“I’m Not Famous”, the provocative and thought-provoking new music video from New York-based singer-songwriter Rob Pattinson, is the culmination of over a year of production. Following the premise of the 1995 cult classic, Searching for Sugar Man, the “Sugar Man” of the title is not a legendary folk artist or a reclusive genius; instead, he’s a struggling artist who creates his own brand of music, is misunderstood, and ultimately disappointed by the music industry. “I’m Not Famous” is the story of a man searching for his own identity, and it’s as heartfelt as it is entertaining.
A Film To Remember
Pattinson, who is best known for his starring role as Eugene in the Divergent series as well as its companion series, The Divergent Ascendancy, has a special connection to “I’m Not Famous”. As he puts it, “I’ve always loved movies and film and have been lucky enough to have been able to make a few myself.” He continued, “One of the first films I remember taking my parents and my brother out to see was Searching for Sugar Man. It was such an inspirational story about a struggling musician who wanted to create his own success. We had all just come out of the movie theater when the song ‘Sugar Man’ by Joni Mitchell came on the radio. It was new and it was different, and it stuck with us for days.”
Pattinson isn’t the only one who saw the potential in this under-appreciated gem. The song, which was originally performed by Joni Mitchell in 1972, has been covered by numerous artists, including Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, and Joe Cocker. (It even earned Mitchell a Grammy Award.) Mitchell has since acknowledged that “Sugar Man” was based on her life, stating, “It was written about a man named David Gates, who was a dear friend of mine. I will always be grateful to him for showing me what it was like to be a struggling songwriter.”
A Musician’s Life
Many modern artists can lay claim to being among the most influential musicians of all time. Whether you agree with that or not, the men and women profiled here have certainly left an impact on the world of music.