Hello Researchers:

We?re are in the middle of a project and are now looking for movie
stars, politicians, sports figures and other recognizable people that
have musical talent (sing, play instruments).   They should be
instantly recognizable and known for talents other than their musical
skills.

Ideally, if they have a musical skill not everyone knows about, that 
would be great to find.  But any ?where are they now? people who play 
an instrument or sing are what we need. 

   
GOOD EXAMPLES:  Roger and Bill Clinton, The Fat Boys, Jim Belushi, Tom 
Arnold are good examples.  Eddie Murphy, Kevin Bacon, Kienu
Reeves,Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifa are NOT good examples because they?re
currently too famous.

ideally they shouldn't be primarily known for music, like Meatloaf, but 
rather play music on the side like Tom Arnold and his harmonica.

Please NO tv actors.  We have an extensive list of television stars 
with musical skills, some actors, such as William Shatner, have done 
films as well, but if they are primarily known as tv stars we probably 
already got em...

CRITERIA:  They need to be recognizable, but not currently ?hot.? 
Need to be in the ?where are they now category.?

Can?t be too hot right now like Renee Zwellinger (who's not what we're 
looking for).

Ideally young is better (as opposed to people in their late 60?s and 
older) but any age if alive and active will do...

ideally we get their name, what their known for, and what musical
skill they have (sing -play piano etc.)

If you have any questions before starting, please let me know.

Thank you.
STEVE HOWARD

Hi tvwarmup:

Thanks for the interesting question.

Here are some of the ones I have found so far. I have tried to keep to
your criteria as best as possible. Please let me know whether this
list is on the right track and/or long enough.

* Richard Dreyfus
URL: http://www.amc-music.com/musicmaking/schools/survey/wholoves.htm
Quote: "just as Richard Dreyfuss did after he played his own
instruments for his Oscar-nominated role in Mr. Holland?s Opus."

* Marcus Allen
URL: http://www.amc-music.com/musicmaking/schools/survey/wholoves.htm
Quote: "football great Marcus Allen also plays the piano"

* Dave Barry
URL: http://www.cs.uu.nl/wais/html/na-dir/dave-barry-faq.html
Quote: "Dave Barry is a syndicated columnist
whose humorous articles appear in hundreds of newspapers every week.
When he's not writing his columns for the enjoyment of the world, he
writes for the Miami Herald's Tropic Magazine.  Dave has won a Pulitzer
Prize for his humor columns (for several of his columns in the category
of Distinguished Social Commentary in 1988) and is the lead guitarist
in a rock band called the _Rock Bottom Remainders_."

* Ken Follett
URL: http://www.amc-music.com/musicmaking/schools/survey/wholoves.htm
Quote: "author Ken Follett plays bass guitar in a band called ?Damn
Right I Got the Blues? (named for a Buddy Guy album)..."

* The Amazing Kreskin
URL: http://www.amc-music.com/musicmaking/schools/survey/wholoves.htm
Quote: "The Amazing Kreskin plays the piano as part of his on-stage
demonstrations..."

* John Kapelos
URL: http://lavender.fortunecity.com/wildbunch/241/johnbio.htm
Quote: "John is fluent in three language: English, French and Greek,
and also plays the guitar and piano."

* Jill Hennessy (might be too hot)
URL: http://www.frymybacon.com/articles/articles.php?articleID=299
Quote: "Not only an accomplished actress, she also plays the guitar,
sings, writes, cooks, and to top it all off she is fluent in 5
languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish, and German."

* Jason Schwartzman
URL: http://www.splicedonline.com/02features/jschwartzman.html
Quote: "In his off hours, Schwartzman plays drums with his catchy
Weezer-like pop band Phantom Planet, formed when he was just 14.
(Their new CD comes out next month.)"

