10 Music Artists Who Disappeared From The Limelight

It's almost an anomaly to think of Tom Petty's rise to fame in the late '70s. While acts like Bruce Springsteen were getting their feet wet with the sounds of heartland rock, Petty found himself transitioning into a rock and roll star out of the era of punk and new wave.

Though the band stood as a badass retort to the punk movement, things never played out that well for the group's quietest member.

While Ron Blair's bass skills provided a steady foundation for the band's early hits, he started to grow more and more uncomfortable with management side of rock and roll, which he felt was far too sleazy for its own good. It also didn't help matters that Petty and guitarist Mike Campbell came to disagreements about how the bass should sound, leaving Blair to sit out for some of the studio cuts.

As the band entered the '80s, Blair announced his departure and eventually opened up a bikini store out in California to make his income. Though he had been out of commission for over two decades, Blair eventually rejoined the Heartbreakers in 2001 after the tragic death of replacement bassist Howie Epstein.

The classic sound of the Heartbreakers was back, but for a little while, it seemed that Blair had traded in rock stardom for a future in swimwear.