# Are There Any Predominantly Black Rock/Alternative Bands? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 22, 2005, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584 "2005-04-22T12:32:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/41 "2005-04-23T01:49:09Z")
The original (and way cooler) singer of Faith No More was black. There’s a black guy in the (non racist) skinhead band The Templars. I imagine you have to have a pretty big set of balls to be a black guy in a skinhead band. I’m disapointed that it took so long for someone to mention Bad Brains. Bad Brains (now Soul Brains) were so great that us punks didn’t even mind their religious and sometimes homophobic lyrics. I’m looking forward to their new album. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/42 "2005-04-23T01:58:25Z")
Well, old guys like me still remember the Doobie Brothers, who used to have Tiran Porter on bass and Cornelius Bumphus on sax and keyboards. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/43 "2005-04-23T03:10:35Z")
> [@ZeroGyro](#): > > Wooten who? If your talking about Victor Wooten, you’re getting your black bassists confused. Muzz Skillings and Doug Wimbish have been the only two bassists for the band. I don’t think you should be so critical of people “with little or no knowledge of music.” :smack: I meant Wimbish, not Wooten! [Redneck]They all look the same to me.[/Redneck] ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/44 "2005-04-23T05:29:39Z")
> [@nitroglycerine](#): > > I’m disapointed that it took so long for someone to mention Bad Brains. Bad Brains (now Soul Brains) were so great that us punks didn’t even mind their religious and sometimes homophobic lyrics. I’m looking forward to their new album. I mentioned them in post #3. ---
**Author:** ![hopesperson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@hopesperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hopesperson)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/45 "2005-04-23T16:09:10Z")
> [@nitroglycerine](#): > > I’m disapointed that it took so long for someone to mention Bad Brains. Bad Brains (now Soul Brains) were so great that us punks didn’t even mind their religious and sometimes homophobic lyrics. I’m looking forward to their new album. I re-mentioned them in post #11. Thanks again, **Big Bad Voodoo Lou**. ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/46 "2005-04-24T00:34:52Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > I mentioned them in post #3. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/47 "2005-04-24T00:50:12Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > One member of the alternative group Bloc Party is black too, but I’m guessing 97% of people who read the this thread have never heard of them. I’m listening to then right now, so there. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/48 "2005-04-24T00:52:29Z")
Oh, I forgot to mention–[Res](http://resmusic.com) has kind of an R&B-flavored style, but she’s definately not straight R&B. The hidden track on her “How I Do” is a rockin’ alternative song. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/49 "2005-04-24T01:03:40Z")
> [@Mirror Image egamI rorriM](#): > > I’m listening to then right now, so there. That’d make you part of the 3% I calculated might have heard of them 😛 ---
**Author:** ![threeorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@threeorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threeorange)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/50 "2005-04-24T14:22:06Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Cyprus Hill’s mainly a rap group but they’ve made forays into Metalland. \*Rock SuperStar \* is the starting song for my jogging list. If I’m not mistaken, the members of Cypress HIll are not black, but Mexican-American. ---
**Author:** ![threeorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@threeorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threeorange)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/51 "2005-04-24T14:36:56Z")
> [@Mirror Image egamI rorriM](#): > > Oh, I forgot to mention–[Res](http://resmusic.com) has kind of an R&B-flavored style, but she’s definately not straight R&B. The hidden track on her “How I Do” is a rockin’ alternative song. I love her! And if you like this type of guitar-oriented “rock-flavored” R&B, you might want to check out **Dionne Farris** and **Family Stand**. ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/52 "2005-04-25T01:07:44Z")
There’s a great band called The Bellrays, a punk/soul band featuring one of the best female singers ever who happens to be black. Think Aretha Franklin fronting the MC5 to get an idea of what they sound like. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/53 "2005-04-25T13:35:04Z")
More replies than expected. So, apparently, there are quite a few, but not too many on the national super-popular MTV scene. To the person who mentioned Jimi Hendrix : I was looking for the now. Present tense. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/54 "2005-04-26T16:40:12Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > To the person who mentioned Jimi Hendrix : I was looking for the now. Present tense. 😉 Leon Hendrix has taken over where his brother left off. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-predominantly-black-rock-alternative-bands/300584/56 "2011-12-14T15:17:04Z")
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