* Kevin Weisman
URL: http://www.kevinweisman.com/bio.html
Quote: "Kevin is also producing (and acting in), the feature film, The
Illusion, directed by company member Michael Goorjian. The Illusion is
currently in post production. Kevin also plays drums in the band,
TRAINWRECK."

* John Corbett
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0179173/bio
Quote: "Plays guitar and piano."

* David Cronenerg
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000343/bio
Quote: "After showing an inclination for literature at an early age
(he wrote and published eerie short stories, thus following his
father's path) and for music (playing classical guitar until he was
12), Cronenberg graduated from Toronto University with a degree in
Literature, after quitting the Scientific Department."

* Rupert Everett
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000391/bio
Quote: "At the age of 7, he was placed into the care of Benedictine
monks at Ampleforth College where he trained classically on the
piano."

* Dustin Hoffman
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000163/bio
Quote: "As roommates, Hoffman and Gene Hackman would often go to the
apartment rooftop and play the drums. Hoffman played the bongo drums
while Hackman played the conga drums."

* Gene Hackman
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000163/bio
Quote: "As roommates, Hoffman and Gene Hackman would often go to the
apartment rooftop and play the drums. Hoffman played the bongo drums
while Hackman played the conga drums."

* Anthony Hopkins
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000164/bio
Quote: "Piano virtuoso."

* Chris Rankin
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0710242/bio
Quote: "When he is not acting, Chris enjoys reading, singing playing
the violin and piano, surfing the Internet, meeting people and
travelling to distant lands."

* Eric Stoltz
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000655/bio
Quote: "Born to two teachers in Los Angeles, Eric was raised in both
American Samoa and Santa Barbara California, where by the age of 14 he
was earning money by playing piano for the local musical theater
productions, including "Mame" starring Anthony Edwards."

* Mayim Bialik
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0080524/bio
Quote: "Plays piano and bass guitar."

* Asia Carrera
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006562/bio
Quote: "At the tender age of 13 the daughter of a Japanese father and
a German mother already played J. S. Bach on the piano in Carnegie
Hall."

* Kate Hudson 
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005028/bio
Quote: "She can play guitar and piano."

* Condoleezza Rice
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1110666/bio
Quote: "Concert-level pianist, she has performed with Yo-Yo Ma."

* Bonnie Wright
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0942247/bio
Quote: "can sing & play the piano"

Search Strategy (on Google):
* "also plays the piano"
* "also plays the guitar" actor
* "also plays drums" actor
* "also plays the classical"
* actor OR actress "hobbies include" piano
+ a load of searches on the IMDB (http://www.imdb.com/)

I hope this helps!

websearcher

---

Request for Answer Clarification by tvwarmup-ga on 23 May 2005 13:57 PDT

Hello!

Yes the list is ok, but even deeper.. and more "where are they now"
folks is what we need. Excellent first start, I know, from past
experience with Google Researchers, it'll get better 'n better.

STEVE

---

Clarification of Answer by websearcher-ga on 23 May 2005 15:15 PDT

Hi tvwarmup:

Thanks for the clarification and encouragement. It is challenging to
find people who are "still active", famous enough to be recognizable,
not TV stars, not known for music, but not "too hot"...

Some more:

* Kevin Bacon 
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000102/bio
Quote: "He sang with his brother, Michael, (who played guitar) in New
York in a small club/coffee shop."

* Beau Bridges
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000977/bio
Quote: "Beau likes to play guitar and collects Native American
percussion instruments."

* Atom Egoyan
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000382/bio
Quote: "Plays classical guitar."

* Hector Elizondo
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001185/bio
Quote: "He is also an accomplished guitarist, singer and dancer."

* Michael J. Fox 
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000150/bio
Quote: "Received his first guitar for christmas when he was 8. He
taught himself how to play."

* Eric Idle
URL: http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=524756#a
Quote: "Is an accomplished guitar player."

