# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/21 "2004-10-27T19:49:19Z")
…and don’t forget **Johnny Kerry** from the **Electras**! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/22 "2004-10-27T19:56:42Z")
You’re probably not familiar with actress Karen Mistal, unless you’ve seen such Hollywood blockbusters as _Return of the Killer Tomatoes_ and _Cannibal Women in the Avacado Jungle of Death_, but she was in a band. With me. ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/23 "2004-10-27T19:56:48Z")
Jack Black. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/24 "2004-10-27T20:33:16Z")
**Keanu Reeves** plays bass for the band Dogstar. Then there is the legendary [Rock Bottom Remainders](http://www.horrorking.com/rockbottom.html)… Whoops, I just saw that someone else posted about them! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Misha77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Misha77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misha77)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/25 "2004-10-27T21:26:50Z")
[John Doe](http://www.ellenby.com/gallery/band/bands/John%20Doe%20Sepia.jpg) is a good character actor as well as the bassist/co-founder of the 80’s punk band X. ---
**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, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/26 "2004-10-27T21:41:02Z")
Ooh! How could I forget [Ann Magnuson](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005174/)? Whenever I see that she’s going to be in a new film, my reaction is always _“Hey! Ann Magnuson! She’s so fvckin’ cool!”_ and then I’m terribly disappointed because her fundamental coolness never comes through in any of her roles. It’s like she’s some totally different person or something. Damned _actors_. (Ann Magnuson fronts [_Bongwater_](http://www.mp3.com/artists/3150/summary.html).) She’s so damned hot. Yeah, hot and cool. Just like those flashes. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/27 "2004-10-27T21:56:46Z")
> [@ggurl](#): > > **Keanu Reeves** plays bass for the band Dogstar. He’s better known as a large wooden block. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/28 "2004-10-27T22:16:08Z")
I think Meat Loaf is showing more promise as an actor, than a rocker these days. There are a number of rapper who’re not bad and with time, as with Will Smith, will be more known for their screen work: LL Cool J, Ice Cube, Dwight ‘Heavy D’ Myers, Ice T, Snoop Dogg. ---
**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 28, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/29 "2004-10-28T00:06:19Z")
**Sam Shepard** – another triple threat. He’s a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright (Buried Child, True West, and others), and an actor (_Days of Heaven, Raggedy Man, The Right Stuff, Baby Boom, Black Hawk Down_). But in his early days, he played with the Holy Modal Rounders, best known for “Don’t Bogart That Joint” from the _Easy Rider_ soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/30 "2004-10-28T00:55:39Z")
Tom Waits has had a few small but memorable character actor roles in films, including Renfield in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. He also played one of the leads in Down By Law, cast opposite Roberto Benigni and film composer John Lurie. However, he is still best-known as a musician. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/31 "2004-10-28T01:01:05Z")
I don’t know if we should count actors that formed bands based on their celebrity (Keanu Reeves, Kevin Bacon, etc) nor musicians that got acting gigs based on their celebrity (Jon Bon Jovi, Mick Jagger, Roger Daltrey). Using those criteria I agree with **BubbaDog** that Stevie Van Sandt is the best example. I never ever thought I would fail to recognize Stevie Van Zandt, but I was completely shocked when I found out he was Silvio. Some others: Tracey Ullman had a Top 40 hit in the early 80’s called “They Don’t Know About Us.” Spike Jonze is all over the place - producer and writer (Jackass), director ( **Being John Malkovich** , **Adaptation** , several Beastie Boys videos), and actor ( **Three Kings** ). [Shelly Fabares](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001193/), probably best known these days as the wife from the TV show **Coach** , has a #1 hit with “Johnny Angel” in 1962. Don’t know that I’d call them rock musicians, but tons of country/westers stars have transitioned to acting: Dolly Parton, Reba Mackintire, Dwight Yokum, Tim McGraw… ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/32 "2004-10-28T01:27:49Z")
**Tom Scholz** of **Boston** has a masters degree in engineering and has 35 patents to his name. [http://www.eetimes.com/news/98/1004news/scholz.html](http://www.eetimes.com/news/98/1004news/scholz.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/33 "2004-10-28T02:49:05Z")
**Vicky Lawrence** sang with the 'Young Americans" before becoming an actress, and then had a huge hit in the 1970’s with “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” Sir **Richard Harris** had a big hit in the 1960’s with the execrable “Macarthur Park” And while he’ll always be remembered most for his singing, **Frank Sinatra** was a big movie star back in the day, winning the Oscar for “From Here to Eternity” and being nominated for “The Man with the Golden Arm”, as well as receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Screen Actor’s Guild. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/34 "2004-10-28T03:07:12Z")
**Jamie Oliver,** “The Naked Chef,” was drummer in a band called Scarlet Division for quite a while. Not so much anymore, though. **Steve Burns,** late of _Blue’s Clue’s,_ is rockin’ these days. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/35 "2004-10-28T05:46:51Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **Sam Shepard** … played with the Holy Modal Rounders, best known for “Don’t Bogart That Joint” from the _Easy Rider_ soundtrack. Sorry, slight nitpick. They didn’t do that song, “Don’t Bogart Me” is by The Fraternity Of Man. ---
**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 28, 2004, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/36 "2004-10-28T05:55:38Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **Sam Shepard** – played with the Holy Modal Rounders. :eek: Holy crap. I love Sam Shepard. I love the Rounders. I had _no_ frickin idea. _Glue’s in the bottle, glue’s in the bottle… but there ain’t none for you!_ ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/37 "2004-10-28T06:30:38Z")
World Series Ring-wearing first Baseman Scott Spiezio fronts for a band called [Sandfrog](http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/03/21/hello-kane.php). I understand he rawks. ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/38 "2004-10-28T06:42:24Z")
Bill Mumy (Will Robinson in Lost in Space, Lennier in Babylon 5) performs as Art Barnes in the duo Barnes & Barnes, who recorded the classic Dr. Demento hit, _Fish Heads_. According to IMDB, they have released 9 records, and Mumy has released 3 solo efforts. -Rick ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/39 "2004-10-28T07:05:45Z")
There’s a new indie band getting quite a lot of lip service named [Rilo Kiley](http://www.rilokiley.com/). They have a very cute new single (“It’s a Hit” – it’s the song that the website plays). Their lead singer, who also did a song with The Postal Service, is a former child actress by the name of [Jenny Lewis](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0507343/). She had a memorable role, I’m told, in “Troop Beverly Hills.” [Ajay Naidu](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0619651/), remembered as Samir Nagheenanajar, MCs for a group named Bhom Shankar. This in itself is not remarkable, except for the fact that Bhom Shankar also includes the awesome drummer Karsh Kale, who is one of the big names in Indian Underground music. My cousin is friends with (and played for a bit) with the lead singer of an Irish band (obviously Tom Waits fans) named Rain Dogs, later the Blueheelers, out of San Antonio. The lead singer, [Henry Thomas](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001794/bio), is the dude who played Elliot in “ET.” ---
**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:** [October 28, 2004, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476/40 "2004-10-28T09:12:46Z")
Is **Kris Kristofferson** more famous for being an actor or a singer/songwriter? Not to mention army helicopter pilot, Golden Gloves boxer and Rhodes Scholar. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-musicians-who-are-better-known-in-other-fields/271476.md?page=3)