These Celebs Found Their Taste For Fame On The Streets
Channel: IntoConnection
Date: 07/05/2015

Did you know that some pretty famous people nowadays started their career on the streets? Jeff is back in our studio (to see Jeff’s previous appearances make sure to click here, here and here). He is a street performer himself and as an expert he is here to share a list of celebs who used to perform on the streets. 

First of all, the beloved comedian actor Robin Williams. Intrinsically funny, it seems Robin Williams has always been a crowd-pleaser, even in his humble beginnings. Here is an amazing 1979 photo of the go-to actor busking. Rocker Rod Stewart used to be a busker. In 1962 he shared the stage at the London Leicester Square with folk singer Wizz Jones. He and Wizz travelled Europe, slept on the streets and amused crowds until they were deported from Spain for vagrancy. Jeff also names the one and only ‘shaken not stirred’ James Bond: Pierce Brosnan. Who knew that you can be sexy and a fire breather at the same time! 

Another busking anecdote comes from Sting. His friend Jim Berry writes in his book ‘Sting and I’: “He is an insecure bloke. Someone once told him he was getting on and would be finished soon”, Jim continues: “Sting said he could always go busking. He decided to prove it and went to a London Underground station and was over the moon when he made 40 pounds. “He pulled a hat down over his eyes, but one woman said: “It’s Sting! But the man behind her replied: “You silly cow. It’s not him. He’s a multi-millionaire!”. 

That street performers are often underappreciated is exemplified by the awesome 2007 experiment done by Joshua Bell, the Classical violinist. He played as an incognito street busker at the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station in Washington, D.C. Of the 1,097 people who passed by, only one recognized him and only a couple more were drawn to his music. For his nearly 45-minute performance, Bell collected $32.17 (not counting $20 from the passerby who recognized him). He did this using a Stradivarius violin valued at around a modest 2 million. 

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