Who was the earliest known rock/pop musician to sport a top hat as part of their costume worn while performing their rockular duties? Screaming Jay Hawkins? Bob Dylan? Captain Beefheart? Dr John? Anyone have any ideas?
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I think it was Abe Lincoln in the Presidents of the United States of America who first popularized it.
Ok, I don’t know. Time to make room for people with actual information for you.
Slash from Guns’n’Roses is certainly one of the more well known, though I’m sure not the first. I’ll shut up now.
Jerry Garcia did, though I’m not sure how that compares to the others in the time line. He didn’t always wear it, but in the '60’s he did often. THough I bet a lot did in the '60’s
I have video clips of Alice Cooper wearing a tophat from way back before the Pretties For You album…around 67 or 68 I believe.
You do?! Don’t tell me, “Toronto Rock Revival” right? Anything much before that would have to be a bootleg - maybe the Cheetah Club?
(Off to SickthingsUK for more info.)
Nobody wore tophats better than the Residents.
But then that was more Reich and Roll.
I’ve seen pictures of Fats Domino in a top hat. That’s pretty far back.
Screaming Lord Sutch had a penchant for toppers: this picture seems to date from 1964, which would make him an early contender - as well as putting him at least 30 years before Marilyn Manson in the make-up and shock horror stakes.
I went and asked if anyone knew when Alice started wearing the hat. Okay, so far the best guess over there is around 1972, the “School’s Out” era. Sounds about right to me, at least as a regular thing.
wai’ a minu’. ain’tchall fergettin’ ‘bou’ lil’ Richard?