deefstes
So what does Phil Lynnot and Phil Collins have in common other than their first names? Both were frontmen for a band (Thin Lizzy and Genesis respectively) and both played an instrument other than guitar (Bass and drums respectively).
Let's have some more artists who fall in that category.
singemonkey
This could be a rather long list dude.
Mick Jagger: harmonica
Robert Plant: harmonica
Ozzy Osbourne: harmonica
Howlin' Wolf: harmonica
Chris Robinson: harmonica
Ian Anderson: Flute
Sting: Bass
Bob-Dubery
deefstes wrote:
So what does Phil Lynnot and Phil Collins have in common other than their first names? Both were frontmen for a band (Thin Lizzy and Genesis respectively) and both played an instrument other than guitar (Bass and drums respectively).
Let's have some more artists who fall in that category.
Dave Clarke of the Dave Clarke Five.
Manfred Mann
Keith Emerson
Ginger Baker
Cozy Powell
Arguably Jack Bruce
Bruce Hornsby
must be a lot more....
Do we include vocalists who didn't or seldom played guitar? If so then there's Jagger, Plant, Bono etc etc etc
Can we include frontwomen as well? Then we have Maddy Prior, Sandy Denny and Annie Haslam (to name but three off of the top of my head).
deefstes
singemonkey wrote:
This could be a rather long list dude.
Sure, and I'm hoping it will be ?
Squonk
can you define frontman? Is it the Vocalist or the driving force of the band?
Dinosaur-Snr
Guys! You are forgetting the BEST non-guitar-playing-frontman of them all!!
Geddy Lee from RUSH!!
Sorry I just had to punt one of my fav bands of all time. ?
singemonkey
I think the idea here is that they play another instrument that isn't a guitar. Not just singers who don't play any instrument.
deefstes
My idea was to post frontmen who plays a different instrument than guitar (I reckon the list will be vast if you consider vocals an instrument) but go ahead and post whoever you feel like celebrating. By frontman I meant the lead singer but if your definition is "driving force behind the band" then go for it too.
Just post the name of the band and the instrument played as well (so I don't have to google all of them) ?
Another one for the list:
Sting (bass guitar)
O, he performed in the Police - just so I don't break my own rule ?
prince
I saw a dvd where Bryan Adams was playing a bass, then saw him in Durban playing "a real 6 string" plus he does all the vocals. Dunno if that's what you mean.
X-rated Bob mentioned Ginger Baker.....do you know he lives in South Africa? Used to live outside Howick then moved to the Cape somewhere. {hijack off}
Squonk
It is confusing, but if you mean a Lead Vocalist who doesn't play guitar, then it changes the game a bit.
Ginger Baker wouldn't fit in this category then, even if he did live in RSA ?
Don Henley would qualify, although he wasn't the only vocalist for The Eagles!
If Phil Lynott qualifies then I suppose Roger Waters of Pink Floyd would too!
Dennis de Young - Styx , Keyboards
Jon Anderson of Yes, multi instrumentalist
Gary Brooker - Procol Harum , Piano
Robert Wyatt - Soft Machine , Drums
I am sure there are millions of others
IceCreamMan
Lemmy !!! nuff said
Bob-Dubery
WHo caught Jools Holland's show on DSTV last night? There was a very good non-guitaring, instrument playing front man in action - Georgie Fame
inflames
Peter Steele - Type O Negative - Bass Player and lead vocals!
PeteM
Don't know how far back you want to go but there are plenty of musos that fronted their own bands (although not necessarily given a name other than e.g. The Ray Charles Quintet.). I've named a few who I think made an impact on the music scene.
Louis Armstrong - Trumpet
Fats Waller - Piano
Fats Domino - Piano
Little Richard - Piano
Jerry Lee Lewis - Piano
Ray Charles - Piano
Miles Davis - Trumpet and Keyboards
Quincy Jones - Trumpet
Billy Joel - Piano and Trumpet
Elton John - Piano
David Bowie - Sax
Sheryl Crow - keyboard including Wurlitzer on her latest album.
Okay not many rockers in there but playing instruments other than the guitar tends to put them into another genre.
I'll post some more when I think of them.
Bob-Dubery
Several of the frontpersons mentioned here are actually more than useful guitar players - Joel, Ian Anderson, Sting, Jagger have all played guitar on records and on stage. I think that there's many a frontperson who CAN actually play an instrument at a good level but sees their job as selling the song to the audience. Bruce Springsteen and Joan Armatrading both get seen playing lots of rhythm guitar but are actually both very fine players. Ian Anderson is a classic example - concentrating on fronting the band but is a fine player of several instruments. Axl Rose plays decent piano. Who here has heard Cliff Richard playing guitar?
Seventhson
Tom Araya bass.
DaFiz
Jack Bruce (bass) Cream
James Dewar (bass) Robin Trower Band :-\
Hammeron
Dunno if these guys have been mentioned yet:
Ian Gillan {Deep Purple} - Bongos, tambourine and harmonica.
Tom Araya {Slayer} - Bass
Ronnie James Dio-RIP {Elf} - Bass
Even Ozzy and Rob Halford {Judas Priest} have been known to play harmonica.
In fact, very few lead singers/frontmen of Heavy metal/Hard rock outfits do play the guitar. IMO.
prince
Roger Daltry of The Who - tamborine and harmonica
[deleted]
Tom Jones - Pensioners
Joe Cocker - Imaginary flyswatting
Gary Glitter - Fiddle
Marvin Gaye - Moving target
