Cult figure

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See cult (disambiguation) for more meanings of the term "cult".

A cult figure or cult icon is a person who attracts the attention of a small band of aficionados. Some cult figures are well-known to the general public (Christopher Walken, Christian Bale) while others are mostly obscure outside of a subculture (Ed Wood Jr., Vanessa Duriès). The notoriety of cult figures may be contrasted with that of pop icons.

In most of the cases, the work of a cult figure is unusual or exists outside current trends in his or her field. Thus, his or her appeal is limited to only a small group.

Although most cult figures are artists and entertainers who are genuinely recognized for their talent, others gain a following mostly for strange behavior (Wesley Willis, Ellen Feiss) or particularly memorable 15 minutes of fame (William Hung, Clara Peller)

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[edit] Who is a cult figure?

The term cult figure is difficult to define and different people may or may not qualify as cult figures by different standards.

The term usually refers to someone who is admired by a small group of fans and not by the general public or at least not for the same reasons he or she is admired by the general public. For example, Christopher Walken and Crispin Glover are both known for their acting abilities to the general public, but to their cult followings Walken is better known for his recognizable mannerisms and Glover for his strange behavior.

The term usually does not refer to a person who is both a widely celebrated figure in culture at large and the object of the acute interest of many dedicated fans, such as Johnny Cash, J.D. Salinger or George Lucas. The term also usually does not refer to a widely significant figure who is particularly important to a subculture, such as Madonna in gay culture or John Lennon in hippie and neo-hippie culture.

In some cases, a cult following is so large or so infamous that the figure becomes a household name. Examples include The Grateful Dead, Bruce Lee and Elvira. Still these people are usually considered cult figures because a relatively small group of fans are responsible for their fame.

[edit] Selected list of cult figures

[edit] Actors and actresses

[edit] Directors

[edit] Singers and musicians

  • GG Allin - Sociopathic hardcore punk and country singer who gained a cult following for his violent stage performances and obscene songs about booze, drugs, casual violence and behaviour that at best would be considered stupid and, at worst, downright criminal.
  • Syd Barrett - Original Pink Floyd front man and psych folk artist known for his gleeful, childlike songs; strange behavior and eventual mental breakdown
  • The Grateful Dead - Long-running, psychedelic rock band known for their improvisational live shows. They have become symbols of the hippie lifestyle, especially to those who have embraced it long after it was fashionable.
  • Roky Erickson - Singer/songwriter known for his fervent, growling vocals and abrasive musical techniques as leader of The 13th Floor Elevators and as a solo artist, also known for his reclusive lifestyle and erratic behavior
  • Daniel Johnston - Singer/songwriter and visual artist who pioneered lo-fi music and has a large indie rock following.
  • Kool Keith - Prolific rapper and hip-hop producer, known for his complex, stream-of-consciousness verbal flow, raunchy lyrics, multiple onstage personas, and eccentric behavior
  • Robert Johnson - famouse blues guitar player who, according the legend, sold his soul to the devil.
  • William Hung - Chinese American college student who developed a cult following after he performed an off-key rendition of Ricky Martin’s "She Bangs" while auditioning for the television series American Idol.
  • Jandek - Downbeat Texas-based singer-songwriter known for, until recently, his carefully kept autonomy and extreme mysteriousness
  • Morrissey - Activist, poet and former lead singer of The Smiths, known for droll, sardonically humorous lyrics
  • The Residents - Costumed, avant-garde quartet that has maintained complete anonymity for over two decades.
  • The Shaggs - All girl group labeled "the worst rock and roll band in the world."
  • John Stewart - genre-defying American songwriter, known for his work in folk, rock, alternative and country music
  • Swans - Industrial rock band known for their bleak lyrics, diverse styles and for concerts so loud they caused audience members to vomit and the police to break stop their performances. Their style has been described as a "wall of noise" and "the most aggressive music on earth".
  • Tiny Tim - Six-foot tall, red-haired, falsetto-voiced singer and ukulele-player, called “master of the disturbing.”
  • Wesley Willis - 350 lb., six-foot-tall schizophrenic who recorded thousands of simplistic, repetitive and often obscene songs using the prerecorded backing music of his keyboards [2]
  • Thom Yorke - Lead Singer of Radiohead
  • Frank Zappa - Sardonic and offbeat guitarist, songwriter and composer. Although his music was often unconventional, Zappa is considered an extremely ambitious and versatile musician.

[edit] Writers

[edit] Television and radio personalities

[edit] Comedians

[edit] Advertising people

[edit] Others

[edit] See also

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