I’m surprised no one’s mentioned Charlie Pride or Michael McDonald.
I have a theory that these two (at a ripe old age, one hopes) must pass from this earth at the very same moment, lest some kind of dangerous mass-energy singularity rend the fabric of the universe.
You have to admit, Rick Astley doesn’t look like Rick Astley.
You’ve got one of the recent people for me. Those others were from childhood and before we even had TV. But if there’s a way to be more opposite than Ms. Gross, I don’t know what it would be.
Another category that’s better than 50% surprising is when we finally get to see the offscreen announcer for game shows, like Johnny Gilbert on Jeopardy!.
My first image of The Lone Ranger was made before I ever saw the TV and movie versions, but I was not impressed when I eventually saw a picture of Brace Beemer years later. Nowhere close to how I thought Lone would look.
Huh. Older Ellen Degeneres is about how I always pictured Terry Gross.
KISS was way uglier than I expected when they first removed the makeup in 1983. Holy shit!
Holy cow, you ain’t kidding!
Fujiya & Miyagi come to mind.
I never would’ve guessed that Stevie Ray Vaughan and The Ramones were as ugly as they were.
Also speaking of old time radio, I think just about everyone knew that Amos and Andy were played by two white guys. They might have been surprised, though, to learn that Amos’ daughter was played by a Chinese-American!
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole is my pick for looking the least like his honeyed voice sounds.
I pictured some mixed race guy of undetermined pedigree, with a slight frame befitting the tender vocals.
I prefer the real guy far more than the Israel I had imagined.
I was surprised by James Dobson. When I was going to school, my parents always listened to the radio to get the weather and stuff like that, and just left it on until we left. Dobson’s Focus on the Family would have this brief interlude around the hour. For some reason, I expected him to look like Pat Robertson.
I also learned that Lum N Abner reruns would play at 6:45 AM, I wasn’t surprised at all by what they looked like–until I saw them without the facial hair!
BTW, there’s new Lum N Abner content now!
Steve Miller, Muddy Waters, Patsy Cline were all a little stouter than I thought they’d be. Most of the musicians (that I’ve noticed) tend to have an ectomorphic body type.
Once upon a time, having a nice large ribcage for loud, resonant tones was a plus in music.
Now they just use skinny things, body mics and Autotune.
The mention of Amos and Andy reminds me of another one. Fibber McGee & Molly introduced the character of Beulah, the maid. Beulah was later spun off into her own show, and then made into a TV show, the later incarnations featured the character being played by a heavyset black woman- how most listeners probably viewed that character in their minds. But originally, Beulah was played by a young, thin white man named Marlin Hurt! Live audiences of the Fibber McGee & Molly didn’t know this. You can hear the audience howling and screaming with laughter during the routines they did with Beulah!
Heh, really? I remember being amused by how much Gross looked like my mental image of her when I finally saw a picture.
But on a similar note, I’ll add Garrison Keillor. I grew up listening to him with all the folksyness and slow speech patterns I always pictured a grandfatherly looking guy. Instead, he looks like some weird troll-monster. He’s definately in the right profession.
Really? I’ve always thought Terry Gross looks a lot like she sounds. Brooke Gladstone from “On the Media” was the one I was surprised to see on television. I don’t know what I was expecting, only that she’s much prettier than I’d thought she be.
Before seeing her picture I envisoned Gross as similar to a younger Leslie Stahl.
Billy Idol came to mind immediately.
I tried to find a video for the SNL skit with the song “Wrong Voice for This Face,” but couldn’t. Anyone have a link?
Geddy Lee IS female. He is just an UGLY female.
Just kidding Rush fans! Really! <ducks a thrown 2112 LP>
I remember being a big Al Stewart fan in the 70s, before the Year of the Cat mania occurred. I had never seen a picture, but was surprised at how skinny of a waif he was. He could have used a couple of cheeseburgers, if you know what I mean.
I was surprised that he was as masculine as he was. A slim cigarette holder and capezios wouldn’t have surprised me.
