Mick Jagger and Robert Plant Are Only 2 Stars Who Almost Became Accountants
Can you imagine what Led Zeppelin would have been like without Robert Plant as their lead singer? Or The Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger? These celebrity musicians almost ditched their rockstar lifestyles for a career in accounting.
Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin
Growing up in Staffordshire, England, Robert Plant’s parents pushed him to get a proper job. In an interview with Louder, Plant revealed that he left home as a teenager while training to become an accountant.
“I had my moment of professional potential, and because I didn’t accept it, I had to leave home when I was seventeen. So I toughened up pretty quickly. I made my peace with my parents a couple of years later. But it was good, it was what it should be… I didn’t know what I wanted to be, but I wasn’t going to push a pen for two quid a week and train to be an accountant.”
Plant learned more about music and the industry by bouncing from one band to another. He survived on odd jobs until he met Jimmy Page in 1968. While doing some organizing during the COVID lockdown, Plant discovered an unopened letter from his mother that could have derailed his plans.
According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Plant recalled the incident saying:
“I found a letter from my mom, which I hadn’t opened, from 1967, and I opened it in 2020, and it said, ‘Robert, you should come home now. Sue is waiting for you, and the accountant’s office are happy to take you back.’ It brought a tear to my eye because I thought, ‘If I’d have opened that, I might have taken it up.’ Just imagine that! I’d be out shooting pheasants somewhere now on the Welsh borders, with a pair of plus-fours… But how ironic that I never opened it — it was a letter from my mom.”
Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones
After graduating from high school, Mick Jagger moved in with Keith Richards in London and started The Rolling Stones. During the week, Jagger studied finance and accounting on a government grant at the London School of Economics and performed gigs on the weekends.
He ultimately dropped out of school and dedicated his time to the band, a decision he called “totally stupid,” according to LSE. However, Jagger admitted he never had an interest in academics anyway. Instead, he found success performing with The Rolling Stones shortly after leaving school.
Saxophone player Kenny G
Considered one of the most talented instrumentalists in music, Kenny G credits long-term investments for his success. Despite being a talented artist, he opted for a more sensible career path. According to an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Alley,” the jazz musician majored in accounting in college because he “didn’t want to study music.”
While his accounting degree didn’t lead to a career in the field, it taught him “common sense” budgeting. He invested in Starbucks, Microsoft, Apple, and other Seattle-bassed companies to ensure he always had a backup plan, and he recommended others in the music industry do the same.
“A lot of people don’t get to be out there as long as I have,” said Kenny G. “It can end any time, so be smart.”
Janet Jackson
Despite starting her career as a child actor, Janet Jackson transitioned into the music industry and released her first album as a teenager. However, she never aspired to work in the entertainment industry. According to DL Accounts, Jackson’s father heavily influenced her career decisions, pushing her to make more money as a singer.
Growing up, Jackson dreamed of going to college. She initially planned to study accounting, and when she got older, she considered attending business law school. Unfortunately for the pop star, that’s not the direction her career led. Hopefully, her net worth made up for the fact that she never went to college.
