Back in Time Today
Rock stars weren’t born with their wild personas and outrageous styles. Before they became musical legends, many of our favorite rockers looked completely different—sporting regular haircuts, conventional clothes, and even clean-cut appearances. Their transformations are part of what makes their stories so fascinating, showing how they evolved from ordinary people into the larger-than-life icons that changed music forever.
1. Ozzy Osbourne: Factory Worker to Prince of Darkness
John Michael Osbourne once clocked in at a Birmingham car horn factory with neatly combed hair and ordinary clothes. No bats, no black eyeliner—just a working-class kid with an extraordinary voice waiting to be discovered.
His transformation into metal’s Prince of Darkness happened gradually after forming Black Sabbath. The long hair, the crosses, and the theatrical persona all came later as Ozzy found his place in music history.
Few who knew him in those factory days could have predicted he would become one of heavy metal’s most enduring and controversial figures.
2. David Bowie: Mod Boy to Cosmic Chameleon
Born David Robert Jones, the future starman started as a saxophone-playing mod in London’s music scene. His early promotional photos show a handsome young man with feathered hair and conventional 60s fashion—nothing suggesting the glam alien he would become.
Before Ziggy Stardust, Space Oddity, or the Thin White Duke, Bowie fronted bands like The King Bees and Davy Jones & the Lower Third. His metamorphosis began when he realized standing out was more powerful than fitting in.
The lightning bolt makeup and otherworldly personas were still years away.
3. Freddie Mercury: Shy Art Student to Flamboyant Frontman
Farrokh Bulsara arrived in London from Zanzibar with dreams of art school success, not rock stardom. Early photos reveal a reserved young man with a distinctive overbite he often tried to hide—a far cry from the mustached showman who would command stadiums.
Friends from Ealing Art College remember his quiet demeanor and artistic talent. The transformation began slowly as he joined bands like Ibex and Wreckage before forming Queen.
His iconic mustache, theatrical costumes, and unabashed stage presence emerged as he grew comfortable in his skin as Freddie Mercury.
4. Alice Cooper: Preacher’s Son to Shock Rock Pioneer
Vincent Furnier’s yearbook photos from Cortez High School in Phoenix show a clean-cut teenager in pressed shirts and neatly combed hair. The son of a preacher, he participated in track and journalism club—worlds away from the guillotines and snakes of his future act.
His first band formed for a school talent show, initially playing Beatles covers. The Alice Cooper persona developed gradually as Vincent and his bandmates discovered that shocking audiences brought attention their music couldn’t get alone.
The smeared makeup, wild hair, and horror theatrics came years after those innocent high school days.
5. Gene Simmons: Israeli Schoolboy to Fire-Breathing Demon
Born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel, the future KISS bassist arrived in America at age 8 speaking no English. Childhood photos show a serious boy with neatly combed hair and a thoughtful expression—nothing hinting at the face-painted rock god to come.
Before forming KISS, he worked as a teacher and even a typist for fashion magazines. His early bands like Bullfrog Bheer saw him performing in regular clothes without a hint of makeup.
The demon persona with platform boots, bat-wing costume, and that infamous tongue came years later when KISS created their iconic characters.
6. Slash: Nerdy Bike Rider to Top-Hatted Guitar God
Saul Hudson’s childhood photos reveal a skinny kid with short hair, glasses, and an innocent smile. Growing up between England and California, young Slash was known for BMX biking before he ever picked up a guitar.
His mother designed costumes for David Bowie, but Saul himself showed no signs of the rock star style that would later define him. Friends remember him as quiet and studious until music captured his imagination.
The trademark top hat, wild curls covering his face, and Gibson Les Paul came much later, after years of playing in various bands before Guns N’ Roses made him famous.
7. Mick Jagger: Economics Student to Lips-and-Hips Phenomenon
Michael Philip Jagger’s early photos from Dartford Grammar School show a proper English schoolboy with neatly parted hair and a conservative blazer. His parents expected him to follow a respectable career path—perhaps business or politics.
He actually attended the London School of Economics before the Rolling Stones took off. Early Stones publicity shots still show a relatively clean-cut Mick, with hints of the showman emerging.
The exaggerated lips, elaborate stage outfits, and that signature strut developed gradually as he discovered his power as a frontman and sex symbol throughout the 1960s.
8. Steven Tyler: Choir Boy to Scarved Screamer
Steven Victor Tallarico grew up in the Bronx and Yonkers as a choir boy with a surprisingly angelic voice. Yearbook photos show a handsome teenager with neatly styled hair—no hint of the colorful scarves and dramatic makeup in his future.