* Ben Kingsley
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001426/bio
Quote: "Made his London stage debut in 1966 as the narrator of 'A
Smashing Day' produced by Beatles manager, Brian Epstein. He wrote the
music for the production as well as sang and played guitar for same.
After one performance, John Lennon and Ringo Starr came backstage and
told him that he should go into music and that if he didn't, 'he would
regret it for the rest of his life.'"

* Steven Seagal
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000219/bio
Quote: "Seagal's love of guitar and appreciation of rasta music led
him to study with teacher in Jamaica, where he owns a vacation home."

* Gene Barry
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0058001/bio
Quote: "Musical at an early age, he was considered a violin virtuoso
during adolescence (a gift inherited from his father) and possessed a
natural, attractive baritone voice. After breaking his arm playing
football, he concentrated on singing, finding work in nightclubs,
choirs, fairs, and even with dance bands while still in high school."

* Juliette Binoche
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000300/bio
Quote: "Learned to play the violin for Alice et Martin (1998)."

* DJ Yoshi (Basketball)
URL: http://www.nba.com/nets/game_night_experience/djyoshibio.html
Quote: "The relocation stripped the urban influence away from the
young boy and opened his eyes to other forms of music such as:
classical, alternative, and contemporary. Eric automatically took a
liking to instruments and began playing the piano, trumpet, clarinet
and guitar. After winning dozens of piano recitals all over the state,
he raised his level of skill. His dedication led him to become a
master musician of both the piano and trumpet by the age of 13!"

* Grant Hill (Basketball)
URL: http://www.nba.com/chat_and_mailboxes/hill_transcript_010312.html
Quote: "I still play piano and learned a few new songs. I have a piano
at home and try to play as much as I can."

* Barry Zito (Baseball)
URL: http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=217096
Quote: "plays guitar in his sister Sally's band, the Sally Zito Project"

* Bernie Williams (Baseball)
URL: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=124288
Quote: "in 2003 released his debut jazz Album 'The Journey Within'".

* Jose Theodore (Hockey)
URL: http://nhl.com/intheslot/read/impact/october/theodore.html
Quote: "When he's not busy picking 100-mph slap shots out of the air,
Jose Theodore likes to spend his time picking his guitar. The Montreal
Canadiens' goaltender loves music almost as much as playing hockey.
When he's not on the ice stoning the opposition, Theodore usually can
be found somewhere jamming with his friends."

Let me know how i'm doing and whether you'd like me to try to find
more. If so, which areas should I focus on?

Thanks

websearcher

---

Clarification of Answer by websearcher-ga on 24 May 2005 05:30 PDT

OK, here's some more sports figures. NFL 

* Andre Carter (Football)
URL: http://www.nfl.com/reebok/UTH/acarter.html
Quote: " But as quarterbacks flee the pocket in hopes of eluding him,
what they don't understand is that Carter's most talented muscles
might actually lie in his hands. We're talking about his ability to
play the piano. And not just chop sticks, either. Carter's actually
been playing the piano longer than he's been playing football and he's
never been shy about stepping up to the old ivory and banging out a
few notes...not even when he's at a sorority party."

Joey Harrington (Football)
URL: http://www.nfl.com/ce/feature/0,3783,5356942,00.html
Quote: "Seriously, what's with the piano?
HARRINGTON: I love it. I've been playing since I was 4."

Dhani Jones (Football)
URL: http://www.nfl.com/features/tmq/020105
Quote: "In the big game Tuesday Morning Quarterback's kids will be
rooting for the Eagles, because Philadelphia linebacker Dhani Jones is
a graduate of their high school. Jones, who recites poetry, plays
piano and recently guest-conducted the Philadelphia Pops orchestra, is
something of a Renaissance Man, which is not a position in the Eagles
defense."

Trevor Pryce (Football)
URL: http://www.nfl.com/insider/story/5978625
Quote: "Pryce's true love, his bridge over stressful water, is his
music. Which brings us to the autographed electric guitar lying on the
carpet beneath Marley."

