Another singer I've never heard of

Today I listened to a CD by an artist named Skye Dyer.  She's a lovely young woman with a sweet voice, sort of  Mindy Smith-ish sounding.  Her father is Wayne Dyer, an author famous for books about self improvement and self actualization, although that has nothing to do with her music.

This was a short CD, only six songs.  As I said, her voice is sweet and the songs are sweet, with a slight hint of country.  Listening to her got me thinking about why some singers (or artists of any sort, but I'll stick to singers) become famous and some, who have perfectly nice faces and voices, do not.  How is Skye Dyer different from, let's say, Dolly Parton?  What does Dolly have that Skye doesn't?  (This is not a set-up for a boob joke, by the way.)  For one thing, Dolly is, or was, a prolific songwriter.  And while Skye's voice is sort of blandly sweet, Dolly's is distinctively sweet, with a cute little vibrato.  Skye is pretty, and so is Dolly, but Dolly went farther with her looks, going to spangles and fringe and showy outfits, at least in the first part of her career.

So is it how they look and sound that has made the difference in the trajectory of their careers?  I do wonder, often, about what brings fame to some and not to others.  There's obviously a lot more to it than talent.  Is it more a matter of drive, ambition, commitment, unwavering hunger for success?  I have no way to measure that factor in these women's careers, but I do tend to think that drive may, or must, be the single most important piece of the puzzle.  I have talent.  I have persistence.  But I do not have drive.  Never have had.  I don't know that I've ever been 100 percent committed to anything besides my marriage.

Sometimes I wonder if my life has been too easy, and that's why I lack the ferocity that might have taken me further in my careers (writing and acting).  I just haven't had much to push against, and it's pushing against something (poverty, discrimination, abuse, bullying, tragedy, loss, fear, etc) that makes us strong.  I've certainly had my setbacks and difficulties.  There was a stretch of several years when I was paying my rent in chunks because I never had the whole amount at one time.  But I always knew that my family would catch me if I started to fall, and they did step in to help when I needed it most.  I was mugged about five times, but never harmed.  I've had illnesses and accidents, but none that caused lifelong pain or limitations.  I've had heartaches by the dozens, but very little actual grief.

Maybe this is where the charming myth about artists starving in garrets comes from, the fact that starving artists are more driven to succeed than the well-fed.  Or maybe that's bunkum.  Maybe circumstances have nothing whatsoever to do with one's success.  Maybe some become successful and some don't and there's no telling why.  But it is a fascinating subject to someone like me, who has nibbled around the edges of success without ever making a whole meal of it.