# Actors and Comedians turned "musicians" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 9, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465 "2009-04-09T02:05:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/61 "2009-04-09T21:22:44Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > The M.G.s, right? Dunn and Cropper were part of the MGs, but Murphy was not. Cropper played on a lot of Stax hits, including the original Sam & Dave version of “Soul Man.” So, on both the Sam & Dave version AND on the Blues Brothers remakes, when the singer shouts “Play it, Steve,” it’s THE Steve Cropper playing. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/62 "2009-04-09T21:29:28Z")
[Dudley Moore](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudley_Moore) was well known as an actor and a superb musician throughout his career. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/63 "2009-04-09T21:30:27Z")
For those of you who don’t know this, Kelsey Grammar, David Hyde Pierce and Bebe Neuwirth are all accomplished musical theatre actors. ETA: Sunday’s Simpsons was a rerun of the one where Sideshow Bob did opera. That night I dreamed that I ran into Kelsey minus the stage makeup but still in the clown costume. He explained he just came from doing the show. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/64 "2009-04-09T22:05:38Z")
Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees was actually an actor since childhood (“Circus Boy” title role and a number of non-repeating roles) who was hired to portray a drummer/singer in a band. He turned out to have a fairly good singing voice – singing lead on two #1 hits would, I think qualify. He also wrote several eminently forgettable songs. Perhaps the most interesting thing about him, though, is that he tested for the part of Arthur Fonzarelli in a new show spinning off the fame of American Graffiti called “Happy Days.” (Insert obligatory “jumping the shark” reference here. ;)) ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/65 "2009-04-09T22:13:48Z")
Speaking of actors in musical theater, there is also Neil Patrick Harris of Doogie Howser fame. (This not counting his participation in the excellent Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog of course) ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/66 "2009-04-10T00:13:01Z")
I totally forgot my favorite one! [Brandon Cruz](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Cruz), the kid from **The Courtship of Eddie’s Father** and later the lead singer for the **Dead Kennedys** and now **Dr. Know**! ---
**Author:** ![mariposalabrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@mariposalabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mariposalabrown)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/67 "2009-04-10T02:28:16Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I totally forgot my favorite one! [Brandon Cruz](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Cruz), the kid from **The Courtship of Eddie’s Father** and later the lead singer for the **Dead Kennedys** and now **Dr. Know**! What a second…not a big Dead Kennedy’s fan, did he pick up after Jello Biafra? That’s very cool! ETA: Yeah, right there in the link. That is still really awesome, though. Do you like him on vocals? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/68 "2009-04-10T02:40:43Z")
Bill Mumy has recorded both under his own name and as half of Barnes and Barnes. Then there’s good ol’ [Doctor Kildare](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Chamberlain_Sings). ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/69 "2009-04-10T12:18:42Z")
Jeremy Irons was in the Original London Cast of Godspell, along with David Essex, Marti Webb, Julie Covington and Gay Sopher, all of whom made their marks in musicals. Nobody seems to remember the name of the casting agent who spotted all that young talent. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/70 "2009-04-10T13:45:57Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > [snark] Speaking of LIMITED success! [/snark] > > To turn it around, The Beatles were surprisingly entertaining in their movies. > > Oh, and the Blues Brothers owe much of their success to that they hired one of the BEST EFFING! backup bands, ever. Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn, and Matt “Guitar” Murphy? Few compare. For sure. I live in Nashville and have had the chance to play with some world class musicians. It’s amazing what they bring out of you and how much better everything is. