From Street Corners to Streaming Charts: The Buskers Who Made It

For a very long time, “Busking” has been serving as a platform for artists to connect with audiences more instantly. From ancient times, through medieval minstrels, to modern streets, performers, buskers have given the sidewalks a new purpose. Today, artists often do get to launch their careers and even ascend to global recognition, however, there is also another side to this practice that often raises the eyebrows of society as well. In this article, we are going to explore  the inspiring journeys of musicians who were able to reach the upper echelon of the music industry with the historical context of the seemingly ostentatious practice of performing on the streets, how these performers face challenges to “make it big” or to “make a living.”

The History of Busking

The word “busker” most likely comes from the mid-17th-century French word “busquer.” The word is obsolete in modern French, but it meant “to seek”. The French word is said to have been taken from the Italian word “buscare “or the Spanish word “buscar.” The original meaning might have been used in a maritime context, meaning ”to cruise about”.

The performer's drive for both entertainment and livelihood embodies the sentiment of “seeking.” Historically, buskers have been integral to urban culture. In the 20th century, big cities like London and New York became the mecca for street performance.

The earliest known examples of busking or street performance date back to ancient Rome, where performances akin to busking were staples during religious and agricultural festivals. A popular form at the time was “flyting”, a precursor to modern rap battles and poetic exchange of insults, taunts, and accusations, often in verse form, that was a common practice in the 15th and 16th centuries in Scotland.   

Then came the fall of Rome. In the centuries that followed, free expression among the common people was heavily restricted. The only performers allowed were those within royal courts, such as jesters, who provided amusement only for the wealthy and influential group of nobles. Artistic expression outside these sanctioned roles was largely forbidden. Entertainment became a privilege of the elite. However, the aristocracy had a soft spot for poetic performers who sang their praises and chronicled their deeds. These flattering tunes often found their way beyond palace walls, trickling into public spaces. Vanity, it seems, has a way of loosening restrictions

As these performances became embedded in city life, they often unfolded at busy Roman crossroads during public celebrations aimed at the working class. Eventually, these events garnered support from the Roman authorities, who began to support offering free food and thus promoted state propaganda, using the performances as a way to entertain—and distract—the lower classes.

Performing in public places for a sum of money from onlookers or customers in every major culture in the world is not uncommon by any stretch of imagination. For many artists, street performance was a common way of earning money before the rise of recording in the late 19th century, with the experiments of Inventors like Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville and Thomas Edison, with ways to capture and reproduce sound.

From Sidewalks to Stardom

Here we have a few legendary artists who either began their careers as buskers or did busking at one point in their lives. All of these great artists are prominent in their own respective genres and eras.

B.B. King

The king of blues, B.B. King, hailed from a little village called Itta Bena, where he was born in a wooden cabin. In his early years, when he wasn’t at church or picking cotton in the fields, he used to set out on foot to busk for some loose change.

Rod Stewart 

Before becoming a rock icon with over 250 million records, Rod Stewart busked around London with his harmonica as a teenager in the early 1960s. He once busked with folk singer Wizz Jones. They busked at Leicester Square and other parts of London before traveling to Brighton, Paris, and Barcelona.

Janis Joplin 

During her time at the University of Texas at Austin, Janis Joplin earned her reputation as a free spirit with eccentric habits who would walk around campus barefoot with an autoharp in hand. She was a well-known busker around Austin before deciding to quit college and hitchhike to San Francisco, where she recorded blues standards and struggled with drugs and alcohol.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States,  is famously known for his contributions to many things, such as science, politics, and writing. Surprisingly, he also had a passion for music and was involved in street performances.

David Gilmour

David Gilmour with his close friend and future Pink Floyd member, Syd Barrett, while both attended the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology. In 1965, busked around Spain and France with a few of their friends.

Tommy Emmanuel

Revered as one of the most brilliant acoustic guitarists, Tommy Emmanuel is a guitar virtuoso with unparalleled skills. Way before being famous, Tommy tirelessly spent hours on the streets enthralling audiences with his fiery and unique fingerstyle technique.

A Herculean Task

Limited Access to Formal Venues

Busking is a great way to connect to someone's audience, and many performers walk on this path just because of that. However, many musicians opt for busking due to existing barriers in accessing traditional performance venues.  High costs make it nearly impossible for struggling artists, and busking offers an alternative platform.

Economic Necessity and Desire for Independence

That brings us to an insurmountable hindrance for many artists, which is a lack of financial stability. For many, busking is a means of financial survival. Others view busking as a way to maintain artistic independence, free from the constraints of commercial contracts and industry expectations. Artists like Gabriel Mayers, who started playing in the subways of New York City, chose street performance over conventional employment while pursuing their passion for music. And he did that to preserve his independence.

Social Stigma and Safety Risks

Edward McMichael was a celebrated street musician known as Seattle's "Tuba Man", who busked outside the city's various sports and performing arts venues. In 2008, he was killed by attackers who were attempting to rob him.

As we already know, Benjamin Franklin was a street performer. He composed songs, poetry, and prose with themes revolving around current events. But he was made aware of the fact that it was not worth the stigmas that some people attach to it. Dissuaded, Franklin left busking, and this experience helped to form his beliefs in free speech, which he wrote about in his journal.

Epilogue

There is something irresistibly unique and authentic about playing music in public spaces, which is exactly what makes it appealing and exciting for performers as well as audiences. The spontaneity and unfiltered feedback from the listeners contribute to a performance that is raw and real. As buskers, musicians are required to be resilient, creative, and genuine in their art.

Despite facing economic challenges, social stigma, and limited access to formal venues, there are always musicians performing on the streets as a stepping stone to mainstream success.  Busking is a vital part of the contemporary music scene.  In an era where digital media dominates, it would not have been surprising if it was disregarded at one point or another over numerous decades. But the very nature of street performance continues to captivate passersby and serves as a reminder of music's communal roots.