# Music artists guest starring on television **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 26, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402 "2012-07-26T00:58:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/1 "2012-07-26T00:58:36Z")
The cheesier the better. [Debarge on Punky Brewster](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LLg1PX3M70) [Doobie Brothers on What’s Happenin’?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDuW2rgbsD4) Not really cheesy. Doobie’s were way ahead of Metallica on copyright infringement. And they were nice about it. And with hat tip to **Sampiro** from **The Jackson Family is at it Again** thread: [Jermaine Jackson on The Facts of Life](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUIK0LocJys) ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/2 "2012-07-26T01:07:51Z")
[Married…with Children: “My Dinner With Anthrax”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cIZoJFZxSM) _“I see you’ve invited some killers over!”_ ---
**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:** [July 26, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/3 "2012-07-26T01:12:48Z")
[Chad and Jeremy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUfaJ32Hp40) (as “The Redcoats” on **The Dick Van Dyck Show** [Frank Zappa](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNJy-OgCzB0) on **The Monkees** ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/4 "2012-07-26T02:02:58Z")
While it’s not super cheesy, [David Bowie](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv6mEv_rDdE) on Extras is my favorite. He sings starting at 1:16. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/5 "2012-07-26T02:30:02Z")
[Here’s the Supremes playing missionary nuns on Tarzan (?!?)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn18dayxZ28) ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/6 "2012-07-26T02:34:48Z")
[Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs appeared several times on The Beverly Hillbillies.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGdv10AMj6Q) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/7 "2012-07-26T02:50:53Z")
Aimee Mann on **BtVS**. “Man, I hate playing vampire towns.” ---
**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:** [July 26, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/8 "2012-07-26T02:55:06Z")
Roger Daltrey appeared on _That 70’s Show_, _CSI_, and _Witchblade_. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/9 "2012-07-26T04:35:24Z")
Davy Jones on the Brady Bunch ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/10 "2012-07-26T04:37:43Z")
Portlandia - [Aimee Mann is our cleaning lady](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7aTfyEfgA8) ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/11 "2012-07-26T04:51:40Z")
Not sure if it counts, but any number of them on The Simpsons. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/12 "2012-07-26T05:39:03Z")
This is somewhat obscure, and not so cheesy, but the wonderfully rude British comedy [The Young Ones](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Young_Ones_%28TV_series%29) had musical guests in almost every show, from Madness to Motorhead. One I’m especially fond of is the fun [Amazulu](http://youtu.be/bOha2ljUcnw) (though they didn’t do my favorite song by them, [“Cairo”](http://youtu.be/U1mcOpOdSJk)). I also liked [Rip Rig + Panic’s appearance](http://youtu.be/ak8paRfr2_E) too, even with a different singer. The usual lead singer for RR+P was [Neneh Cherry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neneh_Cherry), (years before she came out with the now-dated but still relevant [“Buffalo Stance”](http://youtu.be/JWsRz3TJDEY) and (my favorite by her as a solo artist) [“Manchild”](http://youtu.be/OJ9VBMBS3qE)) though the singer in that particular clip is Andrea Oliver. Now I’m going to be remembering and chuckling at Young Ones lines. "Darling fascist bully boy, Give me some more money, you bastard." ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/13 "2012-07-26T06:25:10Z")
Joe Walsh appeared in seven episodes of the Drew Carey Show. Once as himself and six times as “Ed,” a guy who Drew hires to play guitar in his band. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/14 "2012-07-26T07:43:37Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Portlandia - [Aimee Mann is our cleaning lady](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7aTfyEfgA8) This has got to be the winner. I forgot about it, but it is just so bizarre and Aimee plays it so well. So doesn’t fit the cheesy factor except for the amusing idolization by her employers. ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/15 "2012-07-26T17:32:22Z")
Not as himself, but David Bowie did the voice for Lord Royal Highness in the extended length SpongeBob SquarePants episode “Atlantis SquarePantis”. The character had one green eye and one blue eye, playing off the popular belief that Bowie has two differently colored eyes (not true–his eyes appear different because one pupil is permanently dilated due to an injury). ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/16 "2012-07-26T17:35:44Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Roger Daltrey appeared on _That 70’s Show_, _CSI_, and _Witchblade_. And _Highlander._ I nominate Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) as Angela’s dad in _Bones._ ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/17 "2012-07-26T17:39:30Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Joe Walsh appeared in seven episodes of the Drew Carey Show. Once as himself and six times as “Ed,” a guy who Drew hires to play guitar in his band. It seems like maybe Walsh is originally from Cleveland, like Drew Carey is; Maybe they know each other that way? ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/18 "2012-07-26T18:19:06Z")
Glenn Frey appeared in the Miami Vice episode titled “Smuggler’s Blues”, named after his song. ---
**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:** [July 26, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/19 "2012-07-26T19:50:19Z")
My first thought was Cyndi Lauper’s Emmy for Mad About You. And she was a hoot on Bones. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402/20 "2012-07-26T20:01:22Z")
[The Dukes of Hazzard](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dukes_of_Hazzard#Notable_guest_appearances) had many musical artists as guest stars. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-artists-guest-starring-on-television/629402.md?page=2)