# Great Artists No One Tried To Emulate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2019, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819 "2019-12-13T17:55:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/21 "2019-12-14T00:23:50Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I think that both Ian Astbury from the Cult and Glenn Danzig sound a lot like Jim Morrison. > > ETA: heck, I forgot, Astbury even once sang with the Doors as an ersatz Jim Morrison. It was an obvious choice. So did Scott Stapp. I once read about a “hilarious Doors parody” band called Jimbo and the Lizard Kings. Don’t think they really went anywhere. My brother recently posted a link on Facebook to a new Juliana Hatfield release composed entirely of Police covers, and said, “The reason you never hear Police covers is because they got the songs right the first time.” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/22 "2019-12-14T00:25:29Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Bobby McFerrin? “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is NOT representative of most of his music. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/23 "2019-12-14T01:26:01Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is NOT representative of most of his music. I know. If it had been, I wouldn’t have named him. The thing about McFerrin is that he can’t be categorized. I remember him doing a vocal version of Air on the G String by J.S. Bach, a seven minute version of Wizard of Oz in which he performs all the roles, and The Beatles’ song Blackbird. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/24 "2019-12-14T01:45:53Z")
Rip Taylor ---
**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:** [December 14, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/25 "2019-12-14T02:22:49Z")
Gallagher. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/26 "2019-12-14T03:11:44Z")
> [@MortSahlFan](#): > > Frank Zappa I suggest that you give the works of Mike Keneally a listen. And Henry Szobel, too, altho there is considerably less output from him. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/27 "2019-12-14T03:36:50Z")
Wild Man Fischer remains one of a kind. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/28 "2019-12-14T09:32:47Z")
If you think about it, despite their success, there aren’t many bands that sound like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/29 "2019-12-14T09:47:21Z")
It took centuries before anybody went anywhere near El Greco. While definitely not an imitation, Goya’s works (specially his later ones, but also quite a few of his tapestries) share Theotokopoulos’ approach in that both are more about producing a specific impression, transmitting a specific message, than about trying to appear realistic. It took yet another century before anybody took that path again. Domenicos Theotokopoulos was doing 20th century art in the 16th. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/30 "2019-12-14T10:23:45Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > If you think about it, despite their success, there aren’t many bands that sound like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. That is weird, considering how many former members they have, still active in the industry. Jane’s Addiction and Dave Navarro (and associated acts) seem to share a lot of the same influences as RHCP. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/31 "2019-12-14T10:30:15Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Gallagher. His brother used to tour clubs under the name “Gallagher” doing the same material. Legal stuff ensued, and now neither one of them does that material. ---
**Author:** ![Themenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee59a6/32.png) [@Themenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Themenin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/32 "2019-12-14T12:29:34Z")
> [@MortSahlFan](#): > > I saw the “20th Century Doors” thing about 2002ish… I didn’t like his voice, but I didn’t think he was copying, but then again, I’ve never listened to the Cult much. > > I don’t know if you ever heard The Butts band, but Densmore and Krieger formed it after those two post-Morrison albums. They did one album with one singer, and then got another singer. Two different voices, but kinda soul-inspired. Don’t know if anyone’s heard of him outside of France, maybe for his offstage life - Bertrand Cantat (Noir Desir) was/is pretty heavily influenced by Jim Morrison. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YmRnp4VeMnM/hqdefault.jpg "Noir Desir - En Route Pour La Joie (Lyon #14)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmRnp4VeMnM) ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/33 "2019-12-14T12:40:48Z")
I thought of El Greco too, when I read the thread title. Most of the answers are about rock bands, though. If you are popular, there are always sound-alikes. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/34 "2019-12-14T12:57:06Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > His brother used to tour clubs under the name “Gallagher” doing the same material. Legal stuff ensued, and now neither one of them does that material. Was Smashing Pumpkins a tribute band? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/35 "2019-12-14T13:42:36Z")
34 posts in and no one has said “Mort Sahl?” ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/36 "2019-12-14T13:51:14Z")
Mort Sahl ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/37 "2019-12-14T14:00:58Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Sam Kinison (oh-oh-ohhhhh!). > > I suspect some of the other shock comics, like Andrew Dice Clay, may also qualify - they developed quite a niche that is too recognizable for someone to mimic. Bingo! I hadn’t thought of him, though I am a big fan. (Moment of silence here…) His combination of material, presentation, and pacing was undeniably unique. No other shock comic comes close. Hardly anyone else rises above being merely offensive. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/38 "2019-12-14T14:35:56Z")
While Bruce Springsteen got his start trying to be a Bob Dylan clone, nobody I know of has tried to be a Springsteen clone ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/39 "2019-12-14T15:13:03Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > While Bruce Springsteen got his start trying to be a Bob Dylan clone, nobody I know of has tried to be a Springsteen clone Have you heard “On the Dark Side” by John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band? ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819/40 "2019-12-14T15:35:56Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > While Bruce Springsteen got his start trying to be a Bob Dylan clone, nobody I know of has tried to be a Springsteen clone Bruce seems to copy Van Morrison with “Spirits of the Night” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-artists-no-one-tried-to-emulate/844819.md?page=3)