Actors And Politicians In Bands 1961 - 2013 Quiz

Answer: Gary Busey

Gary Busey started out his show business career playing drums for The Rubber Band. He was a very talented as a drummer and even played in bands for Leon Russell, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson. On Leon Russell recordings, Gary was credited under the names "Teddy Jack Eddy" and "Sprunk". The names had to do with a character he created when he was on a Tulsa, Oklahoma comedy television show called "The Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting".

As far as the band Carp goes, the back cover of the LP has liner notes that say: "Carp was formed in the spring of 1966 by four Oklahoma State University students looking to pick up some extra money. Gary Busey on drums, guitarist Ron Getman, John Crowder on bass and Glen Mitchell playing honky-tonk piano make up the group". It went on to say: "Carp" cuts through the chocolate-pudding texture of rock to come up with an open, easy sound" and "Carp doesn't knock you over with a wall of sound; these are basic harmonies and simple, solid rhythms". The "Carp" LP was released in 1969 on the Epic Records label. Original copies can still be found at a fair price.

Youtube is the website to check out if you like to hear obscure bands such as Carp.

Answer: Beaver And The Trappers

The name of the band is Beaver And The Trappers. If you don't already know, Jerry Mathers was a child actor and star of the "Leave It to Beaver" TV show. The show ran from 1957 to 1963.

In 1966 Beaver And The Trappers issued one 45 RPM record titled "Happiness Is Havin'" b/w "In Misery" on the White Cliffs Records label. Mathers was in high school at the time. Richard Corelli was a band member and also played Beaver's friend Richie on the "Leave It To Beaver" show. The lone 45 that the band released is very rare. A copy sold for $662.09 on February 2, 2012. I was able to hear the song "Happiness Is Havin'" on the Youtube website. It would be a good place to check if you want to hear what it sounds like. Jerry Mathers is the lead vocalist.

Answer: Russell Crowe

It was Russell Crowe who started the band Roman Antix in the 1980s with his friend Billy Dean Cochran. In 1992 the band evolved into 30 Odd Foot of Grunts AKA TOFOG which was an Australian rock band. Crowe was the lead vocalist and played guitar. Right after the movie "Gladiator" became a huge success, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts played its first show in the United States. Tickets for the show were selling for over $500.00 on eBay.

2005 was the end for 30 Odd Foot of Grunts. Crowe got together with Alan Doyle from the Canadian band Great Big Sea and formed a new band. TOFOG, which was short for 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, was kept and the new name was changed to The Ordinary Fear of God. Some of the members of the original TOFOG stayed on. The Youtube website may have songs that you can listen to by these bands.

Answer: Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase was the drummer/keyboardist for Chamaeleon Church which was a psychedelic pop band out of Boston. They are part of a number of bands from the area that are known as "Bosstown Psych" or "Bosstown Sound" bands.

Chamaeleon Church released only one LP in 1968 on the MGM label which was a self titled LP. Chase's voice can only be heard on one song which is titled "Spring This Year". His voice is in the background imitating a circus barker.

Other "Bosstown Sound" bands are: Ultimate Spinach, Orpheus, Beacon Street Union, Phulph, Eden's Children, and Puff. As of 2014, all of these bands, including Chamaeleon Church, can be found on original vinyl for reasonable prices. Many have been released on CD. EBay is the best place to find them. If you want to hear what they sound like, odds are that they can be found on Youtube.

Answer: Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton was the lead singer for the band Tres Hombres. Prior to the name Tres Hombres they went by the name of Nothin'" Doin'. One night they were playing at a well known club in Texas, when Scott Weiss of ZZ Top's management company struck up a discussion with them. They sounded so much like ZZ Top that he asked them if they would tour as a ZZ Top cover band. They changed their name to Tres Hombres and started playing at rock festivals as opening acts for popular bands.

At two years of age Thornton's uncle gifted him with a Roy Rogers guitar. At nine he was given his first drum kit. Soon after that he played at the PTA meeting of a local school. Shortly afterwards he formed his first band the Coveys, named after a great baseball player. He then formed Stone Cold Fever that played Creedence Clearwater Revival songs.

After high school Billy Bob joined a local soul group named Blue and the Blue Velvets and later on formed his own soul group named Hot 'Lanta which was an Allman Brothers song. Next, he and his two friends formed Nothin'" Doin'. Billy Bob played drums and shared the lead vocals. In the 1970s he briefly belonged to a band named Cottonwood. At that point he had some fairly long hair.

Billy Bob almost became a professional baseball player. He tried out for the Kansas City Royals but during his first time at bat he was hit with a wild pitch that broke his collar bone. That was the end of baseball. He was also a roadie for the bands Lighthouse and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Billy Bob Thornton released four albums between 2001 and 2007. Original vinyl LP copies of "Gunslinger" by Tres Hombres can still be found. I've had two and as of 2014 they sell for about $50.00.

Try Youtube as a place to hear some of Billy Bob's music.