Chad Hutchinson (Football)
URL: http://www.nfl.com/uth/hutchinson_101602.html
Quote: "It's funny, because I didn't really realize how big of a show
it was. I knew it was HBO, but I didn't realize how many people would
be watching my every move. A lot of people come up to me and laugh
about me playing the guitar, and I enjoy the fact that people got to
see a side of me away from the field."

Jon McGraw (Football)
URL: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/5673022
Quote: "Jets rookie safety Jon McGraw has played the violin since age
5. He also plays the guitar."

Doug Flutie (Football)
URL: http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/SD/8279577
Quote: Flutie was heading to Stowe, Vt., to play drums in a weekend
gig with his Flutie Brothers Band, Kuliga said."

Derrick Rodgers (Football)
URL: http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/NO/6395527
Quote: "Rodgers attended St. Augustine High School in New Orleans but
played trumpet, not football."

I will continue to try to find more people, but I have already spent
several hours on this question already so I will have to spread my
time out over the next few days/weeks as I answer other questions so I
can buy the groceries!

websearcher

---

Clarification of Answer by websearcher-ga on 24 May 2005 06:22 PDT

Here's a weird one:

Willard Scott (played the first Ronald McDonald)
URL: http://www.bd.com/contentmanager/b_article.asp?Item_ID=21157&ContentType_ID=1&BusinessCode=20001&d=&s=&dTitle=&dc=&dcTitle=
Quote: "Television personality Willard Scott is famous for singing
'Happy Birthday' to centenarians on NBC?s Today Show. He had missed a
few shows lately, though, while recuperating from surgery. So it was
the perfect tribute to Becton Dickinson when he sang 'Happy 100th' to
Becton Dickinson with an ACEŽ brand bandage rakishly wrapped around
his head."

---

Clarification of Answer by websearcher-ga on 24 May 2005 13:13 PDT

Hi tvwarmup:

Thank you for explaining your pricing ideas. That certainly gives me
more comfort putting the additional time into this challenging
question.

I tried a different tack this time. I started with the lists of "What
Ever Happened To celebrities at:

What Ever Happened To
URL: http://www.weht.net/

And then searched for musical abilities on those people. Here's what I
came up with:

* David Carradine (Martial Arts)
URL: http://www.weht.net/WEHT/David_Carradine.html
URL: http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=1800017353&cf=biog&intl=us
Quote: "Carradine's own talent for singing and guitar playing, coupled
with his earlier taste of the hobo's life, made him well suited for
playing Guthrie."

* Donna Douglas (Elly Mae on Beverly Hillbillies)
URL: http://www.weht.net/WEHT/Donna_Douglas.html
URL: http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=1800067659&cf=biog&intl=us
Quote: "A devoted Christian, Douglas is also a noted gospel singer."

* Gillian Anderson (of X-Files fame)
URL: http://www.weht.net/WEHT/Gillian_Anderson.html
URL: http://entertainment.msn.com/celebs/celeb.aspx?c=271474&mp=b
Quote: "When she was 14, she became romantically involved with a
20-year-old punk singer and
occasionally sang in his band."

* Tim Curry (Rocky Horror)
URL: http://www.weht.net/WEHT/Tim_Curry.html
URL: http://www.answers.com/topic/tim-curry
Quote: "Because of that movie's staying power, Curry continues to be
best known for the role, in spite of two decades of steady work on
stage and screen, including the movies The Hunt For Red October (1990,
with Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin) and The Three Musketeers (1993) He
has also released pop music recordings, and his distinctive voice work
has appeared in dozens of television cartoons and animated feature
films."

* Mike Keneally (Oscar Meyers bologna commercial child star)
URL: http://www.keneally.com/keneally9.html
Quote: "Is auditioned and hired by Frank Zappa as
guitarist/keyboardist/ vocalist in Zappa?s last touring band."
Quote: "Q: Is there any truth to the rumor that you were the original
'Mikey' on the original LIFE cereal commercials ('He likes it! Hey
Mikey!')?
A: How absurd! I was, of course, the 'my bologna has a first name' kid."

