Male Musicians

Bo Diddley (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008) is the stage name for Ellas Otha Bates, an American rock and roll vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and inventor. He was known as "The Originator" because of his key role in the transition from the blues to rock & roll, influencing a host of legendary acts including Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton. He introduced more insistent, driving rhythms and a hard-edged guitar sound on a wide-ranging catalog of songs. Accordingly, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation and a Grammy Award from the National Academy…

Merle Ronald Haggard (born April 6, 1937) is an American country music singer, guitarist, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield Sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies, and a rough edge not heard on the more polished Nashville Sound recordings of the same era. By the 1970s, Haggard was aligned with the growing outlaw country movement, and has continued to release successful albums through the 1990s and into the 2000s. In 1997, Merle Haggard was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame for his song "Okie from Muskogee". Early lif…

Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings (born May 19, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter formerly active in the country music and Southern rock genres before switching to hard rock in 2009. The only child of country singers Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, Jennings signed his first recording contract, with Universal South Records, in 2005, releasing his debut album Put the "O" Back in Country that year. This album produced his only entry on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in its lead-off single "Fourth of July", which peaked at #26. Jennings has since followed Put the "O" Back in Country with three more albums: Electric Rodeo, Live at Irving Plaza 4.18.06 (both 200…

Shelton Hank Williams, known as Hank 3 (born December 12, 1972), is an American country, punk and metal musician. The grandson of country legend Hank Williams and the son of Hank Williams Jr., he is one of the most prominent musicians to play neotraditional country in a country music market dominated by pop country. In addition to his honky tonk recordings, Williams' style alternates between punk and metal. He is the principal member of the punk metal band Assjack, the drummer for the Southern hardcore punk band Arson Anthem, and was the bassist for Pantera singer Phil Anselmo's band Superjoint Ritual. In his career, he has released seven studio albums, including five for…

Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), better known as Hank Williams, Jr., is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern Rock, blues, and traditional country. He is the son of country music pioneer Hank Williams, and the father of Hank Williams III, Holly Williams, Hilary Williams, Samuel Williams and Katie Williams. Sam is expected to start recording officially in 2010. Williams began his career imitating his famed father. His style gradually evolved, until he was involved in a near fatal fall off the side of a mountain, which apparently changed his personal and professional life. After an extended r…

Hank Williams (September 17, 1923–January 1, 1953), born Hiram King Williams, was an American singer-songwriter and musician regarded as among the greatest country music stars of all time. He charted eleven number one songs between 1948 and 1953, though unable to read or write music to any significant degree. His hits included "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Hey Good Lookin'" and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". Williams died at age 29; his death is widely believed to have resulted from a mixture of alcohol and drugs. His son Hank Williams, Jr., daughter Jett Williams, and grandchildren Hank Williams III, Holly Williams, and Hilary Williams are also professional singers. His song…

Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American country music singer and musician. A self-taught guitar player, he rose to prominence as a bass player for Buddy Holly following the break-up of The Crickets. Jennings escaped death in the February 3, 1959, plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson when he gave up his seat to Richardson who had been sick with the flu. Urban legend and Hollywood folklore have it that Jennings and The Big Bopper flipped a coin for the last seat on the plane, with Jennings losing. It was, in fact, Tommy Allsup who flipped the coin for the fated plane trip, lo…

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer. Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz. He taught and influenced many other musicians, including trumpeters Miles Davis, Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown, Arturo Sandoval, Lee Morgan, Jon Faddis and Chuck Mangione In addition to featuring in the epochal moments in bebop, he was instrumental in founding Afro-Cuban jazz, the modern jazz version of what early-jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton referred to as the "Spanish Tinge". Gillespie was a trumpet virtuoso and gifted improviser, buildi…

Lonnie Rashied Lynn, Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known by his stage name Common (previously Common Sense), is an American rapper and actor. Common debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar? and maintained a significant underground following into the late 90s, after which he gained notable mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians. His first major label album, Like Water for Chocolate, received widespread critical acclaim and tremendous commercial success. Its popularity was matched by 2005's Be, which was nominated in the 2006 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album. Common was awarded his second Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group…

Motörhead are a British rock band formed in 1975 by bassist, singer and songwriter Ian Fraser Kilmister, known mostly by his stage name Lemmy, who has remained the sole constant member. The band pre-dated, but are sometimes regarded as part of, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which re-energised heavy metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s.[3] Usually a power trio, Motörhead had particular success in the early 1980s with several successful singles in the UK Top 40 chart. The albums Overkill, Bomber, Ace of Spades, and particularly No Sleep 'til Hammersmith, cemented Motörhead's reputation as one of Britain's foremost rock bands.[4] Motörhead are typically classified …

Ray Charles (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American musician. Charles was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm & blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings for Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his Modern Sounds albums.During his tenure with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company. Rolling Stone ranked Charles number 10 on their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004and voted him number two on the…

Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and instrumentalist with a three-octave vocal range. Starting as a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late fifties, he ventured into a solo career after the group disbanded in 1960 signing with the Tamla subsidiary of Motown Records. After starting off as a session drummer, Gaye ranked as the label's top-selling solo artist during the sixties. Because of solo hits such as "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)", "Ain't That Peculiar", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and his duet singles with singers such as Mary Wells and Ta…

Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Ennis, Texas, formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul (drums) and Dimebag Darrell (guitar) in 1981.[3] Bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. In 1987 Phil Anselmo would become the group's lead vocalist.[4] After disbanding in 2003, any hope of a reunion was lost in 2004, when Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on-stage at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio by gunman Nathan Gale while performing with his new band, Damageplan. History Formation and early glam years (1981??"1987) The core glam era lineup from the early years.The band originally consisted of Donnie Hart on vocals, Dimebag Dar…

Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981. The band was founded by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood The band is credited as one of the "Big Four" of thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax. Slayer's musical traits involve fast tremolo picking, atonal guitar solos, double bass drumming, and shouting vocals. The band's lyrics and album art, which cover topics such as serial killers, Satanism, religion and warfare have generated album bans, delays, lawsuits and strong criticism from religious groups and the public. Since their debut album i…

Audioslave was an American hard rock supergroup who formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of then former Soundgarden frontman, rhythm guitarist, and lead singer Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello (guitar), Tim Commerford (bass and backing vocals) and Brad Wilk (drums). Critics initially described Audioslave as an amalgamation of Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden,[1] but by the band's second album, Out of Exile, it was noted that they had established a separate identity. The band's trademark sound was created by blending 1970s hard rock with 1990s alternative rock. Moreover, Morello incorporated …

Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene. When thrash metal began to gain a major following in the mid-to-late 1980s, Anthrax were dubbed one of the "big four" of thrash metal alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer.[1] History Early days (1981) Anthrax was formed in mid-1981 by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker. They got the band's name from the disease listed in a biology textbook and claimed it because it sounded "sufficiently evil" to them.[2]John Connelly jammed with the band, but never actually joined. He was a roadie for them for many of their early sho…

From Wikipedia Background information Origin: Los Angeles, California, USA Genre(s): Heavy metal Thrash metal Speed metal Hard rock Years active 1981

Judas Priest are a Grammy Award winning English heavy metal band from Birmingham, formed in 1968. Judas Priest's core line-up consists of vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing, and bassist Ian Hill. The band has gone through several drummers over the years, though Scott Travis has held the position since 1989. They have been cited as an influence on many heavy metal musicians and bands. Their popularity and status as one of the definitive heavy metal bands has earned them the nickname "Metal Gods" from their song of the same name. They have sold over 35 million albums worldwide. Origins K. K. Downing and Ian Hill had known each other since early ch…

The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961, who gained popularity for their close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of cars, surfing, and romance. Brian Wilson's growing creative ambitions later transformed them into a more artistically innovative group that earned critical praise and influenced many later musicians.[1] The group was initially composed of singer-musician-composer Brian Wilson, his brothers, Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. This core quintet was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 1988. The Beach Boys have often been called "America's Band",[2][3][4] and …

Stray Cats are an American rock band formed in 1980 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer (Bloodless Pharaohs/Brian Setzer Orchestra), bassist Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom (drums) in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia and the U.S. including "Stray Cat Strut", "Sexy and 17", "I Won't Stand in Your Way", "Bring it Back Again", and "Rock This Town", which the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has listed as one of the 500 most important songs in the history of rock and roll. By 1982 the Stray Cats were an international sensation that influenced the world of music as well as fashion. History Formation and move to UK T…

The Bee Gees are a musical group that was originally made up of a singing trio of brothers …quot; Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were successful for most of their forty years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a harmonic "soft rock" act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as the foremost stars of the disco music era in the late 1970s. The group sang three-part tight harmonies that were instantly recognisable; brother Robin's clear vibrato lead was a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry's R&B falsetto became a signature sound during the disco years. The brothers co-wrote all of their own hits, as well as…

Mike Ness (born Michael James Ness, April 3, 1962, Lynn, Massachusetts) is an American guitarist, vocalist, and chief songwriter for the punk rock band Social Distortion, which was formed in 1978. As of Dennis Danell's death in 2000, he is the only remaining original member of the band. Ness—born in Lynn, Massachusetts as the fourth of six siblings and raised in Orange County, California—was kicked out of his father's home in Fullerton at 15, having been raised on the blues, country and early rock n' roll. As he drifted around Orange County, Ness became involved in the punk rock scene, after being moved by bands of that ilk.Ness was the original owner of the one-bedroom …

Cypress Hill is a Latino American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Originally called DVX, the name was changed after Mellow Man Ace left in 1988.[2] Cypress Hill was the first Latino group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide. They are one of the most well known groups in West Coast rap and are critically acclaimed for their first three albums History Early works and mainstream success (1989–1995) After recording a demo in 1989, Cypress Hill signed a record deal with the major label, Columbia Records. Their self-titled first album was released in August 1991. The lead single was the double A-side "The Phuncky Feel …

House of Pain is an Irish-American hip-hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group is best known for its 1992 hit single "Jump Around", which reached #3 in the United States, #6 in Ireland and #8 in the United Kingdom.[1] Band history Rise to fame After a brief unsuccessful solo career, Everlast teamed up with DJ Lethal and high school friend Danny Boy to form House of Pain.[1] The group was signed to Tommy Boy Records, and their self-titled debut album (1992) went multi-platinum, spawning the successful DJ Muggs produced single "Jump Around". This song was also remixed twice by Pete Rock, on…

Twisted Sister is an American heavy metal band from New York City.[1] Their work fuses the shock tactics of Alice Cooper, the rebellious mood of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and the extravagant image of glam rock bands such as New York Dolls notably for the makeup. Musically, the band implements elements of traditional heavy metal bands such as Judas Priest, along with a style that is similar to early glam metal bands. The band is generally categorized as glam metal for their earlier work, although the band does not consider themselves to be so.[2][3] Although the band was formed by guitarist Jay Jay French in December 1972, all of their songs were written by Dee…