Alanis Morrissette recorded a dance-pop album as a teenage child actress before reinventing her image. Art Alexakis, frontman of Everclear, played for years in a series of alt.country bands before making it big in grunge.
Any more examples?
I had hearad Kurt Cobain worked for Muzak making transcriptions (I’m not sure if that’s the correct word, they “Muzakified” the compositions). I can’t seem to find if this is true or not.
Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers was in a former life a clean-cut child actor, working under the name Cole Dammett.
Forgot to mention:
Kiedis played the son of Sylvester Stallone’s character in F.I.S.T..
Sheryl Crow had a part in the TV show Cop Rock. I saw a clip once: she had big 70’s hair and was doing the smooth jazz dance moves. (On Ms. Crow’s page, look under “Actress - filmography”.)
Seems like very few people know that Norah Jones’ father is Ravi Shankar.
Phil Collins was a child actor before he was a musician.
The Bee Gees’ early recordings range from country to Beatles-esque pop.
And was a regular on YCDTOTV.
And, of course, Tori Amos was in a hard rock band (Y Kan’t Tori Spell or some equally idiotic name) before she started doing her faerie music.
Jan Peerce, legendary operatic tenor, started out as a violin-playing baritone with Jack Berger’s band at New York’s Hotel Astor in the early 1930s. He even made a few records with Berger, using the name Pinky Pearl.