# Rock musicians who are better known in other fields. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 27, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476 "2004-10-27T16:46:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [October 27, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/1 "2004-10-27T16:46:52Z")
I’m thinking about those who had success as a musician, but who are best known for their work in other fields. And William Shatner (or anyone who recorded an album to trade on their fame) doesn’t count. 🙂 **Martin Mull** – Best known as an actor on _Roseanne, Sabrina_ and movies like _Mr. Mom, Clue,_ and _Mrs. Doubtfire_, Martin released about a half dozen albums in the early 70s, featuring his own songs. They’d be classified as novelty, but some were quite funny: “Dueling Tubas,” “(How Could I Not Miss) A Girl Your Size,” “Ukelele Blues,” “2001 Polka,” and others. Before that, he was a successful[visual artist](http://www.beitzelgallery.com/images/Mull/Mull_cats.htm). **Tim Curry** – Had several albums out before “Rocky Horror” made him a star (the albums actually came out well after the movie, but the film flopped in its original release and was still obscure when he recorded). Big MTV hit with “I Do the Rock.” **Joe Pesci** – played with Joey Dee and the Starlighters for a time. Can anyone think of others? ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/2 "2004-10-27T17:02:05Z")
Jason Schwartzman: drummer for Phantom Planet, much better known for his acting (Rushmore, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/3 "2004-10-27T17:06:54Z")
Best selling novelist Greg Iles used to make a living as guitarist and vocalist for a band called **Frankly Scarlet** before he turned to writing. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/4 "2004-10-27T17:14:37Z")
Russel Crowe Keanu Reeves ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/5 "2004-10-27T17:17:44Z")
**Chevy Chase** sat in several times as [the drummer for a seminal version of Steely Dan](http://www.steelydan.com/faq.html). He peformed a few gigs with Donald Fagen and Walter Becker while the three were at Bards College. I have heard a rumor that Chase was also the original drummer for Bachman-Turner Overdrive, but [allmusic.com](http://allmusic.com) does not confirm. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/6 "2004-10-27T17:19:14Z")
Pumpkin Wentzel and her husband Charlie were two thirds of the band **Guv’nor**. They are now well known in the clothing industry making maternity wear. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/7 "2004-10-27T17:21:35Z")
Not that the guy is a household name, but … Actor **Ron Moss** , who plays Ridge Forrester on the CBS daytime soap _The Bold and the Beautiful_, was the bassist for the '70s soft-rock group Player. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/8 "2004-10-27T17:29:59Z")
Actress Telma Hopkins (the sit-com _Family Matters_, et al) was a member of Tony Orlando’s backing vocal duo Dawn. ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/9 "2004-10-27T17:58:43Z")
Bruce Willis plays harmonica in some band. I can’t remember what it’s called now. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/10 "2004-10-27T18:04:51Z")
[Buster Poindexter](http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/poindexter_buster/bio.jhtml) aka David Johanson, known for his pop song “Hot,Hot,Hot” and his stint with the New York dolls. I’ve seen him in numerous movies and guest shots on TV. My favorite is the “Ghost of Christmas Past” character he portrayed in Scrooged. “It’s a bone! You lucky Dog!” ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Sayid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jack\_Sayid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Sayid)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/11 "2004-10-27T18:08:09Z")
**Danny Elfman** Former New Wave’er now A-List Hollywood soundtrack composer. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/12 "2004-10-27T18:09:19Z")
And my teenage daughter refused to believe me when, while driving in the car and listening to the radio, I pointed out that the lady (Bette Midler) singing “Wind beneath my wings” was the witch from the movie “Hocus Pocus”. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/13 "2004-10-27T18:11:52Z")
Kevin Bacon has his own band as does Dennis Quaid. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/14 "2004-10-27T18:14:11Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Not that the guy is a household name, but … > > Actor **Ron Moss** , who plays Ridge Forrester on the CBS daytime soap _The Bold and the Beautiful_, was the bassist for the '70s soft-rock group Player. Actually he is probably pretty close to a household name in Australia. I know who he is and I have never seen _The Bold and the Beautiful_. He was out here a couple of years ago and made himself very popular. He didn’t take himself very seriously, appeared on a talk show doing a spoof of his own character (including arch looks to the camera). He was out and about all the time, mostly wearing a poncho so the media dubbed him “The Poncho”. One daily newspaper used to provide a daily update of what he was up to. He got more media attention than lots of far bigger celebrities. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/15 "2004-10-27T18:14:22Z")
[Stevie Van Zandt](http://www.the-sopranos.com/cast/steven.htm) plays Silvio Dante in the Sopranos but is also known as a Bruce Springsteen guitarist. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/16 "2004-10-27T18:21:08Z")
Don’t forget _The Rock Bottom Remainders_. (Stephen King, Dave Barry, Matt Groening, Robert Fulghum, Barbara Kingsolver, _et al_.) You _know_ it all started when Dave Barry heard the phrase “Rock Bottom Remainders.” > [@bordelond](#): > > hevy Chase sat in several times as the drummer for a seminal version of Steely Dan. Heh. How was that worked? With a rubber bulb? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/17 "2004-10-27T18:32:14Z")
Not sure if these count, and they really aren’t “rock” musicians, but here goes. Stephen King. James Belushi. John Goodman. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/18 "2004-10-27T18:32:48Z")
**LarryMudd** … somehow I knew someone was going to bring that up. I foolishly resisted the urge to add “(no pun intended)”. … This one is arguable, but let’s think on actor **Will Smith** for a moment. I might be assuming things, but it would seem to me that not many people under 15 or over 50 know much about Smith’s rapping career. I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that, right now, he is a smidge better known by the population-at-large as an actor than as a rapper. The notoriety of Smith’s acting vs. his rapping should increase as time progresses and his best rap hits are left in the rearview mirror of pop culture. This would go double should he ever rack up some Oscars. Will Smith’s rapping would become somewhat of a trivia item – he’d be the actor that, oh-by-the-way, was once a notable rapper. ---
**Author:** ![vd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b19c9b/32.png) [@vd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vd)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/19 "2004-10-27T19:29:49Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > This one is arguable, but let’s think on actor **Will Smith** for a moment. And **Mark Wahlberg** for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/20 "2004-10-27T19:35:54Z")
> [@](#): > > And Mark Wahlberg for that matter. And Donnie Wahlberg [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476.md?page=2)