20 Famous People Who You Might Not Have Known Were Band Kids | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

20 Famous People Who You Might Not Have Known Were Band Kids

You're in high school once, but you're a band geek forever.

30863
20 Famous People Who You Might Not Have Known Were Band Kids
metrouk2.files.wordpress.com

Ah, Marching Band...

A hundred degrees, grass stains, sweaty people, metronomes, whistles, marking time –– just a few of the glimpses from summer band camp and marching rehearsals throughout the year that don't even come to conjure the impact that marching band has on our lives.

Whether it was learning how to play a note together, sharing sunscreen before rehearsal, water balloon fights after rehearsal or the first time you heard a crowd cheer for you, it seems that band was quite the magical time.

While your section leader yelling at you to get on the right foot and your shoe coming untied during parade might not be the most glamorous thing in the world, marching band brings some unforgettable moments of togetherness with some unforgettable people.

It's nice to know that people all around the world share this identity. Really, it spans the world. And as band camp approaches for myself, I thought hard about how big our band people population truly was. I wondered what famous people might have been in band but, anyway, it's nice to know that Band Kids are taking over the world.

Famous politicians, scientists, musicians, actors -- they are all musically talented awkward badasses like ourselves. Who knew that all those life skills, scales, practicing schedules, people skills and discipline that we learned on the marching band fields would actually go to use in the real world?

Band kids are definitely unstoppable people. Who knows what this leaves us band kids for the future?

1. Lil Wayne

Instrument: Cymbals

Before Yung Money was even a thing, Dwayne Micheal Carter Jr. (Lil Wayne) was a Yung Cymbal player. Look at that mini Weezy.

2. Steven Spielberg

Instrument: Clarinet

Jaws. Jurassic Park. Indiana Jones. E.T. And Reeds, apparently.

3. Halle Berry

Instrument: Flute

From Flautist to Catwoman AND Storm.

4. Tina Fey

Instrument: Flute/Choir

Tina Fey also was Frenchie in her High School's production of Grease, for the musical nerds like myself out there.

5. Kesha

Instrument: Saxophone/Trumpet

Kesha spent high school playing BOTH Sax and Trumpet!

6. President Bill Clinton

Instrument: Saxophone

Before he was President of the United States of America - or playing with balloons for that matter - he was a saxophone player at Hot Springs High School.

7. Gerard Way

Instrument: Percussion/Snare Line/Cello

I thought his father took him to the city to SEE a marching band, not be in one. In the following 2013 tweet back to a fan, he explains his band involvement. This seriously explains a bit of My Chemical Romance's band attire.

8. Jenna Marbles

Instrument: Clarinet

Before Kermit and Marbles, Jenna Mourey spent her time playing clarinet and softball. Now, Jenna marbles is a huge YouTube star!

9. Markiplier

Instrument: Trumpet

Mark Edward Fischbach, like Jenna, also is a band geek turned famous YouTuber. He says in the following video, "Senior year of high school I was first chair of the trumpet section, so I got all the solos -- I got it right every practice, but EVERY time we performed it in competition I completely flunked it... except in nationals. That was the ONE time I got it"

10. Tommy Lee

Instrument: Quads/Tenors in drum line

Tommy Lee, founding member and drummer of the band Motley Crüe, was a quad player growing up. In the following picture from the NBC reality TV show

"Tommy Lee Goes to College", Lee plays the quads again with the University of Nebraska's marching band.

11. Gwen Stefani

Instrument: Flute

Gwen Stefani started her musical career playing the flute!


12. Samuel L. Jackson

Instrument: Trumpet/French Horn

This BAMF started out playing Trumpet and French Horn before he was even in Pulp Fiction.

13. Ewan McGregor

Instrument: French Horn

Like Jedi Master Mace Windu, it seems that Obi Wan Kenobi himself also doubled as Jedi master and french horn player.

14. Aretha Franklin

Instrument: Tuba

Yes, our soul queen played the Tuba. (Female Tuba players represent! Tuba/Piccolo player here.)


15. Jennifer Garner

Instrument: Clarinet

Actress, Jennifer Garner played the clarinet in George Washington High School in West Virginia.

16. Neil Armstrong

Instrument: Baritone

He went to the moon. He was in band.

17. Kurt Cobain

Instrument: Percussion

Frontman of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, got his musical start in the snare drum.

18. Steven Tyler

Instrument: Trumpet

The following picture is a picture of the frontman of Aerosmith at the age of 18. His smirk may sort of resemble Heath Ledger's performance of the Joker, but thanks to those lips he played trumpet just fine.


19. Lionel Richie

Instrument: Saxophone

Motown God, guy who pioneered the sung/paused "Hello." before Adele, father to Nicole Richie and excellent saxophone player.

20. Eva Longoria

Instrument: Clarinet/Drum Major

Before she was one of the Desperate Housewives of Wisteria Lane, she was the Drum Major of Miller High School.

She still has that air of authority in her eyes.


What can be taken away from this article is that marching bands are full of extraordinary, disciplined, dorky and musically talented people. People capable of stardom, and furthermore, capable of taking over the world.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

127281
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

28617
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

26624
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments