at the time,
02:21especially in the US, where awareness lagged behind Ireland's early exposure to the scandal.
02:26While her protest may seem more relevant today, the backlash in 1992 was swift and severe.
02:33Two weeks later, she was booed at Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary concert, and soon after, O'Connor announced her retirement from music.
02:40Though she eventually returned, her career never fully recovered from the controversy.
02:45Despite her efforts, she was never able to reclaim the widespread success she had before that night on SNL.
02:51I was genuinely very angry with what the church were doing.
02:55By ripping that picture, you know, I risked my career, everything.
02:57I could be a billionaire now if I wanted, if I believed in that.
03:00Michael Jackson's 2005 trial captivated the world, with the pop icon accused of molesting 15-year-old Gavin Arvizo.
03:08Though acquitted, Jackson's legacy remains deeply controversial,
03:11with some questioning whether he was guilty or simply an eccentric figure who held sleepovers with children.
03:17His odd and often arrogant choices didn't help.
03:20He openly admitted in the 2003 documentary Living with Michael Jackson that he allowed young boys to sleep in his bedroom,
03:27a statement that likely sparked his downfall.
03:29Police took notice, launching an investigation that culminated in a raid on his Neverland ranch.
03:35Though the trial ended in acquittal, public opinion was already divided.
03:38After the trial, Jackson struggled with a crippling prescription drug addiction, particularly to the powerful anesthetic propofol.
03:45His dependence on the drug left him severely sleep-deprived, affecting his ability to perform, remember lyrics, and learn new dance routines.
03:53His career faltered, and financial troubles mounted.
03:56In 2009, propofol ultimately claimed Jackson's life,
04:00and his legacy was further tarnished with the release of the documentary Leaving Neverland,
04:05which reignited allegations of child abuse.
04:08Even today, Jackson's once-untouchable status as the king of pop remains overshadowed by his controversies.
04:14I was really into jewelry, and he would reward me with jewelry for doing sexual acts for him.
04:23In 1958, rock and roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis made a career-ending decision
04:28by bringing his underage wife, Myra Gayle Lewis, on his tour of England.
04:33The problem? He failed to disclose that Myra was both his 13-year-old cousin and his new bride.
04:38When a Daily Mail reporter inquired about her age, Lewis claimed she was 15, sparking outrage across the country.
04:45The revelation led to a media firestorm, and Lewis' British tour fell apart.
04:50Crowds booed him, concerts were cancelled, and he was kicked out of his hotel.
04:54Upon returning to the US, Lewis faced even more backlash.
04:58His songs were blacklisted from radio, TV appearances were dropped, and his career took a steep nosedive.
05:04Despite the scandal, Lewis managed to hold on to his recording contract,
05:08though the singles he released during this period were largely unsuccessful.
05:11His once-promising career had been irreparably damaged by his shocking personal choices,
05:16casting a long shadow over his musical legacy.
05:19Fame can change people, and George Michael experienced that firsthand.
05:24In the 80s, he was a beloved pop star and heartthrob, but in 1998,
05:28his image took a hit when he was arrested for engaging in a lewd act in a public restroom.
05:34Instead of retreating from the spotlight, Michael boldly faced the scandal head-on,
05:38treating it as a turning point in his life.
05:40Once private about his sexuality, the incident led him to publicly embrace his identity,
05:45transforming from a closeted star to an openly gay icon.
05:50While Michael had subtly referenced his sexuality in his music,
05:53this marked his full coming out to the world.
05:55Though his American career never fully bounced back, largely due to lingering homophobia,
06:00Michael became a symbol of courage for many.
06:02His decision to live authentically helped countless young LGBTQ plus people feel empowered to do the same,
06:08leaving behind a lasting legacy of self-acceptance.
06:12At the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in 2004,
06:15Justin Timberlake infamously ripped off part of Janet Jackson's leather bustier,
06:20exposing her breast to around 100 million viewers.
06:24Both later claimed it was a wardrobe malfunction.
06:27Timberlake was only supposed to reveal red lace beneath her outfit,
06:30but ended up pulling off more than intended.
