Ticket 2 Ride

The other day I saw an article about actor John Stamos taking the stage with what’s left of The Beach Boys. Stamos has appeared onstage with them numerous times over the years, usually behind the drums, so it wasn’t any shock that he was cranking on a guitar, but it made me think about the various actors who have strapped on a guitar or stepped up to a microphone.

Actors singing, singers acting, that’s not news. As long as there has been theater, and the beginning of talking pictures, we’ve had folks doing both. Some very successful, most not so much.

This is a partial list of actors who are also musicians. Only active performers listed.

Johnny Depp – The actor has been a member of the Hollywood Vampires since 2012, along with Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and others. They have released three full albums and two EPs. In addition, Depp recorded an album with Jeff Beck, 2022’s 18. Depp is primarily a guitarist and sometime vocalist, who is credited with bass, keyboards and drums on his album with Beck.

John Stamos – The Full House actor has performed in music theater, including Cabaret and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He has played in various bands and has been visible appearing with The Beach Boys, occasionally in selected concerts and on record.

Jeff Bridges – The longtime actor has released three full albums, including one helmed by T-Bone Burnett. Bridges is a songwriter and passable guitarist who fits into the genres of Americana/folk/country-Western. He portrayed a down and out country singer in Crazy Heart where he earned an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Billy Mumy – The Lost in Space and Twilight Zone actor has been a singer and songwriter for many years. With Robert Haimer, they released a number of albums as Barnes and Barnes over a forty year period. Mumy has also been a frequent songwriting partner of Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America. He has also performed with Shaun Cassidy and Rick Springfield.

Kevin Bacon – Partners with his brother as The Bacon Brothers. They have released seven studio albums over their 30 years as a musical duo.

Keanu Reeves – His main musical focus has been the indie rock band, Dogstar. To date they have released three albums, the most recent being Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees (2023). The band toured in support of the album. Although the band dissolved for a number of years, Reeves has kept up his musical chops as a bass player.

Jamie Foxx – A singer, piano player and songwriter, Foxx has released five albums and collected a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. He earned an Academy Award as Best Actor for his performance as Ray Charles in Ray. He played his own piano parts in the film.

Billy Bob Thornton – The Boxmasters just released album number 19, and have been touring, including several dates opening for The Who on their final tour. As Bud Thornton, he is drummer and vocalist, having performed in bands and as a solo artist, forming the Boxmasters with J.D. Andrew in 2006.

Elizabeth McGovern – The Downton Abbey actress has released six albums, most of them as a part of her band, Sadie and the Hotheads.

Mare Winningham – The 1980s actress has recorded four albums of folk and roots music, and occasionally sung in her film and stage roles.

John Travolta – Passible in Grease. Stick to dancing.

Janet Jackson – Starting as a child actress in a musical family, she transitioned from TV sitcoms to musical role before emerging as a hugely successful recording star. Aside from a few select roles and music videos, she’s left the acting part of her career.

Jack Black – A working actor for three decades, Black has alternated between comedy and drama roles, throwing in a role involving music, like School of Rock (2003). He formed a band called Tenacious D who have released four studio albums.

John Schneider – From the Dukes of Hazzard to a country singer. Schneider has worked steadily in TV and films, while maintaining a music career.

Tom Wopat – Also from the Dukes of Hazzard, like Schneider, began a country music career. Wopat worked in musical theater and continued his acting career, mostly on television.

Kevin Costner – Successful actor/producer, has tried his hand at being a country singer, leading Kevin Costner and Modern West. They have released five albums and toured through the U.S. and Europe.

Donald Glover – Award winning actor, who is also a writer and producer, he co-starred in Community, then created the television show Atlanta. As a musician, he’s released music under the name, Childish Gambino.

Zendaya – From Disney Channel to Marvel Universe star, an Emmy and Golden Globe recipient. She’s released her first pop album.

