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Did Elvis sell out when he began making strings of really bad movies? Did Bob Dylan sell out when he put down the acoustic guitar and picked up an electric? Did James Hetfield sell out when he went to rehab for alcohol abuse? What's the answer? Maybe there is no answer. It's all a matter of opinion.

Some fans of rock legends have different interpretations of selling out. When rockers reinvent themselves for a more positive persona, many fans label them as sell-outs. This writer believes that growing older and wiser have a lot to do with the evolutions of rock legends. Take Jimmy Buffett for instance. The man is 61 years old. No, he doesn't smoke marijuana anymore. He doesn't sit on the beach all day drinking boat drinks. He's a very successful entrepreneur working hard everyday and enjoying the craft of music. Is he a sell-out because he takes care of himself so that he can continue to tour and work like he does?

On the other hand, demented artistic souls like Jim Morrison did not sell out. That's what many fans think anyway. Morrison died but lives on as a rock legend. He did not give up the things that were killing him. He was living the music. He lived the myths of rock music and he ultimately paid the highest price. But, he was no sell out! What if Jim had cleaned up his life and what if he were living today? Would he be a sell out? What would fans think if Morrison made an album of duets with artists like Toby Keith, Willie Nelson and Michael Buble? Would he be a sell-out? Maybe he'd be a smart businessman.

That's what it boils down to. As rock legends get older, they tend to give up the things that made their persona larger than life when they were younger. Most of them have children and grandchildren. They are mostly model citizens and good business-minded people. But that makes them sell-outs in the minds of some of the fans.

Music is a business. Artists like Gene Simmons of KISS is a prime example of this. Simmons relies on the music industry as his primary means of income. When an opportunity avails itself to profit from the music, most rock legends will take it. Is that selling out? I call it making a living.

Learn more about this author, Timothy Edward Jones.
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