# Let's list all the DRUMMER lead singers in rock 'n' roll

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 26, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268 "2004-10-26T17:43:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 14\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/21 "2004-10-27T03:13:18Z")

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YES!

Fred LeBlanc is, without a doubt, the most charismatic lead man to ever look like a cross between a troll and a down syndrome kid. He’s just a freak and the most electric front man of all time. To see him is to find religion and joy at the same time.

Question: How many of these drummer/singers sing WHILE playing drums. Many of them don’t, after all.

And since we’re here let me throw in Roger Taylor, from Queen. Freddie may have done most of the singing but Roger generally took lead on at least one song per album.

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**Author:** ![MrJones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@MrJones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJones)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/22 "2004-10-27T03:13:59Z")

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> [@Bill H.](#):
>
> Country Dick Montana of the Beat Farmers

Whatever happened to them? Are they still around? I saw them in concert at University of Miami… they’re hilarious.

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**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/23 "2004-10-27T03:29:58Z")

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Two amazing women drummer/singers:

Georgia Hubley of Yo la tengo

Shivika Asthana of Papas Fritas

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**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/24 "2004-10-27T03:39:18Z")

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> [@sugaree](#):
>
> Fishman from Phish does some singing.

Damn, beat me to it. What **sugaree** said.

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**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/25 "2004-10-27T03:43:23Z")

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Wow, Cowboy Mouth. They opened for . . . someone I saw once upon a time ago. Drummer front and center, looking like he could take on the world. Sweat flying everywhere. Very memorable.

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**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/26 "2004-10-27T03:55:42Z")

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**MrJones** wrote

> [@](#):
>
> Whatever happened to them (The Beat Farmers)? Are they still around? I saw them in concert at University of Miami… they’re hilarious.

And how. Well, Country Dick died several years ago, but I think they were defunct by then anyhow.

I met Country Dick at a Guitar Center maybe 20 years ago. He was maybe 6’8", and reeked of booze. Had a hot blonde hanging off his arm. He told me a joke: “Robert Smith (of the Cure) isn’t a pussy. Pussy is a good thing.”

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**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/27 "2004-10-27T04:17:26Z")

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Dan Beehler of **Exciter**  
Jurgen “Ventor” Reil of **Kreator**  
Albert Bouchard of **Blue Oyster Cult** sang lead on “Cities on Flame”

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**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/28 "2004-10-27T04:32:41Z")

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Once again, almost all the good ones have been taken. But…

1. Peter Criss sang lead on a few Kiss songs, like “Hard Luck Woman.”

2. Debbie Peterson sang lead on a few Bangles songs, like “Going Down to Liverpool.”

3. Drummer Jimmy Marinos was lead singer on the Romantics’ “What I Like ABout You.”

Spoilsport notes: Two of the “drummers” cited didn’t really play the drums on their groups’ records. In fact, Hal Blaine was the real drummer of both the Monkees AND the Carpenters.

And Dave Clark was NOT the singer of the Dave Clark 5. Mike Smith was.

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**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/29 "2004-10-27T17:55:29Z")

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> [@Jonathan Chance](#):
>
> Fred LeBlanc is, without a doubt, the most charismatic lead man to ever look like a cross between a troll and a down syndrome kid. He’s just a freak and the most electric front man of all time. To see him is to find religion and joy at the same time.

That’s right, now I remember from another thread that you are a fellow Mouth fan! No one I know IRL has even heard of them (except from me)…it’s painful when I have to find someone to go to one of their shows with, because I no longer know many musically-inclined people who are willing to go see a band they’ve never heard of (or they hear “Cowboy Mouth” and think it’s country music :rolleyes: ).

I. Love. Fred. The whole band is incredibly talented, of course, and is my only “favorite” anything, but Fred LeBlanc is the _man_ – your description is spot-on. 🙂

> [@SmackFu](#):
>
> Wow, Cowboy Mouth. They opened for . . . someone I saw once upon a time ago. Drummer front and center, looking like he could take on the world. Sweat flying everywhere. Very memorable.

Oh yeah. 😃

Now I wanna go see them play, but they’re down south until at least early February. ☹

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**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/30 "2004-10-27T18:12:51Z")

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> [@amarinth](#):
>
> Steven Tyler

While he may have picked up a couple of sticks at some point (and probably tried to smoke them), Joey Kramer has been the Aerosmith drummer, live and on record, since the band’s first album in '73, and he stayed with Aerosmith through the breakup as well. I don’t even know if Kramer even sings backup at all.

Tyler plays harmonica and piano for the most part, and I think live, it’s only the harmonica these days.

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**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/31 "2004-10-27T18:15:11Z")

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Brad Roberts of Crash Test Dummies.

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**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/32 "2004-10-27T18:16:54Z")

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or Brad used to be the drummer. He’s switched to guitar now.

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**Author:** ![shimmery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@shimmery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shimmery)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/33 "2004-10-27T22:34:54Z")

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Keith Moon sang once in a while - for example, on Tommy he did Uncle Ernie’s parts. Also, **Jonathan Chance** , he sings on Live at Leeds (on the second disc of the deluxe edition, which is all Tommy), so unless it was dubbed in later (possible) he’s singing and playing at the same time.

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**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:** [October 28, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-all-the-drummer-lead-singers-in-rock-n-roll/271268/34 "2004-10-28T00:02:57Z")

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Adrian Belew has handled drums and singing for King Crimson and spinoff “Projekt” groups.

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