Re: Great Jewish Rock Stars

[Joel Bresler <jbresler...>]

Seth,

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Joel 

At 08:16 PM 5/18/97 -0500, Seth Rogovoy wrote:
>Here is a list I have been compiling. Your comments, additions and
>emendations are welcome. Please respect my copyright and make fair use of
>this list only.
>
>     "GREAT JEWISH ROCK STARS"
>
>     Note that the title of this list is in quotes. Each word in the title 
>     should be considered to be in quotations, as each term is meant
loosely.  
>     In other words, "great" doesn't really mean "great" and "rock star" 
>     doesn't really mean "rock star." 
>
>     As for "Jewish," the criteria for this list is that the person is known 
>     to have Jewish ancestry.
>
>     In the cases of bands, some or all of the key members need to be 
>     Jewish in order for the band to be considered "Jewish."  Near the 
>     end of the list is a section reserved for Jewish musicians in
prominent, 
>     mostly non-Jewish bands.
>
>
>Bob Dylan
>
>Robbie Robertson: solo artist, founding member and guitarist of The 
>Band. It is not common knowledge that Robertson's natural father was 
>Jewish. Robertson's mother was of native ancestry.  
>
>Peter Stone Brown
>
>Steely Dan: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker
>
>Lou Reed: founder, Velvet Underground
>
>Leonard Cohen
>
>Beastie Boys
>
>Beck
>
>The Ramones: founder/lead singer Joey Ramone, b. Jeffrey Hyman
>
>Van Halen: lead singer/founder David Lee Roth
>
>Kiss: Gene Simmons, b. Gene Klein (Haifa, Israel); Paul Stanley, b. Paul
Eisen
>
>Blue Oyster Cult: lead singer Eric Bloom; founder/producers Sandy Perlman/R. 
>Meltzer
>
>Neil Diamond
>
>Carole King
>
>Carly Simon
>
>Warren Zevon: father was Russian Jew according to article
>
>Randy Newman
>
>J Geils Band -- Peter Wolf, Seth Justman, Magic Dick (Dick Salwitz), 
>Danny Klein, Stephen Jo Bladd (according to Jay Geils, he was the only 
>gentile of the group, and they jokingly called themselves the J Geils 
>Jews Band -- the original name of the group was J Geils Blues Band).  
>
>Phish
>
>George Gershwin
>
>Dire Straits: Mark Knopfler
>
>Peter Himmelman: Peter is probably the only Torah-observant Jew in rock 
>music. For those who don't know, he is married to a daughter of Bob 
>Dylan.  
>
>Jorma Kaukonen (Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane): It is not commonly known 
>that Jorma's mother is Jewish. He told me himself, and also spoke of 
>spending a lot of time as a youngster with his Jewish maternal 
>grandparents.  
>
>Herb Alpert
>
>Jennifer Trynin: Boston-based alternative-rock chick.
>
>Kenny G
>
>Paul Desmond: well-known clarinetist/Dave Brubeck sideman. Wrote Brubeck 
>hit "Take Five"
>
>Lenny Kravitz
>
>Andrew Dice Clay
>
>John Zorn
>
>Marc Ribot
>
>Yo La Tengo: Ira Kaplan/Georgia Hubley
>
>Was Not Was -- Don (Fagenson) Was/David (Weiss) Was
>
>3rd Bass: MC Serch, rap artist/producer
>
>Andy Statman
>
>David Grisman
>
>Allen Ginsberg
>
>Janis Ian
>
>Lounge Lizards: actor/musician John Lurie
>
>Benny Goodman
>
>Ziggy Elman
>
>Luscious Jackson: Gabby Glaser
>
>Spyro Gyra:
>
>Barbra Streisand
>
>Barry Manilow
>
>Bette Midler
>
>Kinky Friedman: surprisingly, most of the Texas Jewboys were not
>
>Ramblin Jack Elliott: b. Elliott Adnopoz
>
>Arlo Guthrie
>
>Dave Bromberg
>
>Michael Bloomfield
>
>Peter Paul and Mary: Peter Yarrow, Mary Travers (not Noel Paul Stookey,
however)
>
>Paul Simon
>
>Art Garfunkel
>
>David Buskin
