It's what i've been saying for some time. A musical career that's successful is determined by
how a performer . People see something odd or unusual in a performer and often
are dismissive. It's in the culture. There are those odd looking types that reflect a style of performance that's acceptable because they . (Leon Redbone comes to mind.) Often, not in Redbone's case, their appearances give an effect regardless of their musicality. The visual often gets a priority.

A similar situation occurred recently when a very small man (a midget by some standards)
possessed a marvelous baritone voice and has become well-known over the world at least in musician circles if not to the general public.

This principle even carries over into the traditional folk music world. As much as many folkies would like to be immune from this superficial visual evaluation of a performer,
they are often sucked in to like performers who fit a folk stereotype without evaluating
the musical output.

It's a lesson in suspending judgement until the talent is assessed.