Betting on Themselves

Singer-songwriter Aimee Mann played with ‘Til Tuesday for nearly a decade before launching a solo career in the early ‘90s. Several Grammy Awards, nine albums (and counting) and critical accolades followed. Mann is in good company. Here’s a look at 25 other notable vocalists who left famous bands to pursue a solo career that proved equally — and sometimes more — successful. 

Beyoncé
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Beyoncé Knowles became a household name as a member of Destiny’s Child, with the R&B group conquering charts, collecting trophies and packing arenas during its relatively brief existence. When she flew solo in 2003, and once the trio disbanded in 2005, the singer-actor-producer-entrepreneur went into beast mode and reached heights most mortals never see.

Bob Gendron has been obsessing over music, albums and audio ever since he landed a job at an indie record store at age 13. A longtime contributor to the Chicago Tribune and the first Associate Editorial Director at The Coda Collection, he was also the longtime Music Editor at The Absolute Sound and performed the same role at TONEAudio. Gendron is the author of “Gentlemen” (Bloomsbury) and a coauthor of “Nirvana: The Complete Illustrated History” (Voyageur). His writing has also appeared in DownBeat, Rolling Stone, Revolver and other outlets.

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