Answer: Keanu Reeves

Dogstar was formed out of an encounter in a grocery store in 1991. Rob Mailhouse was in the store wearing his Detroit Red Wings hockey sweater. Keanu Reeves took notice and being a real fan of the sport who also loved to play, he asked Rob about playing and if he needed a goalie. Both of these guys are actors and became friends. As time went on they began jamming together musically. This was the onset of Dogstar.

In 1992 a guy named Gregg Miller joined up with Rob and Keanu. He became their original lead guitar player and lead vocalist. He was replaced at the end of 1995.

The band originally called themselves Small Fecal Matter. After that name they changed to B.F.S. I cannot say what that stood for. It must have been extremely difficult for them to advertise live shows they were going to play though. They eventually settled on the name Dogstar. Rob Mailhouse came across the name in a book by Henry Miller titled "Sexus". Dogstar released one EP in 1996 titled "Quattro Formaggi", an LP in 1996 titled "Our Little Visionary", and another LP in 2000 titled "Happy Ending".

Answer: John Kerry

John Kerry played bass guitar for The Electras which was formed in 1960 at St. Paul's School which was a prestigious private boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire. The band was named after the model of a Buick automobile that the boys in the band thought was cool looking.

John and his prep school buddies formed the band which released their only LP in 1961. Only 500 copies were pressed with one selling for $2551.00 on eBay about the time the 2004 election was held.

The self titled LP was recorded with one microphone in a school basement music room. There were seven members in the band, who, along with their parents, came up with $1,000.00 to press 500 copies of their LP. The music was mostly instrumental and was a combination of early surf music along with boogie-woogie style piano. The liner notes on the cover of the LP mention John as the "producer of a pulsating rhythm".

The LP contained a cover of the song "Summertime Blues". For those who may be curious about how the band sounds, Youtube and Pandora Radio did have songs from the LP available to hear at one time.

Answer: Jon Huntsman

Former governor of Utah, Jon Huntsman, used to play keyboards for a band named Wizard. The band was formed while he was in high school. When high school ended he began joining his band member friends from school at a converted radio station to practice playing. Their practices lasted for five hours each day. They played songs by REO Speedwagon as well as original progressive rock songs.

Jon is a huge fan of progressive rock music. On July 30, 2007 he went to a concert by the progressive metal band Dream Theater. After the show Jon signed a proclamation making that date "Dream Theater Day" for Utah. On September 16, 2005, REO Speedwagon played at the Utah State Fair. Jon went on stage with the band and played piano on two songs

Answer: John Hall

John Hall was the U.S. Democratic representative for New York's 19th congressional district from 2007-2011. He attended college in the 1960s, but dropped out to get his musical career rolling. John played at clubs in New York City's Greenwich Village and in Georgetown, Washington D.C. His band Kangaroo
released an LP in 1968 which was in the light psychedelic genre. John and Barbara Keith were the lead vocalists with Barbara being by far the better of the two. John also played various guitars on the album as well as the keyboards. In 1970 he released his solo LP titled "Action".

In January of 1972 John helped found the band Orleans who were best known for their smash hits "Dance With Me" and "Still The One". Prior to that he was already an accomplished songwriter and/or session musician for Bonnie Raitt, Janis Joplin, Taj Mahal, and Seals And Crofts.

The original vinyl "Kangaroo" LP can still be found fairly easily. As of 2014 I've seen it for prices ranging from $30.00 - $50.00. I have to mention Youtube again as a possibility for hearing songs by Kangaroo and of course Orleans.

Answer: Jada Pinkett Smith

Jada Pinkett Smith is the actress who was the singer for Wicked Wisdom. She also formed the band in 2002. Jada's husband, Will Smith, co-founded Overbrook Entertainment. Two guys from that company managed the band.

In 2004 Britney Spears went on tour and called it "Onyx Hotel Tour". This is when Britney was extremely popular, so it was fantastic publicity for Wicked Wisdom and for the band's debut LP that was about to be released. They played eight different shows during the European part of the tour and were the opening band for Spears.

One year later Wicked Wisdom was playing out at a small club in Los Angeles. Sharon Osbourne, wife of Ozzy Osbourne, who was a founding member of the band Black Sabbath, showed up at the club to check out how the band sounded. As Sharon put it: "I was blown away. When you see and hear Jada with her band, it's apparent that she has nothing but love and respect for this genre of music". In 2005 the organizers of the heavy metal music festival known as "Ozzfest" announced that Wicked Wisdom would be playing the fest. This festival had a huge following and many of them were irate that"Wicked Wisdom would be playing there. The band had no credibility and didn't seem the kind of band that would play "Ozzfest". Jada said: "I'm not here asking for any favors. You've got to show and prove. And not every audience is going to go for it". After playing the fest several times word got out that this new band was the real deal. The first few performances were rough for Wicked Wisdom but the word was that they were no joke.

On Valentines Day 2012 Jada released a new song titled "Burn" that was quite a sensual ballad. It was released as a free download. Shortly thereafter an announcement was made that the band name was now Wicked Evolution.

Try the internet to hear songs by Wicked Wisdom. Youtube would be a good start.