10 Music Artists Who Quit In Their Prime
5. Captain Beefheart
Since the late Sixties, Don Van Vliet, recorded and released music under the stage name Captain Beefheart. While never a mainstream success, Beefheart enjoyed a cult following and remains a hugely influential figure thanks to albums such as Safe As Milk and Trout Mask Replica.
After a recording career stretching over a decade, Beefheart decided to make his 1982 album Ice Cream For Crow his last, deciding to focus on painting instead. While Ice Cream For Crow isn’t Don Van Vliet’s most beloved album he obviously believed himself to be operating at his peak as a musician. The Captain claimed he was retiring from music because he had become “too good at horn.” Plushe decided he could make more money from painting.
In 2003 his former backing group, The Magic Band, reformed, touring abs releasing albums to general acclaim. Their erstwhile leader opted out, continuing instead to focus on his career as a visual artist.