William Shatner is 95 years old, and this September, he is set to debut a heavy metal band. Think about that for a moment. That’s the kind of William Shatner reinvention music entrepreneurs can look to as an inspiring role model, even at this late stage in his legendary career.
Behind the Music: Meet the Heavy Hitters
The *uckers are the band playing Sunday September 20 at Douglass Park, as part of the three-day Riot Fest music festival. This gig is remarkable, as all the band members are established rock musicians in their own right.
Marcus Nand, who plays guitar and provides musical direction, has performed with Mike Tramp and Candice Night. Phil Soussan, the bassist, has played in Osbourne’s and Billy Idol’s bands. Britt Lightning, who plays the guitar as well, was part of Vixen, while Fred Aching, the drummer, has utilized his skill with the drum set in bands like Kings of Thrash, Dead Groove, and Fraxures.
They will be performing old tunes from Shatner’s career and giving a taste of his metal album due soon.
Then there is, of course, the famous rider. It has created a stir in the media as it stated some hilarious demands, like adoptable puppies, pallets of Faygo, a signed hockey jersey, and a walk-on introduction from the band GWAR. Ridiculous demands! But that is classic Shatner.
The Pattern of Perpetual Reinvention
A well-versed lover of creativity and all things odd, Shatner has defied expectations throughout his career. He delighted audiences through his spoken word albums, his widely popular sci-fi novels, his later stint on television, and the commercials that he has made successful.
Even now, at the age of 90, he has gone where few celebrities have gone before: the edge of space, on a Blue Origin flight, for an 11-minute voyage that took him some 66 miles up, making him the oldest man to have ever traveled beyond our planet.
The metal band may appear as a reinvention of sorts for Shatner. The fact is that it is one of many. Star Trek may have brought him to the limelight, but throughout his six-decade-long career, he has deliberately defied the establishment. His spoken word albums have been met with critical acclaim precisely because they were weird, genuinely unlike what anyone expected from him. The same goes for his bestselling science fiction novels, published across the 1990s and 2000s, as well as his later forays into primetime television and the serialized drama format.
Why Relevance is a Practice, Not a Destination
That’s the real lesson for the music entrepreneur: relevance is not a destination. The platforms, formats, and the audience’s sensibilities change with time.
What got an artist or a label discovered yesterday is probably a good lesson for them to study today.
That said, a lot of people are quick to dismiss unconventional ideas.
In many ways, being unorthodox is a good thing, at least for the sheer surprise value. This is why Shatner continues to be so relevant: his willingness to experiment is what has kept audiences engaged.
At every career crossroad, he has deliberately selected the road less traveled, and that seems to have paid off.
Age is Just a Number: Why It’s Never Too Late to Pivot
This extends to every entrepreneur or founder, not just in music. The fat wins are usually the unconventional ideas. They are the skewed view each of us has about things; these are usually the differentiators.
Shatner’s 95-year-old self serves as a reminder that it is never too late to reinvent. He did not start his forays into heavy metal in his 20s or even his 60s. He’s doing it now, in his mid-90s, decades after most people would assume he should be retiring.
If you think your opportunity to reinvent yourself is slipping away because you feel too old or past your prime, Shatner’s example should be an encouraging reminder that it is never too late.
