 He embarked on a solo career despite ill health and disillusionment with commercial success, and often worked in collaboration with Mick Ronson, David Bowie's sideman and arranger from "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" period.Mott the Hoople achieved a certain level of commercial success, and attracted a small but devoted fan base.As a solo artist, Hunter charted with lesser-known but more wide-ranging works outside the rock mainstream.