Reply #1: on the flip side...I recall reading about Tina Turner

[swimmernsecretsea]

How, due to contractual obligations, she went through the same mill, playing run-down places on stages that were actually dangerous to perform on. It was when she was trying to survive after her marriage was over.
When her album started to hit big and her career was revived, she suddenly was hot again but still had to fill out her contract. She did, though. All of those people who heard about her playing those dumps packed them up to get to see her again.
I haven't read any biographies, but this was something that was written up in Time Magazine.