Who would have thought that impoverished white kid from the slums of Detroit would become one of the greatest rappers of all-time? Apparently, he did especially being that he grew up reading the dictionary in order to increase his vocabulary for rhymes. With the help of Dr. Dre, Eminem was able to rise to prominence with his 1999 album, The Slim Shady LP, which gained him an insane following selling millions of records. His next album, The Marshall Mathers LP, took listeners on a journey into his dark and twisted mind as he rapped about his struggles with his mother and girlfriend.
Throughout his career, his projects have sparked controversy about domestic abuse and sociopathic behavior but Eminem reassured the public that it was pure entertainment until years later he revealed via his music that he struggled with prescription pain pill addiction that forced him to seek help. Now, the Detroit rapper continues to make music, which some might say is declining but as long as his health is intact and he's mentally stable all is well and he will remain another legend in the culture as well.
When we think of inventors, the image that comes to mind is usually that of a frazzled scientist toiling away in a lab, not celebrities pulled from the pages of Us Weekly. However, a number of well-known public figures hold patents for various innovations. Some are related to the work that made them famous, while others are offshoots of hobbies or just a single great idea.
Part of guitar wizard Eddie Van Halen's signature sound was his two-handed tapping technique, but letting all ten fingers fly while simultaneously holding up the guitar's neck could get a bit tricky. Van Halen came up with a novel way to get around this problem, though; he invented a support (top) that could flip out of the back of his axe's body to raise and stabilize the fretboard so he could tap out searing songs like "Eruption." While Van Halen was obviously interested in improving his guitar work, the patent application he filed in 1985 notes that the device would work with any stringed instrument. Want to tap out a scorching mandolin solo? Find someone selling Eddie's device.
It’s probably not surprising that James Cameron—who designed a submersible to take him to the deepest known part of the ocean—will often invent technology to make his films if what he needs doesn’t exist. He holds a number of patents, including US Patent No. 4996938, “apparatus for propelling a user in an underwater environment,” that he and his brother, Michael, created to film The Abyss and patented in 1989. The device is basically an underwater dolly equipped with propellers that makes it easy for a camera operator to maneuver in the water—and allowed Cameron to capture the shots he wanted for the 1989 film, part of which was filmed in an abandoned nuclear reactor.
In 1987 Jamie Lee Curtis designed and patented a disposable diaper that included a waterproof pocket that held baby wipes. She hasn't profited from her idea yet, though, since she refuses to license the patent until diaper companies make biodegradable products.
You know him as a rock legend, but Neil Young also loves trains—so much that he owns a stake in a model train manufacturing company and has an extensive collection. He also holds seven patents related to model trains, including Patent No. US5441223, "Model train controller using electromagnetic field between track and ground."