# Front men/women who can't play an instrument **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 15, 2021, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386 "2021-11-15T15:08:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/101 "2021-11-16T15:10:48Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Did Roger Daltrey play anything in The Who or just twirl a microphone? I remember Pete dissing Roger about his bad guitar playing in some fan magazine circa 1983. ---
**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 16, 2021, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/102 "2021-11-16T16:58:15Z")
Roger definitely knows how to play–was the lead guitarist in The Detours before Pete joined. Now, how good of a lead guitarist he was…well, skiffle bands of the day didn’t really require flashy players. His pre-gig warmup routine used to include strapping on a guitar and singing Johnny Cash songs: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SXytLIWIbm8/maxresdefault.jpg "Roger Daltrey warming up backstage 2006") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXytLIWIbm8) ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/103 "2021-11-16T18:00:57Z")
No argument from me - he’s probably the single best example of a frontman who was totally carried by his bandmates. I’m pretty sure they had to literally carry him out there on more than one occasion, too. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/104 "2021-11-16T18:14:13Z")
I was going to say Ian Gillan of Deep Purple, but I checked and he played drums (and sang) in the very early days of his career, playing community centers and the like. He decided he couldn’t do both and switched to vocals only, for which we can be thankful. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/105 "2021-11-16T19:11:02Z")
If we count fictional bands, The Blues Brothers, of note in the movie of the same name, had Jake (Belushi), who showed no signs of using any instrument of any kind, and Elliot (Aykroyd) who only ever played harmonica. I do wonder about the various boy bands. Did any of the New Kids on The Block, N’Sync, or others of that genre ever actually play any instruments? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/106 "2021-11-16T19:17:40Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > If we count fictional bands, The Blues Brothers, of note in the movie of the same name, had Jake (Belushi), who showed no signs of using any instrument of any kind, and Elliot (Aykroyd) who only ever played harmonica. Though they were “fictional” from the standpoint of the Jake and Elwood personas and backstory, they were certainly a “real” band, releasing two live albums, as well as the soundtrack album from the movie, before Belushi’s death. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/107 "2021-11-16T19:25:55Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > I do wonder about the various boy bands. Did any of the New Kids on The Block, N’Sync, or others of that genre ever actually play any instruments? Per post 11, vocal groups are not eligible for discussion in this thread. Boy bands (and girl groups such as Destiny’s Child) are disqualified. 🧐 ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/108 "2021-11-16T19:57:44Z")
I think that’s an air _bass_ guitar ! (looks like a rickenbacker) Anyway, in play … Johnny Rotten… ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/109 "2021-11-16T22:58:48Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > At points during TS’s song, I was wondering whether the vocals were lip-synched - but did not conclude that they were obviously so. I did notice when watching it back on YouTube that it had been sweetened somewhat. In the live broadcast, Taylor flubbed the line “so casually cruel in the name of being honest”, pronouncing “casually cruel” as something more like “gradually gruel”. In the official YouTube video, which was posted ~3 hours after the performance, the line had been corrected. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/110 "2021-11-16T23:06:03Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > The Blues Brothers, …Jake, … and Elliot I have no other comment! 🧐 ---
**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 17, 2021, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/111 "2021-11-17T00:52:53Z")
Pentangle’s Jacqui McShee did not play any instrument. Patti Santos of It’s a Beautiful Day only handled incidental percussion (tambourine, etc.) Jane Relf of the original incarnation of Renaissance only did vocals. Same for Annie Halsam of the later version of the group (with occasional percussion). ---
**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 17, 2021, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/112 "2021-11-17T01:00:49Z")
Gary Puckett from the Union Gap doesn’t seem to have played an instrument. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/113 "2021-11-17T01:49:03Z")
Puckett’s biography says [he played guitar.](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gary-puckett-mn0000185084/biography) ---
**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 17, 2021, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/114 "2021-11-17T12:44:55Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > who only ever played harmonica. I’ve seen bluesman Charlie Musselwhite in concert and he absolutely smashed it playing “only” harmonica. Then there was Sam Myers. Before he died in 2006 he toured with Anson Funderburg and the Rockets, doing vocals and harmonica. Don’t sell the mouth harp short! ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/115 "2021-11-17T12:55:00Z")
I’m pretty sure Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds is another one who only played harmonica along with vocals. ---
**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 17, 2021, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/116 "2021-11-17T12:56:51Z")
What a great band! I’ve seen them a bunch of times in a few iterations. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/117 "2021-11-17T13:53:11Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > > [@k9bfriender](#): > > > > who only ever played harmonica. > > I’ve seen bluesman Charlie Musselwhite in concert and he absolutely smashed it playing “only” harmonica. Then there was Sam Myers. Before he died in 2006 he toured with Anson Funderburg and the Rockets, doing vocals and harmonica. > > Don’t sell the mouth harp short! Agreed – harmonica definitely counts as an instrument! ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/118 "2021-11-17T14:27:36Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > Let’s rule out vocal groups, e.g., the Four Seasons, Supremes, etc., in favor of instrumental bands with non-instrument-playing singers. I don’t know how much they really played (as opposed to relying on session musicians), but at least nominally, the Four Seasons were an instrumental band. See this clip, where all of them (except Frankie) are playing: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3pWBnodrR1M/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgWyhhMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBRkgS9PyhitP6fFHZLWOOg61RqQA "The Four Season & Frankie Valli hits live Sherry, Rag doll, Walk") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pWBnodrR1M) ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/119 "2021-11-17T14:46:07Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > I don’t know how much they really played (as opposed to relying on session musicians), but at least nominally, the Four Seasons were an instrumental band. Thanks – ignorance fought! ---
**Author:** ![Mittens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@Mittens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mittens)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/120 "2021-11-17T15:19:46Z")
[Michael Hutchence of INXS couldn’t play any instruments.](https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/music-theatre/2019/10/michael-hutchence-lost-his-sense-smell-and-it-all-went-downhill-there) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386.md?page=7)