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Leonard Cohen -

Leonard Cohen didn’t release his debut album until he was 33. It wasn’t until 17 years later, when he was 50, that he became ultra-famous with his song ‘Hallelujah.’

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Willie Nelson -

It’s strange to imagine a point when Willie Nelson wasn’t famous, but he wasn’t very well known until he released ‘Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain’ in 1975 when he was 45 years old. Nelson’s rise to fame was a very gradual process before then.

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Louise Armstrong -

Louise Armstrong didn’t become well known until he went solo at the age of 28. Although this isn’t a late age in most industries, it is in the music business.

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Andrea Bocelli -

It was Andrea Bocelli’s third album ‘Sogno’ that made him famous throughout the world. Bocelli was 41 years old when it was released.

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Debbie Harry -

Debbie Harry from Blondie became famous when she was 33, when their third album was released.

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Bill Withers -

Bill Withers hadn’t released music until he was 32 in 1970 when he released ‘Ain’t No Sunshine.’

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Sia -

Singer Sia played in several bands before her solo career began with her smash hit single ‘Chandelier,’ which made her instantly famous at age 37 in 2014.

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2 Chainz -

2 Chainz became famous upon releasing his debut album in 2012 when the rapper was 35.

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Sheryl Crow -

Sheryl Crow worked in the industry as a backup singer for big acts like Michael Jackson through her twenties, but only gained fame by going solo at 32 in 1994 with her debut album.

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Pharrell -

Pharrell Williams worked as a producer for artists like Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z for years and sang with the Neptunes before his solo debut album at age 40 earned him the level of fame he has today.

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Chris Stapleton -

Chris Stapleton didn’t receive much attention until he was 37 years old.

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Susan Boyle -

Susan Boyle went from being completely unknown to being a famous singer after appearing on ‘Britain's Got Talent’ at 48 in 2009.

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Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney -

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of the Black Keys played small shows until the release of their eighth studio album in 2010, when they were 31 and 30, respectively.

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Thelonius Monk -

Jazz piano playing legend Thelonius Monk had been playing on other people’s records for years. Still, it wasn’t until Columbia Records released his debut record  ‘Monk’s Dream’ in 1963 when he was 46 that he became well known.

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Rachel Platten -

Rachel Platten was 34 when her song 'Fight Song' made her famous.

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Charles Bradley -

The late Charles Bradley didn’t become famous until he released his debut album at the ripe age of 63, which was critically acclaimed. Sadly, Charles Bradley died of stomach cancer five years later.

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Peaches -

Canadian electro punk performance artist Peaches saw international success with her second album at the age of 35.

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Andy Summers -

Andy Summers was lucky enough to be invited to join the Police by Sting in 1977. Summers was 35 at that point and unknown to the public.

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Jamie Murphy -

LCD Soundsystem’s front man Jamie Murphy (pictured) was 40 years old when the band became famous after releasing their third album.

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Wayne Coyne -

Wayne Coyne’s (center) psychedelic rock outfit, The Flaming Lips, didn’t receive much attention until their single ‘She Don’t Use Jelly’ in 1994, and by that time he was 32 years old.

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Matt Berninger -

American singer-songwriter Matt Berninger became famous for his music at 34 when his band, the National, released their third album.

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Dan Wilson -

‘Closing Time’ singer Dan Wilson of Semisonic was unknown to the world until the song’s release when he was 37.

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John Ondrasik -

John Ondrasik, who performs under the name Five for Fighting, got famous after releasing his hit song ‘Superman (It’s Not Easy)’ when he was 35.

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Matt Nathanson -

Matt Nathanson released seven albums before his hit single ‘Come On Get Higher’ at age 35.

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Ed Roland -

Ed Roland became famous when his rock band Collective Soul released ‘Shine’ in 1993 when the singer was 30 years old.

Sources:(Digital Music News)(Music Industry How To)(Ari's Take)(Billboard)

See also: Artists discuss the dark side of the music industry

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