# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/121 "2021-11-17T15:41:46Z")
He’s credited with playing guitar on the track _She is Rising_ from his final INXS album, but that’s about it. I think he managed to avoid the harmonica, unlike so many other frontmen. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/122 "2021-11-17T17:01:41Z")
Robin Zander of ‘Cheap Trick’ would often be seen sporting a Gibson Telecaster hanging off askew of his neck, but I’ll be damned if I ever saw ( or heard ) him play it. Rick Nielson’s raw style had a “wall of sound” sound that seemed to be both lead and rhythm at the same time probablt would’ve made Zander’s guitar superfluous anyway…at least from my impressions of seeing them live. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/123 "2021-11-17T17:19:13Z")
Dude…not a peep out of you for _sixteen years_? Well, welcome back! ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/124 "2021-11-17T20:26:07Z")
Once _Johnny Rotten_ changed his name to **John Lydon** and set up **Public Image Ltd** the album sleeve notes would give him all sorts of musical credits including piano, violin, saxophone and percussion. Since I’m not a great fan I don’t know whether the credits are serious and I don’t know whether he had any real proficiency or whether he was merely adding to the overall sound. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2021, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/125 "2021-11-17T20:40:13Z")
> [@BrickBat](#): > > Robin Zander of ‘Cheap Trick’ would often be seen sporting a Gibson Telecaster hanging off askew of his neck, but I’ll be damned if I ever saw ( or heard ) him play it. You can see (and hear) him playing the guitar in this video. It’s nothing fancy but he plays a reasonable rhythm guitar. He’s not just playing beginner chords. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bJt0Wb0oxcQ/hqdefault.jpg "Robin Zander - I've Always Got You (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJt0Wb0oxcQ) ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/126 "2021-11-18T00:13:56Z")
Well how about that. But then again, what a sniffle bag of a song. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/127 "2021-11-18T00:54:53Z")
Malcolm McLaren was primarily a producer. He sang, as in words came out of his mouth, on many tracks but I can’t find any reference that he could play an instrument. All albums were released in his name alongside one of The World Famous Supreme Team, The Mclarenettes, the Ebonettes, and The Bootzilla Orchestra, so I certainly see him as a frontman. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/128 "2021-11-18T02:01:57Z")
> [@BrickBat](#): > > what a sniffle bag of a song Slightly less sniffley, here he is playing the acoustic guitar on some weird Japanese show. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/B1dSGc-WzIc/hqdefault.jpg "Robin Zander sing "THE FLAME" 1988") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1dSGc-WzIc) ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/129 "2021-11-18T05:09:02Z")
Lots of opera singers can only just barely read music. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/130 "2021-11-18T17:05:26Z")
> [@John\_W.Kennedy](#): > > can only just barely read music. We could probably start a whole other thread about which professional musicians can’t _read_ music ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/131 "2021-11-18T20:37:59Z")
> [@John\_W.Kennedy](#): > > Lots of opera singers can only just barely read music. How do they learn their parts? ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/132 "2021-11-18T21:31:43Z")
Well, many of them can at least read well enough to one-finger a piano slowly, and they know enough to understand that the higher the note, the higher the pitch, so they can use a score as an _aide-mémoire_. And they have teachers and coaches and rehearsal accompanists, and sometimes spouses. And, of course, in actual opera performances, they must work completely from memory, so by that point, it doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/133 "2021-11-18T21:32:31Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > He played acoustic guitar on “Ice Cream Man,” on Van Halen’s first album, and on “Could This Be Magic?” on _Women and Children First_ . I believe that he also plays harmonica. Yes but it was tuned to an open E. In my opinion, that he learned that one bit doesn’t qualify as being able to play guitar. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/134 "2021-11-18T23:50:25Z")
Maybe Linda Ronstadt. It looks like she was the front of the Stone Poneys. ---
**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 19, 2021, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/135 "2021-11-19T01:53:45Z")
Before Parkinsons, Rondstadt played guitar and piano. > **[Linda Ronstadt Says She Can No Longer Sing or Play Music: 'I Miss It'](https://www.wideopencountry.com/linda-ronstadt-singing-diagnosis/)** > > Linda Ronstadt announced her retirement in 2011 due to a rare condition called progressive supranuclear palsy. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/136 "2021-11-19T02:05:52Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > Maybe Linda Ronstadt. It looks like she was the front of the Stone Poneys. Here’s an analysis of her guitar playing during a performance. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/deh7WzqLabI/hqdefault.jpg "British guitarist analyses Linda Ronstadt's guitar playing live in 1975!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deh7WzqLabI) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/137 "2021-11-19T02:55:24Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > Maybe Linda Ronstadt. It looks like she was the front of the Stone Poneys. At least once that I know of she played a passable violin solo live. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/138 "2021-11-19T04:19:44Z")
Jessie James Dupree (Jackyl) plays chainsaw, but not sure of anything else. Don’t know if Sally Ellyson plays anything, but she sings so purty, so don’t need to. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/139 "2021-11-19T04:48:19Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > David Lee Roth. I don’t ever recall seeing him do anything but sing. Wait, he can sing? [awww, c’mon, someone had to] ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2021, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386/140 "2021-11-19T04:50:55Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > I remember Pete dissing Roger about his bad guitar playing in some fan magazine circa 1983. Which, given that Pete himself usually ranks pretty low in the pantheon (and I say that has a fan)… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/front-men-women-who-cant-play-an-instrument/954386.md?page=8)