# Bands named for a member that is not the lead singer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 26, 2023, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716 "2023-11-26T11:59:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/41 "2023-11-27T00:43:51Z")
In Van Halen’s case, there was Eddie, his brother Alex on drums, and later Eddie’s son Wolfgang on bass. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/42 "2023-11-27T00:49:30Z")
Sure, but in both cases, the act was named after the musicians (Ted Nugent, Eddie & Alex Van Halen), and not after the lead singers (Derek St. Holmes, David Lee Roth/Sammy Hagar). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/43 "2023-11-27T00:57:36Z")
Lothar and the Hand People. Lothar was the name of their theremin, certainly a member of the group. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/44 "2023-11-27T01:12:15Z")
> [@Galactus](#): > > Is Santana or Van Halen the name of a band, other than the guitarist? If only the last name is used it elevates it to band name? Well, yeah, Van Halen is the name of the band, as well as the surname of two musicians. VH had very steady membership, with 2 lead singers. And many people went to see them to see David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar. I just have no idea whether Nugent’s band has the same continuity of members, and I could not name another member. Didn’t his backing band used to be The Amboy Dukes? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/45 "2023-11-27T01:57:33Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I just have no idea whether Nugent’s band has the same continuity of members, and I could not name another member. Didn’t his backing band used to be The Amboy Dukes? Sort of. They didn’t start that way. The first few albums they were The Amboy Dukes. After several years Nugent was the only original member and he changed the name to Ted Nugent and The Amboy Dukes. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/46 "2023-11-27T01:59:54Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > VH had very steady membership, with 2 lead singers Three, although Gary Cherone wasn’t as successful at it as the other two. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/47 "2023-11-27T02:02:54Z")
Jethro Tull and Steely Dan! I kid, but you’d be surprised how many think those were actually people in the band. Answering the question: Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow ---
**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/48 "2023-11-27T02:10:06Z")
> [@Disinfectus](#): > > Jethro Tull and Steely Dan! > > I kid, but you’d be surprised how many think those were actually people in the band. Like Pink Floyd and Hootie and the Blowfish. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/49 "2023-11-27T02:25:49Z")
Derek Trucks Band - lead singer is Mike Mattison. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/50 "2023-11-27T02:30:57Z")
> [@pirviii](#): > > > [@Disinfectus](#): > > > > Jethro Tull and Steely Dan! > > > > I kid, but you’d be surprised how many think those were actually people in the band. > > Like Pink Floyd and Hootie and the Blowfish… Pink Floyd famously made fun of the fact in the song, “Have A Cigar”, a song that ironically was not sung by a member of the band. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/51 "2023-11-27T02:51:44Z")
It’s hard to know who is in The Dead Kennedys. Mr 6025 comes to mind. Pretty sure no one is a Kennedy. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/52 "2023-11-27T03:09:46Z")
That’s Little Charlie and the Night **cats**. The Nighthawks are a different blues band. Both are excellent! ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/53 "2023-11-27T03:34:11Z")
> [@Disinfectus](#): > > Jethro Tull and Steely Dan! > > I kid, but you’d be surprised how many think those were actually people in the band. Or Buffalo Springfield. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/54 "2023-11-27T03:36:04Z")
And they were a trio. The lead singer of Bob Kuban and the In-Men was Walter Scott Notheis, who met an unfortunate end at the hands of another member of a love hexagon he’d gotten caught up in. Kuban was the drummer, and still performs per his Wiki article. > **[Bob Kuban](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Kuban)** > > Robert "Bob" Kuban (born August 19, 1940) is an American musician and bandleader. > Kuban was born in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and was graduated from the St. Louis Institute of Music. In the early 1960s, Kuban was a music teacher and band director at Bishop DuBourg High School, a Catholic secondary school in St. Louis. > In 1964, he formed the group Bob Kuban and The In-Men. Kuban was both its drummer and the bandleader. The group was an eight-piece band with horns, somewhat of a throw... ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/55 "2023-11-27T03:37:08Z")
> [@bryanmaguire](#): > > Thompson Twins are not named after ANY of the members. Ouch. You got me. I’m also guessing they’re not twins. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/56 "2023-11-27T04:17:44Z")
Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation Thunderclap Newman ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/57 "2023-11-27T09:03:30Z")
There was three in the most successful incarnation of the group. Originally 4 or 5. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/58 "2023-11-27T09:10:29Z")
Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers might count. A lot of their songs do feature vocals, and Steve is the lead on some of these, but not enough that I’d call him the group’s overall lead singer. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/59 "2023-11-27T09:43:28Z")
Another full match: - Kool & the Gang, named for Robert “Kool” Bell, the bassist. Half matches: - The Allman Brothers Band was named for brothers Duane and Gregg Allman, but only Gregg was the vocalist. - The Carpenters was named for siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter. Both of them sang, but Karen was the lead. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716/60 "2023-11-27T12:10:57Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > That’s Little Charlie and the Night **cats**. The Nighthawks are a different blues band. Both are excellent Yes! Thank you. Mark Stutso and Mark Wenner are both friends. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-for-a-member-that-is-not-the-lead-singer/993716.md?page=4)