>
>Sammy Davis Jr
>
>Marvin Hamlisch
>
>Mickey Katz
>
>Paul Shaffer
>
>Billy Joel
>
>Counting Crows: Adam Duritz
>
>Wallflowers: Jakob Dylan, Rami Jaffe
>
>Rush: Geddy (Gideon) Lee, Neil Peart, Alex Lifeson
>
>The Bangles: Susanna Hoffs
>
>Paula Abdul 
>
>Dan Bern
>
>Lucy Kaplansky
>
>Olivia Newton-John: allegedly has one Jewish grandparent
>
>Sha Na Na: Ritchie Joffe, Elliot Cahn, John "Bowser" Baumann
>
>Manfred Mann: b. Michael Lubowitz (Johannesburg)
>
>Sharon, Lois & Bram: Canadian children entertainers
>
>T Rex: Marc Bolan, b. Marc Feld (London)
>
>Mama Cass: of Mamas and the Papas, allegedly b. Naomi Cohen
>
>Gary Lewis & the Playboys: b. Gary Levitch, son of comedian Jerry Lewis
>
>Neil Sedaka
>
>Mountain: Leslie West, lead singer and guitarist, early-'70s power trio,  
>b. Leslie Weinstein (Queens, NY, 1945).  
>
>Blues Project: Al Kooper, Danny Kalb, Steve Katz, Roy Blumenfeld, Andy 
>Kulberg. Amongst themselves referred to the band as the "Jews Project."
>
>Phil Ochs
>
>Asleep at the Wheel: founder/vocalist/guitarist Ray Benson, b. Ray 
>Seifert. Also Lucky Oceans, b. Reuben Gosfield
>
>Happy and Artie Traum
>
>Soul Coughing: Sebastian Steinberg, Yuval Gabay, M. Doughty?
>
>--------------------------------------------------
>Songwriters/Key Industry figures:
>
>Doc Pomus
>Mort Shuman
>Jerry Ragovoy
>Aaron Schroeder
>Gerry Goffin
>Irving Berlin
>Jerome Kern
>Brian Epstein: manager, the Beatles
>Murray the K
>Alan Freed
>Leiber and Stoller
>Albert Grossman: manager, Bob Dylan/The Band/Janis Joplin/Peter Paul Mary
>Bill Graham
>Jerry Wexler
>Don Kirshner
>
>--------------------------------------------------
>
>Can anyone verify any of the following?
>
>Michael Bolton
>Paul Butterfield
>Iggy Pop (James Osterberg)
>Paul Westerberg -- The Replacements
>Eddie Vedder
>KD Lang
>Flo and Eddie: Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan
>Grand Funk Railroad
>Blondie: Chris Stein, Debbie Harry, b. Debbie Harary?
>Ry Cooder
>Perry Farrell: founder, Jane's Addiction/Porno for Pyros/Lollapalooza tour
>
>----------------------------------------
>Shabbos Goy: Elvis Presley
>-----------------------------------------
>
>Jewish musicians in predominantly non-Jewish bands:
>
>Slash: guitarist, Guns 'n Roses
>Lenny Kaye
>Trevor Rabin (Yes)
>Anton Fig: drummer, Paul Shaffer's band
>Gary Glitter: b. Paul Francis Gadd (England)
>Mickey Hart: drummer, Grateful Dead, Planet Drum
>Jim Steinman: songwriter/producer, most notably of Meat Loaf
>Elliot Easton: guitarist, The Cars (b. Elliot Shapiro)
>Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes: Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg and 
>Alan Berger 
>Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen: not the Commander, but 
>bandmates including Andy Stein.
>Wings: keyboardist/vocalist Linda Eastman McCartney
>Paul Kossoff: guitarist, Free
>David Bryan: member of Bon Jovi
>Hillel Slovak: founding member of Red Hot Chili Peppers (deceased)
>Zal Yanovsky: founding member of the Lovin' Spoonful
>Twisted Sister: Dee Snider 
>
>
>
>[This list compiled by Seth Rogovoy. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 1997. All
>rights reserved.]
>
>****************************************
>Seth Rogovoy                        
>rogovoy (at) berkshire(dot)net
>http://www.berkshireweb.com/rogovoy
>music news, interviews, reviews, et al.
>*****************************************
>
>
>


Joel Bresler
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