# Best Jewish Rock Musicians? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 16, 2005, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258 "2005-08-16T13:25:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/21 "2005-08-16T16:20:50Z")
Don’t forget Joe Strummer. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/22 "2005-08-16T16:24:07Z")
[JEWISH ROCKERS’ ETHNIC BIRTH NAMES REVEALED](http://www.aphrodigitaliac.com/mm/archive/1999/09/13/) Goy Stage Name / Jewish Birth Name Manfred Mann (Mountain) / Manfred Lubowitz Leslie West (Mountain) / Leslie Weinstein Magic Dick (J. Geils Band) / Richard Salwitz Elliot Easton (Cars) / Elliot Steinberg Phoebe Snow (singer) / Phoebe Laub Janis Ian (folk singer) / Janis Fink Carole King (songwriter) / Carole Klein Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction) / Perry Bernstein Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac) / Peter Greenbaum Gene Simmons (KISS) / Chaim Witz Paul Stanley (KISS) / Stanley Eisen ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/23 "2005-08-16T16:45:22Z")
Robby Krieger of The Doors is jewish. ---
**Author:** ![zeldarae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/f14d63/32.png) [@zeldarae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeldarae)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/24 "2005-08-16T17:14:23Z")
Would Lenny Kravitz actually qualify? His mother, Roxie Roker, was not born Jewish and therefore Lenny isn’t really Jewish, at least if you follow Orthodoxy. Please correct me if I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/25 "2005-08-16T17:41:50Z")
Courtesy of Dave Marsh: Al Kooper Marc Bolan Randy California (Spirit) Dick Dale Peter Wolf Zal Yanovsky (Lovin’ Spoonful) Karla Bonoff Lotte Golden Leslie Gore Ellie Greenwich Leah Kunkel Bette Midler Genya Raven ---
**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:** [August 16, 2005, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/26 "2005-08-16T18:09:03Z")
**Paul Shaffer** (Letterman’s bandleader) **Peter Himmelman** (Dylan’s son-in-law) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/27 "2005-08-16T18:18:09Z")
I thought **Mick Jones** was jewish, not Joe Strummer. **Charlie Watts** is jewish and so is **Beck**. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/28 "2005-08-16T18:55:08Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > Me. Ha ha, I wish. You are allowed to convert you know, so all is not lost. 😉 ;j > [@zeldarae](#): > > Would Lenny Kravitz actually qualify? His mother, Roxie Roker, was not born Jewish and therefore Lenny isn’t really Jewish, at least if you follow Orthodoxy. > > Please correct me if I’m wrong. Yes, he’d qualify, as non-orthodox Jews are still Jews. ---
**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:** [August 16, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/29 "2005-08-16T19:24:55Z")
> [@An Arky](#): > > **Charlie Watts** is jewish Any cite for that? It seems a bit unlikely to me. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/30 "2005-08-16T19:34:03Z")
There are a few sites referring to a “list of jews” and he’s on it. I’ll try to find a more authoratative site in a bit. [Cite](http://www.brainyencyclopedia.com/encyclopedia/l/li/list_of_jews.html#Arts%20(Performing)) ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/31 "2005-08-16T19:36:04Z")
One of Courtney Love’s parents is Jewish. I think it’s her mother. ---
**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:** [August 16, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/32 "2005-08-16T20:01:46Z")
> [@An Arky](#): > > There are a few sites referring to a “list of jews” and he’s on it. I’ll try to find a more authoratative site in a bit. > > [Cite](http://www.brainyencyclopedia.com/encyclopedia/l/li/list_of_jews.html#Arts%20(Performing)) Well, the rest of that list looks right, so I guess they’re most likely right about Charlie, too. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/33 "2005-08-16T20:49:06Z")
Iggy Pop Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) Bob Marley (Jewish dad, black mom) Geddy Lee (Rush) Pat Benatar ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/34 "2005-08-16T20:49:19Z")
Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo is pretty rockin’ - I’ve seen him really maul some guitars. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/35 "2005-08-16T21:13:58Z")
I thought Dick Dale was Lebanese. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/36 "2005-08-16T21:16:02Z")
> [@Argent Towers](#): > > I thought Dick Dale was Lebanese. Doesn’t mean he can’t be Jewish as well. I don’t know if he is, but location isn’t a determining factor. ---
**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:** [August 16, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/37 "2005-08-16T21:22:21Z")
Tiny Tim, who appears on some of those Jewish musicians lists, was also Lebanese–his real name was Herbert Boutros Khaury. But he was Jewish on his mom’s side. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/38 "2005-08-16T21:54:48Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > You are allowed to convert you know, so all is not lost. 😉 ;j Actually, I’m already Jewish, I just don’t qualify as one of the “best rock musicians” as per the OP. ;j ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/39 "2005-08-16T22:06:45Z")
The Beastie Boys’ Mike D (Mike Diamond), MCA (Adam Yauch), and Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) are all Jewish. My WAG is to include D.C. Berman, leader of a Pavement side project called The Silver Jews (along with Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich). I dunno if any of the Pavement guys (including Scott “Spiral Stairs” Kannberg) is Jewish. Aaron Freeman of Ween (he’s “Gene Ween”) certainly has a Jewish-sounding name. Ditto for singer-songwriter Randy Newman and bassist Tony Levin (King Crimson). There’s also Jon Fishman (drummer, formerly of Phish) and white-hot producer David Fridmann (Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips). Other possibilities OTTOMH: Chris Stein (Blondie), the late, great Mark Sandman (Morphine), Robert Schneider (Apples In Stereo)… ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258/40 "2005-08-16T22:36:59Z")
Perry Farrell… That reminds me of a fun anecdote from a Jane’s Addiction show I went to (way back on their Nothing’s Shocking tour). There were a couple dozen skinheads doing a big circle-stomp thingamajig up front during the show, generally annoying everyone as they are wont. After one of the songs Perry stopped and started talking to them… Perry: “What the hell are you? Do you think you’re cool or something?” Skinheads yelling “yeah” and pumping fists in agreement Perry:" You bunch of nazi idiots. You know I’m jewish? You realize that you’ve just paid money to come and dance for a jew?" The crowd roars with laughter and starts cheering, skinheads look at each other in confusion. Perry: “Get the fuck out. We aren’t playing until they’re gone.” Security then ushered out the skinheads. ;j [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-jewish-rock-musicians/317258.md?page=3)