Well, that didn't turn up as many as I thought it might. I'll try any
other ideas for searching as I come up with them.

websearcher

---

Clarification of Answer by websearcher-ga on 24 May 2005 13:48 PDT

Some more:

Thad Cochran (US Senator - Mississippi)
URL: http://cochran.senate.gov/bio.htm
Quote: "At Byram high school, Thad earned varsity letters in football,
basketball, baseball, and tennis. He gave a piano and voice recital
his senior year and was class valedictorian."

Lamar Alexander (US Senator - Tennessee)
URL: http://alexander.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Columns.Detail&Column_id=12&Month=4&Year=2005
Quote: "The Presbyterian Chaplain of the 844th , Rev. Tim Fary from
Rhea County, and I had met before. He was then 8 years old, and I was
Governor. I was playing the piano with the Chattanooga symphony at a
Fourth of July concert at the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National
Military Park."

---

Clarification of Answer by websearcher-ga on 28 May 2005 19:23 PDT

Some more: 

* Michael Angarano (actor)
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0029400/bio
Quote: "Learned to play the violin for his role in 'Music of the Heart'."

* Robin Givens (actress)
URL: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002101/bio
Quote: "When she was young, Robin began playing the violin but quickly
decided it was not for her."

websearcher

Mary Kay Place, while best known as an actress, is also a talented
singer. She has recorded at least two albums, and had a modest hit
with a song called "Something to Brag About," which was a lively duet
with Willie Nelson.

http://imdb.com/name/nm0005316/

Hi, Pink...

Now we're getting there.  Can you try to find former sports players,
politicians and other recognizable "where are they now" people? 
Please also note that I do "tip."  It's important for us to continue
building a strong list of people for our presentation to a network.

Thank you again.  The quick responses so far were awesome.
Steve

I'd be glad to give this a shot if you ever post the question again. I
think my friend and colleague Websearcher did a bang-up job. I am
sitting here imagining Anthony Hopkins as a piano virtuoso. Yikes!
Who'da thunk it?

Woody Allen and (less famously) Billy Crystal play clarinet.

Supposedly Billy Crystal once told curmudgeonly jazz great Artie Shaw
that Shaw'd inspired him to play clarinet, and that Crystal had
modeled his own playing style on Shaw's.  "Why aren't you any better,
then?" Shaw demanded.

Woody Allen is rather famous for being a jazz nut; he does clarinet,
as I recall, and rather well.

The 2nd list is much better.  Again keep in mind they can't be too
"hot."  I would concentrate on sports people next.

As for the first list, on first glance, there were only a few names
that are useable, but I will do more research to find out more as to
who they are.

Unfortunately, I cannot reveal the nature of the project, otherwise
you'd get it real fast.  So my comments back are only to help you
understand the type of people we need!  So far, so good.

TY again..
Steve

I sent the last response too fast.  To clarify, I will do more
research on the names already sent..

YOU need to find more names please!  Sports is a good concentration,
recognizable people from tv commercials, too.

Many thanks again for bearing with me.
STEVE

Hi,

I am well aware that this type of research takes more than an hour. 
I'd rather offer a tip accordingly than ask the question again, for
fear that I might get similar answers.  This way, the question
continues and the researcher can check out the other answers.

Again, I recognize the research process and its length. 

STEVE

RESEARCHERS:

I have a clarification from the original question that hones in on the
remaining information needed.  I prefer to not re-post or ask another
question for concerns that I might get repeated answers.

Therefore, I am going to ask the question again, being more specific
on what we're looking for.

At the end, I will offer a generous tip, of course, recognizing the
amount of work that goes into such research.  But again, it may be
easier for me to re-phrase the question here and not on a reposting.

