Twisted Sister‘s Jay Jay French is on the camp with everyone criticizing the sought-after rock star lifestyle that isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. The guitarist gave insights to Kylie Olsson about the brutal side of the music industry that isn’t for everyone, including The Beatles‘ George Harrison, who simply hated the limelight.
It’s not as glitzy of a world as it seems from the outside, and Jay Jay describes the industry as a ‘horrible business’ to be a part of, especially considering the sacrifices required to reach the level you want. Only certain people can endure that type of lifestyle without going off the rails, but more often than not, everyone trips and falls at some point.
French gave George Harrison as the perfect example of a musician who lived the rock star life at the highest level ever in the music business, but apparently, he hated every second of it. The stardom that most musicians crave was the worst part of being in The Beatles for Harrison.
Jay Jay French’s words about George Harrison’s dislike of fame read:
“The music business is a f*cking horrible business, and you have to have a certain ability to withstand the bullshit of this business to succeed in it. It’s not just that you want to be a ‘rock star.’ F*ck that, you know? If that’s all it was supposed to be – it was never that.”
“George Harrison – he was the most unhappy guy in the world. He was in the biggest band in the world, right? He hated it, the whole thing. He’s why we’re here – and he f*cking hates it. And he hated stardom. And he hated the interpersonal bullshit and the business and… So, it is what it is.”
So, the most idolized job title of being a rock star might not be all that glamorous, especially since the words come from musicians who made it big in the industry. In Jay Jay’s description of the great George Harrison, the musician hated the life he lived until the very end, which puts everything about the business into perspective.
