10 Famous Metal & Rock Singers' Jobs Before Their Music Careers

Success in music rarely happens overnight. Before rising to fame, many well-known artists held completely different day jobs. This includes stars like Corey Taylor and Serj Tankian, who worked various roles before their music careers took off.

Corey Taylor's Early Jobs

Corey Taylor explored several jobs before finding his music path. He first tried roofing but quickly realized it wasn’t for him. Then, he worked in restaurants, but his favorite position was as a sales associate at The Adult Emporium, an adult store in Iowa. During this time, he reportedly wrote the lyrics for Slipknot’s debut album.

“From the moment I started that gig until the day I left… I wrote all the lyrics for the first Slipknot album in there. Because I worked from midnight to eight, which is the best time to work. Crazy shit.”

Chester Bennington’s Pre-Fame Job

Before Linkin Park’s success, Chester Bennington worked at Burger King, a typical early job in the U.S. music scene.

Gerard Way’s Creative Background

Gerard Way, lead singer of My Chemical Romance, was deeply involved in comics prior to his band career. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York, merging art with music.

Summary

The journeys of these musicians show that diverse jobs and creative experiences often pave the way for future success in the music industry.

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Impericon — 2025-11-07