Famous Celebrity Recluses: Johnny Carson, Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett, Author Harper Lee and More

Billionaire Howard Hughes, author J.D. Salinger, and singer Michael Jackson are probably the most famous of all recluses. There have been many over the years. Some quit the spotlight because they simply couldn't endure the pressures of fame and the constant media scrutiny. Others suffered from debilitating mental illnesses like agoraphobia. And then there were still others who have been thought to be recluses, but go about their normal daily lives while refusing any further contact with the media.

Johnny Carson was of the latter variety. In one of his few interviews since his 1992 retirement, the former late night television host said, "I'm not gregarious. I'm a loner. I've always been that way."

In fact, he remained active after his retirement, playing tennis, sailing, and even going on safari trips. He even had two humor pieces published in The New Yorker. In 2005, Johnny Carson died at age 79 of a respiratory ailment.

Syd Barrett

On July 11, 2006, former Pink Floyd lead singer and creative genius Syd Barrett died, surprising most fans who thought he'd died years earlier.

Barrett left the group in 1968 at the very point where they were about to achieve worldwide fame. He retreated to the basement of his mother's house in Cambridge, where he recorded two solo albums, boarding up all basement windows to keep out fans and the media. It was said that his retreat was due to excessive use of LSD.

He stayed in his mother's house until his death. In his later years, he painted pictures and gardened.

Band member David Gilmour commented, "I'll say the psychedelic experience might well have acted as the catalyst. Still, I just don't think he could deal with the vision of success and all the things that went with it."

The Pink Floyd song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" was said to be a tribute to Syd Barrett.

Steve Ditko

The Spider-man character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. Unlike Syd Barrett, most comic fans think that Ditko is still creating his genius illustrations for Marvel Comics. In truth, he left Marvel in 1966 after a dispute with Stan Lee and his growing allegiance to the libertarian philosophy of Ayn Rand. Ditko went on to self-publish comics that espoused these decidedly right wing beliefs.

In 1975, he returned to the mainstream, creating one title "Shade, the Changing Man" for DC Comics.

While Ditko has refused to give interviews and make public appearances since 1966, he isn't considered to be a total recluse. Throughout the years, he has maintained a low output of work for survival income, illustrating for the likes of DC, Dark Horse, and even uncredited work for Marvel.

Even though he was co-creator of Spider-man, Steve Ditko has refused to make a legal claim for royalties.

Harper Lee

In 2006, with the release of "Capote", the Truman Capote film bio, "To Kill a Mockingbird" author Harper Lee granted her first interview in forty years. A close childhood friend of Capote, she was portrayed in the film.

At age 79, she lives with her 95-year-old sister in Monroeville, Alabama. She only leaves her hometown to attend annual writer contest award ceremonies at the University of Alabama, her alma mater. In her 2006 interview with The New York Times, Lee had mostly talked about the writer awards ceremony.

Bill Watterson

In 1995, Bill Watterson, creator of the successful "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strip, retired the strip at the peak of its popularity. He hasn't made a public appearance since his retirement at age 37.

Dave Chapelle

In 2005, comedian Dave Chapelle walked away from a $50 million deal to continue his hit Comedy Central television series, "Chapelle's Show." In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, he said that he left the show after questioning the moral integrity of some of the show's material, especially a sketch where he appeared in blackface. While Chapelle may be considered a recluse by Comedy Central, he has made several surprise appearances, particularly a record-breaking six hour concert performance in 2007 at Hollywood's Laugh Factory.

Chapelle now lives in the small college town of Yellow Springs, Ohio with his family.

SOURCES:

"Johnny Carson, 79, doyen of late-night television", Stephen Miller, New York Sun, URL: (http://www.nysun.com/article/8132?page_no=3)

"The Amazing Steve Ditko", Douglas Wolk, Salon Magazine, URL: (http://dir.salon.com/story/books/review/2005/06/03/ditko/index_np.html?pn=2)

"Steve Ditko", Jeet Heer, National Post, URL: (http://www.jeetheer.com/comics/ditko.htm)

"The madcap's last laugh", Xan Brooks, Guardian, URL: (http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/culturevulture/archives/2006/07/11/the_piper_who_s.html)

"Mockingbird author steps out of the shadows", Paul Harris, Observer, URL: (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,1702558,00.html)

http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/calvinandhobbes/interview_text.html

"The Tiger strikes again", Neely Tucker, Washington Post, URL: (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/03/AR2005100301754.html)

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-09-11-chappelle-ohio_x.htm