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/71 "2009-04-10T13:48:13Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > [Jared Leto](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Leto) plays bass and is the lead singer in 30 Seconds to Mars. I couldn’t remember his name but I know my daughter loves the band ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/72 "2009-04-10T14:16:23Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I think several different phenomena are getting confused here. > > When an “actor” or “comedian” takes a stab at a singing/recording career, there are several possibilities: > > 1. The performer has always been a “triple threat.” He/she sang and danced all through drama school, and has worked in several media, including muisical theatre. He/she may have gained stardom and fame in a dramatic film, but has ALWAYS done a lot of singing. If he/she decides to make a record, it’s not REALLY so odd. Hugh Jackman and Mandy Patinkin, for instance, would fall into this category… John Barrowman, Captain Jack on _Doctor Who_ & _Torchwood_ is a fine example of your first group. The “Captain Jack Harkness” episode of _Torchwood_ featured a WWII style swing band; he took to the mike between scenes: [Anything Goes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-3ZI280EaE). More for musicals fans: The cast of _Mad Men_ has twice presented a [musical revue](http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2009/01/mad-men-live-revue-the-vegas-edition.html). Robert Morse (of course) & Bryan Batt are Broadway vets. Other cast members seemed glad of the opportunity to show what _else_ they could do. More shows ought to have “musical episodes.” ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/73 "2009-04-10T14:42:40Z")
Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander has a beautiful tenor voice, very surprising when you think about how annoying his George voice is. He won a Tony for Jerome Robbins’s Broadway. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/74 "2009-04-10T14:55:30Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > More shows ought to have “musical episodes.” What? No! Didn’t a “Let’s put on a show!” episode used to be de rigeur for TV shows? It’s bad enough in comedies, but hopelessly contrived in dramas. It’s okay if one _Buffy_ does it through magic and one _Six Feet Under_ does it in a dream sequence, but if everybody starts doing it … gah! Please, keep musicals away from my dramas. ---
**Author:** ![mrpayday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@mrpayday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrpayday)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/75 "2009-04-10T15:00:34Z")
Hayden Pannetiere put out this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFm6aJuoS70](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFm6aJuoS70) ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/76 "2009-04-10T15:25:18Z")
> [@mrpayday](#): > > Hayden Pannetiere put out this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFm6aJuoS70](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFm6aJuoS70) Speaking of music videos found on Youtube, Hillary Duff (of Lizzie Maguire fame) started making music a few years back, and came out with this one a few months ago: (NQSFW) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JStfziF4duQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Hilary Duff - Reach Out") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JStfziF4duQ) ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/77 "2009-04-10T15:46:52Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > 1. The performer has always been a “triple threat.” He/she sang and danced all through drama school, and has worked in several media, including muisical theatre. He/she may have gained stardom and fame in a dramatic film, but has ALWAYS done a lot of singing. If he/she decides to make a record, it’s not REALLY so odd. Hugh Jackman and Mandy Patinkin, for instance, would fall into this category. Absolutely, and a lot of the people in this thread fall into that catagory. This is especially true of middle-aged and older actors, especially if they are from the New York area, like Jason Alexander and Christopher Walken, because they were expected to sing and dance as well as act if they wanted to find enough work to keep them out of the hospitality industry. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/78 "2009-04-10T15:55:25Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Absolutely, and a lot of the people in this thread fall into that catagory. This is especially true of middle-aged and older actors, especially if they are from the New York area, like Jason Alexander and Christopher Walken, because they were expected to sing and dance as well as act if they wanted to find enough work to keep them out of the hospitality industry. A lot of people who haven’t seen “Pennies From Heaven” would would be surprised at Walken’s dancing skills. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/79 "2009-04-10T15:55:27Z")
Are we counting Jim Henson, whose muppets Kermit and Ernie were well established before each hit the Top 40 (Kermit with “It’s Not Easy Being Green” and “Rainbow Connection”, Ernie with “Rubber Ducky”)? ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465/80 "2009-04-10T17:38:15Z")
Jamie Foxx probably has some of the catchiest hip-hop songs out now. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2Jw24LbeV-w/hqdefault.jpg "5. Jamie Foxx - Blame It (On the Alcohol) (feat T-pain) - INTUITION") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jw24LbeV-w) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-comedians-turned-musicians/492465.md?page=5)