Zooey Deschanel – From Almost Famous to Elf to Harold and the Purple Crayon, and many other films and TV projects, she’s carved out a successful acting career. She’s half of the musical duo, She & Him, who have released a handful of indie pop albums.

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And then there are the musician-actors. Should we take their acting seriously? Depends on the talent, but yes.

Rick Springfield – He was a musician before an actor, but achieved acclaim from his role on General Hospital. “Jessie’s Girl” was a best selling song and won Springfield a Grammy Award. singer has released 22 studio albums over his career. He has appeared in musical theater and other acting roles incorporating his singing.

Jack Wagner – Another soap actor, Wagner hooked up with producer Quincy Jones for the release of several albums. Wagner, primarily known as a television actor as his day time, has also worked in musical theater, and occasionally straps on his electric guitar and does the rock thing.

Jennifer Hudson – She has branched out beyond the musical roles. She has been successful at whatever she has undertaken. She has an Academy Award to go with her other acting awards for Dreamgirls.

Queen Latifa – Rapping was just the beginning of her success. Films and the lead in a television series followed.

Justin Timberlake – Is he a singer or an actor? He’s had success at both, but it seems he’s a more remarked singer with albums sold and awards.

LL Cool J – Another rapper who branched out into a successful television acting career, starring in NCIS: Los Angeles. He has several dozen film appearances, and many more TV roles. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Kennedy Center Honor recipient, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Harry Styles – A tremendously successful singer/songwriter, first as a member of One Direction, then as a solo artist. In 2017, he began his acting career with a role in Dunkirk, which led to a few other film roles.

Harry Connick Jr. – He came to fame as a big band and jazz singer/pianist. He’s had a great deal of success as a recording artist and concert performer. He’s made a couple of dozen films, mostly affable roles, but he’s also played some unsavory types as a change of pace.

Josh Groban – While Groban has excelled in his recording and musical theater career, he started out studying to become an actor. He appeared alongside Tony Danza in the series, The Good Cop for Netflix.

Ice Cube – A very successful film actor and producer. The gangsta rapper parlayed that success into a number of film roles. With the success, he began developing his own films, and has ventured in series television, but hasn’t given up his musical career.

Ice T – I don’t know what he’s doing musically now, but he has a longtime acting gig on one of the Law & Order shows. And he endorses the highly criticized Car Shield insurance.

Billy Ray Cyrus – The achy breaky heart guy is now more famous as a TV doctor and father of Miley.

Reba McEntire – She’s everywhere: films, television series, a judge and coach on The Voice.

Snoop Dog – This guy is living right. Actor, celebrity judge, pitchman, and a rapper. Snoop has become a brand.

Tom Waits – The gravelly voiced actor, who brought back the late night jazz club vibe, may look like an unmade bed, but the unkempt and slightly odd persona fits many different offbeat character roles.

Willie Nelson – His first acting role was in The Electric Horseman (1979) with Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. Start at the top.

Madonna – Mega-successful as singer/songwriter/performer/fashion/cultural influencer. Less so as actor.

Cher – An Academy Award for Best Actress. She had a fine film career and derailed herself with psychic service infomercials.

Selena Gomez – Child actor and music star. Graduated to adult roles and music. Equally successful at both. Savvy investor, young billionaire.

Lady Gaga – She has the adaptability that other wanna actresses crave. There’s a genuineness that is convincing to the roles she has thus far chosen.

Dolly Parton – She’s Dolly. Enough said.

Bette Midler – Brassy and slightly naughty, those qualities go a long way in the right roles. Her best roles are as less than attractive and terribly flawed characters.

Barbra Streisand – Not just an Academy Award winning actress, but an award winning filmmaker.

Will Smith – A 4-time Grammy winner as a hip hop artist, Smith starred in a TV series before transitioning into a top grossing, and Academy Award winning film actor.

Diana Ross – Grammy, Golden Globe, Tony and recipient of many other awards, this singer and actress, former member of The Supremes, and successful solo artist, starred in several high profile films during the 1970s.