Star vs. Artist

If you had the choice, would you rather be rich or famous? OK. If you had a choice between being a star or an artist, which one would you choose? For most of us, the first question would be easy to make. But the second question, not so much.

There are an estimated 12 million artist with profiles on Myspace.com. These are no doubt some of the most talented people on the planet. How many of them do you think would consider themselves to be artist? I would guess, all of them. Now, a profile on Myspace is not a guarantee that you will achieve stardom. Most artist will work very hard to make even a modest living, if that's at all possible. So, what makes a star, and who wants to be one?

You could be the most talented musician, singer, or songwriter alive, but being successful means getting your music out to the public. The internet has given artists a greater opportunity to reach a worldwide audience. But, for every success story, there are millions who will remain in relative obscurity. Like it or not, really reaching people means getting your music on the radio, on television, or in the movies. These media avenues remain the most viable methods of gaining exposure.

Talented people have and continue to turn to amateur shows as a means of gaining exposure. One of the very first of these was The Original Amateur Hour staring Major Bowes. The program first aired on CBS radio in 1934. The show ran until 1946, when Bowes passed away. Two years afterwords, the show was revived on ABC radio and Dumont television. It was hosted by Ted Mack and eventually aired on CBS television until 1970. Pop singers, Teresa Brewer, Gladys Knight, and Pat Boone are just a few of the contestants who went on to greater success after being on the show.

I bring this up because success from this type of exposure could almost instantly make your name a household word. This is what you want, right? But what happens if your popularity far exceeds your talent or ability? How many stars are made each year whose greatest talent is looking good and smiling for the camera? For a true artist, it has to be a difficult idea to balance. You want people to know who you are and just what you can do. You except the attention that comes with success, while trying to keep creating at the highest level possible.

Today, American Idol, the reality TV version of the amateur talent show, can give even the least talented contestants more than a mere 15 minutes of fame. And, as far as I can tell, most winners, and even the runners up, tend to lose much of their star shine within a few years of winning, burning hot for a time but then dimming from view. But, the drive to make it at any cost remains a constant motivation to appear on such shows.

So, be an artist, work hard, maintain your integrity, but never make it. Or, "damn the torpedoes," throw caution to the wind, and by all means, get yours while you can. I would still have to ask, which would you rather be, rich or famous?