06:32The reaction was immediate and intense.
06:35Over 500,000 complaints flooded the FCC,
06:38leading to an unsuccessful attempt to fine CBS $550,000.
06:43While the incident created a media frenzy, it was Jackson who bore the brunt of the backlash.
06:48Viacom, which controls MTV, CBS, VH1 and numerous radio stations,
06:54blacklisted her music across its platforms.
06:56Other media companies followed suit, severely restricting Jackson's airplay.
07:00To make matters worse, she was disinvited from the Grammys that year.
07:04In stark contrast, Timberlake faced no such penalties.
07:07He performed at the Grammys and continued his career
07:10without the same level of scrutiny or consequences,
07:13leaving Jackson to shoulder most of the fallout from the incident.
07:17In 1990, a police raid on Chuck Berry's residence uncovered a stash of weapons,
07:22pornographic videos, marijuana, hashish and $130,000 in cash.
07:28Shortly thereafter, multiple women launched a class-action lawsuit
07:31claiming Berry had hidden cameras in the restrooms of both his home and restaurant.
07:36Allegations included recording women, some minors,
07:39while they were undressing or using the facilities.
07:41Ultimately, Berry faced minimal consequences.
07:44He was charged with drug possession and child abuse,
07:47though the latter charges were dropped.
07:48He received just two years of unsupervised probation
07:52and a $5,000 fine for a drug rehab program.
07:55While these penalties may seem light, the legal battle cost him $1.2 million.
08:00Although Berry continued his career without being blacklisted,
08:03the fallout from these events left a lasting stain on his reputation.
08:07Fans attending his performances often found it difficult to enjoy the music
08:11without feeling uncomfortable about the scandals that overshadowed his legacy.
08:16While the Monkees embraced their role as a manufactured band,
08:19Milli Vanilli's story took a darker turn due to deception.
08:23Frontmen Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan lip-synced their way to fame,
08:27but unlike Ashley Simpson's one-off mistake, their voices were never heard at all,
08:31neither in concerts nor in the studio.
08:33According to Gizmodo, producer Frank Farian believed the actual singers
08:37behind Milli Vanilli were unmarketable,
08:40so he hired models Pilatus and Morvan to pose as the voices of the group,
08:44keeping the real vocalists a secret.
08:47The charade held up until 1989, when a live MTV performance went off the rails
08:52as the backing track skipped, revealing the truth.
08:55This sparked media interest, and it was soon uncovered that Pilatus and Morvan
08:59never sang a single note for the group.
09:01The fallout was swift.
09:03Milli Vanilli's Grammy was revoked, and their credibility evaporated overnight.
09:07Their rapid rise to fame came crashing down just as quickly,
09:11marking the end of the group's short-lived success.
09:14Unlike the Monkees, Milli Vanilli's legacy remains a cautionary tale
09:18of manufactured fame gone awry.
09:21Alan Freed, once a pioneering DJ and songwriter,
09:24is credited with shaping the future of American music.
09:27He coined the term rock and roll, organized the first rock concert,
09:31and between 1952 and 1957 was a driving force in the genre's rise to fame.
09:37However, his reign ended abruptly in 1957.
09:41Freed's nationally syndicated ABC show, Big Beat,
09:45was introducing rock and roll to a wide audience.
09:47But one episode featured a black performer dancing with a white woman on stage,
09:51a scene that, at the time, was deemed scandalous.
09:54The backlash was swift, and ABC immediately canceled the show.
09:58Freed's personal life was also unraveling.
10:00His health was deteriorating, and his marriage was falling apart.
10:03Just two years later, his troubles deepened when he was implicated in the infamous Payola scandal,
10:09where he was accused of accepting bribes to play certain records.
10:12This investigation effectively ended what remained of his career.
10:15By the time Freed died in 1965,
10:18his contributions to music had been overshadowed by scandal.
10:21Once a titan in the industry, he passed away a penniless alcoholic,
10:25his legacy all but forgotten,
10:26despite his significant role in shaping the rock and roll revolution.