His first bands like Chain Reaction and the Strangeurs saw him performing in conventional 60s attire. The wild persona with scarves tied to microphone stands came after forming Aerosmith in 1970.
The transformation accelerated through the 70s as his stage presence evolved into the animated, gravity-defying performances that became his trademark.
9. Axl Rose: Indiana Choirboy to Bandana-Wearing Wailer
William Bruce Rose Jr. started life in Lafayette, Indiana, with a strict religious upbringing. His high school photos show a fresh-faced midwestern kid with a bowl cut and innocent smile—worlds away from the bandana-wearing, snake-dancing frontman he would become.
He sang in church and school choirs before rebellion took hold. Friends from his Indiana days barely recognized the transformed figure who emerged in Los Angeles years later.
The bandanas, leather pants, and that distinctive wailing voice developed after he left the Midwest behind and embraced the Sunset Strip’s wild energy.
10. Robert Plant: Accountant’s Son to Golden God
Robert Anthony Plant began as a clean-cut teenager from West Bromwich, England. Early photos show a boy with short, neatly combed hair and conservative clothes—the dutiful son of an accountant with no hint of the bare-chested rock deity to come.
His first bands like Listen and Band of Joy saw him still developing his style. The flowing blonde locks and open shirts that became his trademark weren’t part of his initial image.
The transformation into Led Zeppelin’s “Golden God” happened gradually as Plant discovered both his powerful voice and magnetic stage presence in the late 1960s.
11. Lemmy Kilmister: Clean-Cut Roadie to Motorhead Maverick
Ian Fraser Kilmister started his music career as a clean-shaven roadie for Jimi Hendrix. Early photos show a young man with short hair and a boyish face—no mutton chops, no cowboy hat, no signature warts.
His first professional band, the Rockin’ Vickers, saw him looking more like a British Invasion musician than a metal pioneer. Even during his Hawkwind days, Lemmy hadn’t yet developed his iconic look.
The transformation into the gravel-voiced, bass-slinging outlaw we remember came after forming Motorhead in 1975, when he finally found his true musical and visual identity.
12. Iggy Pop: High School Drummer to Shirtless Wildman
James Newell Osterberg Jr. appears in his Tappan Junior High yearbook as a clean-cut, well-behaved Michigan teenager. He played drums in a band called The Iguanas (which inspired his later nickname) while maintaining good grades and a respectable appearance.
Nothing in those early photos suggests the shirtless, stage-diving maniac he would become. His transformation began after seeing The Doors perform, when Jim Morrison’s wild energy inspired him to reinvent himself.
The raw, reckless Iggy emerged gradually through his formation of The Stooges and his determination to shatter the boundaries of conventional performance.
13. Joan Jett: Philadelphia Schoolgirl to Leather-Clad Rocker
Joan Marie Larkin grew up in suburban Philadelphia as a typical American teenager with long dark hair and a sweet smile. Her yearbook photos show no hint of the leather-wearing, guitar-slinging rebel who would help revolutionize women’s place in rock.
Her transformation began when her family moved to Los Angeles, where she discovered glam rock and the emerging punk scene. Meeting producer Kim Fowley led to the formation of The Runaways when she was just 16.
The black leather, heavy eyeliner, and defiant stance developed as she fought to be taken seriously in a male-dominated industry.
14. Kurt Cobain: Aberdeen Quiet Kid to Grunge Messiah
Kurt Donald Cobain appears in childhood photos as a smiling blonde boy from Aberdeen, Washington. His teenage years show him with feathered hair and a shy demeanor—nothing suggesting the voice that would define a generation.
Friends remember him as artistic but withdrawn, wearing normal clothes and playing in garage bands. The transition began slowly as he immersed himself in the Pacific Northwest’s underground music scene.
The unwashed hair, thrift store flannel, and tortured artistic persona emerged organically as Nirvana gained attention and Kurt struggled with both fame and his internal demons.
15. Prince: Basketball Player to Purple Perfectionist
Prince Rogers Nelson’s high school photos from Minneapolis Central show a serious young man with a modest afro and basketball uniform. Though already musically gifted, nothing about his appearance suggested the flamboyant, gender-bending icon he would become.
His first professional headshots for Warner Bros. still showed a relatively conventional look. The transformation into the purple-loving, high-heeled, ruffled-shirt wearing superstar happened gradually as his confidence grew alongside his commercial success.
The elaborate outfits, symbolic name change, and mysterious persona developed as Prince realized artistic freedom meant creating your own rules.