It's not that people with talent don't have to work hard to learn the skills necessary to do and keep their jobs, it's more that they have an undefinable ability to excel at what they do. The Beatles, the Stones, Clapton were talented. They garnered millions of fans when they were in their 20's, after just a couple of years in the business. Spielberg, Coppola, Kubrick, Hitchcock were talented. Picasso was talented. What they did clicked with tens of millions of people. It was unique and fresh and people loved it and still do decades later. These people are all rarities. 10,000 people audition for American idol and one very talented person gets to win the title. None of these people had connections. What they had was talent and a work ethic that was recognized and which propelled them to the top of their fields. A million other people without that talent can learn the skills but they can't do what these people did.