# Vocalist who are lead guitarists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 17, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764 "2010-03-17T16:39:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Saganist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Saganist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saganist)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/41 "2010-03-18T00:13:17Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > I was always under the impression that James Iha was their lead guitarist? I’m not sure who they have playing guitar now…maybe Billy took over full guitar duties? I can’t comment on the post 2000 Pumpkins but I’m pretty sure Billy did most if not all the lead duty in their prime years. Every music video or live clip I’ve seen has him soloing. For example: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPOv3iyy1qo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPOv3iyy1qo) Great stuff. ---
**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:** [March 18, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/42 "2010-03-18T00:42:44Z")
Peter Frampton, with the Herd and Humble Pie, as well as a soloist. Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh of the Eagles share guitar duties and both sing lead vocals on various songs. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/43 "2010-03-18T00:51:38Z")
Steve Marriott was lead guitarist and lead singer of the Small Faces. Among trios, there’s Billy Gibbons of ZZtop, Leslie West of Mountain, and Joe Walsh of the James Gang. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/44 "2010-03-18T00:54:25Z")
Les Claypool _technically_ plays bass. I still say he qualifies as a lead guitarist. ---
**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:** [March 18, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/45 "2010-03-18T01:07:58Z")
The Roches switch off on lead guitar, and they all sing lead and harmony (with the Roches, harmony often is the lead vocal). Dave Mason played lead guitar and sang, and usually had a rhythm guitarist. Neil “The Seventh Python” Innes of the Bonzo Dog Band played lead and sung lead on many of their songs. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/46 "2010-03-18T03:02:13Z")
Chet Atkins ---
**Author:** ![FallingLeaves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/54ee81/32.png) [@FallingLeaves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallingLeaves)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/47 "2010-03-18T03:27:23Z")
Vertical Horizon’s Matt Scannell is both lead guitar and lead singer. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/48 "2010-03-18T03:29:29Z")
Randy Bachman was the lead guitarist of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and SOMETIMES the lead vocalist. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/49 "2010-03-18T03:36:00Z")
There’s wasn’t always one clear lead singer or one clear lead guitarist in the Doobie Brothers… but at different times, Patrick Simmons could claim both titles. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/50 "2010-03-18T03:39:04Z")
In their prime, Chicago had three guys sharing lead vocals. Lead guitarist Terry Kath was one of them- he had the deep, gruff voice featured on songs like “Make Me Smile.” ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/51 "2010-03-18T03:43:05Z")
I’d co-sign on Mick Jones, but I disagree that he wasn’t a prominent vocalist for The Clash. He sang quite a bit, IMO. Jerry Cantrell from Alice In Chains (at times) Johnny Marr when he played with The Healers Noel Gallagher from Oasis (at times) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/52 "2010-03-18T06:43:49Z")
I have to admit I’m more a radio listener, and have no idea who anyone is, really. So I have a small question: Do any of these guys play lead and sing lead simultaneously? I don’t mean the same song, I mean at the same time. If so, I would love to hear what you think is the best example. I know that, even when I play piano, I have a lot of trouble playing two different melody lines at once. I’m always playing rhythm while singing, and filling in other lines during rests. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/53 "2010-03-18T08:14:59Z")
Carl Wilson was lead guitarist for the Beach Boys and also sang lead on some songs. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/54 "2010-03-18T12:26:18Z")
Carlos Santana sang on his early albums, at least, although there was at least one other singer as well. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/55 "2010-03-18T13:14:32Z")
> [@Imasquare](#): > > Carl Wilson was lead guitarist for the Beach Boys and also sang lead on some songs. I was thinking Al Jardine for the Beach Boys- would he qualify? ---
**Author:** ![smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smoke)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/56 "2010-03-18T14:18:35Z")
Tom Keifer from Cinderella. Totally under-appreciated, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/57 "2010-03-18T15:45:43Z")
> [@Imasquare](#): > > Carl Wilson was lead guitarist for the Beach Boys and also sang lead on some songs. I thought about Carl but decided he wasn’t the best example, since he didn’t do many lead vocals (and certainly wasn’t a frontman) in the early days, when the Beach Boys were a performing band playing all their own instruments. He really came into his own as a vocalist on less guitary, more studio-oriented tracks like Good Vibrations and God Only Knows. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/58 "2010-03-18T17:05:08Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Todd Rundgren (he shares lead duty with Jesse Gress onstage). AKA “Todd’s Stunt Guitarist” (just as Steve Vai served as Zappa’s stunt guitarist). [Speaking of guitar stunts](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej9xzLCyiWE)… ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/59 "2010-03-18T17:18:12Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I have to admit I’m more a radio listener, and have no idea who anyone is, really. So I have a small question: Do any of these guys play lead and sing lead simultaneously? I don’t mean the same song, I mean at the same time. If so, I would love to hear what you think is the best example. > > I know that, even when I play piano, I have a lot of trouble playing two different melody lines at once. I’m always playing rhythm while singing, and filling in other lines during rests. Leads usually aren’t played much over vocal parts as general rule, just to keep from stepping on them (not full fledged solos, anyway), it’s more about fills and licks during vocal parts, even with a separate guitarist, but there are singer/guitarists who lick quite a bit as they’re singing – SRV, for instance, or Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix did it constantly. He was ridiculous with it. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764/60 "2010-03-18T17:53:00Z")
Dickie Betts w/ the Allman Bros., especially after Duane’s death. I wonder if Hughie Thomasson of The Outlaws would fit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocalist-who-are-lead-guitarists/532764.md?page=4)