'I enjoyed listening to Madonna, but I'll pass for now': Rejection letters sent to the world's most successful people revealed

Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, U2, Gertrude Stein and Tim Burton were all turned away by their respective industries before they became famous

It seems that even the world's most talented people faced rejection before they became household names.

Letters collected by Mental Floss reveal how Madonna, Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath and even Gertrude Stein were turned away by their respective industries before making it big.



Madonna was rejected by the music producer behind Dirty Dancing's soundtrack the year before she debuted her first album, meanwhile The Museum of Modern Art turned away Warhol in 1956, and in 1962 Sylvia Plath was dismissed by the New Yorker.

While there is no date on this rejection letter sent to Madonna's team, it was clearly before she signed with Sire Records in 1982, a year before she released her first, self-titled album

While there is no date on a rejection letter sent to Madonna’s team, it was clearly before she signed with Sire Records in 1982, a year before she released her first, self-titled album (which has sold more than ten million copies worldwide).



The letter is from music producer Jerermy Ienner, who is responsible for the music in films such as Dirty Dancing, Sister Act and White men Can't Jump.

Mr Ienner felt that Madonna 'was not ready yet' to have a full album produced and that he would 'pass for now'.

Letters collected by Mental Floss reveal how Madonna and Andy Warhol were turned away by their respective industries before making it big

A few phone calls reveal that the letter is part of the archives at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, according to the Andy Warhol Foundation. The letter is dated Oct. 18, 1956, and is addressed to Warhol at 242 Lexington Ave., New York. - See more at: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/10/moma-owns-up-to-warhol-rejection-letter-from-1956.html#sthash.zfzIgjHI.dpuf Today, MoMA owns 168 of Warhol’s pieces.

The rejection letter is part of the archives at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh - dated 1956, the MOMA notified Warhol that its collections committee had decided to turn down the drawing Shoe

In a letter dated 1956, the MOMA notified Warhol that its collections committee had decided to turn down the drawing Shoe, which the artist, who had moved to New York seven years prior to work in advertising, had offered as a gift.

'I regret that I must report to you that the Committee decided, after careful consideration, that they ought not to accept it for our Collection,' wrote the museum's Alfred H. Barr Jr.



Today, the MOMA owns more than 100 of Warhol's pieces, including Gold Marilyn and Campbell's Soup Cans, both created in 1962.

The rejection letter is part of the archives at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, according to the Andy Warhol Foundation.

In 1912, when Gertrude Stein was just two years shy of her 40th birthday, she had a hard time selling the manuscript for The Making of Americans (finally published in 1925) to publishers

Even critically acclaimed writers Slyvia Plath (left) and Gertrude Stein (right) struggled to get the attention of publishers before they became household names

In 1962, two years after having considerable success with The Colossus and Other Poems, The New Yorker editor Howard Moss rejected Sylvia Plath's poem Amnesiac - but admitted that 'Perhaps we're being dense'

The same year that Bono , The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr., and Adam Clayton released U2's first ever single 11 O’Clock Tick Tock in Dublin, they had been rejected by London-based RSO Records.

In a letter to Bono (born Paul Hewson), RSO Records deamed U2 as 'not suitable for us at present.' But despite the setback, they signed with Island records that same year.

In 1912, when Gertrude Stein was just two years shy of her 40th birthday, she had a hard time selling the manuscript for The Making of Americans to publishers.

Arthur C. Fifield, a publisher from London, was one such publisher and told Stein that 'hardly one copy would sell'. The book was eventually published in 1925 and is still available for purchase today.

The same year that Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr., and Adam Clayton released U2's first ever single 11 O'Clock Tick Tock in Dublin, they had been rejected by London-based RSO Records

As far as rejection goes, Walt Disney went easy on Tim Burton -- in 1976, while still in high school, Burton sent a copy of his children's book, The Giant Zlig, to Walt Disney Productions for publication consideration

In the mid 80s, Jim Lee, one of the world's best-known figures in the world of comic books, was rejected by Marvel Comics, a company he now runs

In 1962, two years after having considerable success with The Colossus and Other Poems , The New Yorker editor Howard Moss rejected Sylvia Plath’s poem Amnesiac - but admitted that 'Perhaps we’re being dense' in having trouble with it.

Plath famously said that she loves her rejection slips, and collected hoardes of them because: 'They show me I try.'



And as far as rejection goes, Walt Disney went easy on Tim Burton. In 1976, while still in high school, Burton sent a copy of his children’s book, The Giant Zlig, to Walt Disney Productions for publication consideration.