Thank you.  The question will be coming in a few minutes.

(please read the posting just before this one)

Here's the revised question:

We need more names for our list. The people should be quite
recognizable, but not too famous.  "D" list people ok.  Categories
below:

Politics,  Movies,  Sports, Reality TV Stars/Hosts, Commercials,
Misc. categories (famous people who play musical instruments such as
Roger Clinton, brother of Bill Clinton.  If Fabio or Studdering John
played an instrument, they?d be ideal.)


Movies

Good:  Tom Arnold
If Mini-me or Mark Hammel played an instrument, they would be a good example.
Harrison Ford is too famous.

Politicians:

Condoleeza Rice is borderline
WE NEED Bush Sr. Cabinet members who played rock and roll would be good.   

Need any politicians that are well known..

Commercials:

If the ?wazzup guys? played music, or the heavyset actor from the
Capital One/David Spade Commerical, they?d be perfect. David Spade is
too famous.

REALITY TV STARS

Any recognizable TV reality contestant/host who also plays music would
be perfect such as Temptation Island Host Mark Walberg.

We don?t need people primarily known for being a TV stars. We already
have an extensive list.

One more freebie: actor Peter Gallagher started his career as a singer.

Thanks for the last name. However, I'm not looking to get something
for nothing.  I just need to know if I should repost the revised
question or can you or anyone else supply us with an additional group
of names?

I said I am offering a nice tip... and I don't mean $5! I appreciate
the efforts and time that goes into this.

Please let me know if you or others can continue working on this list.
STEVE

Contribution to "win a hefty tip for websearcher's grocery fund":

Johnny Mac ("you can't be serious") McEnroe - guitar
http://www.julianrubinstein.com/johnny.html

John Kerry - bass guitar
http://www.mtv.com/chooseorlose/headlines/news.jhtml?id=1485690
http://www.theelectras.com/home.htm

Bruce Willis - harmonica/active Republican
http://www.fametracker.com/fame_audit/willis_bruce.shtml

Dan Aykroyd - harmonica
...the multitalented Aykroyd has been wasted in more atrocious films
than almost any screen contemporary of his skill and stature.
http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000101/bio

Dennis Quaid - guitar
http://justagirl.com/dennisquaid/articles/lvs061501.pfhtml

Guy Pearce - singer/songwriter, guitar, sax, piano
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001602/bio
Next to acting, Guy has had a life long passion for music. In addition
to singing and playing the guitar, saxophone, and piano, he has
written hundreds of songs, including several that were featured in the
movie Hunting (1991).

Elijah Wood (singer, piano)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000704/bio

Judy Davis (piano)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001114/bio

Amy Madigan (singer, piano)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001496/bio

Robert Downey, Jr. (singer/songwriter, piano)
http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000641175

Hugh Jackman (singer, piano, guitar)
http://videoeta.com/person/425

Harry Connick, Jr. (singer, piano) (too music based?)
Son of Harry Connick Sr., New Orleans Parish District Attorney
Mother, a Lousiana Supreme Court justice, died when Harry was 13 years old
Married to Jill Goodacre, retired Victoria Secret catalog model/actress
http://askmen.com/women/models_200/234c_jill_goodacre.html
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001065/

Clint Eastwood (jazz piano) (too long in the prostate?)
http://www.snappermusic.com/theblues/aboutfilms/eastwoodbio.html

Russell Crowe (singer) (too hot?)
http://www.murphsplace.com/crowe/band/raewyn2.html

Warren Buffett (uke-man)
http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=111&sid=512738

Best,
V (who doesn?t follow sports or young people)

Never fear - i'm still working on it! I have a new tack that i'm
exploring and will post another list I think you'll like later today.

websearcher

Never fear - i'm still working on it! I have a new tack that i'm
exploring and will post another list I think you'll like later today.


MOST GRATEFUL.. AND THANKS!