Top 10 Musicians Who Switched Instruments
Musicians who changed instruments. They still may use their old instruments. But they played their new instruments more.
Roger Harry Daltrey, is an English singer and actor. In a music career spanning more than 50 years, Daltrey came to prominence in the mid 1960s as the founder and lead singer of the English rock band The Who, which released fourteen singles that entered the Top 10 charts in the United Kingdom during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, including "I Can't Explain", "My Generation", "Substitute", "I'm a Boy", "Happy Jack", "Pictures of Lily", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Get Fooled Again", and "You Better You Bet". Colin Dawson was the original vocalist of Who with The Detours. He was a lead guitarist. Pete was on rhythm guitar.
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, producer and film director. He is best known as the former drummer of the hugely popular 90s grunge band Nirvana and the vocalist/guitarist for the alternative rock band Foo Fighters. He has sat behind the drums for many bands and artists, most notably: Queens of the Stone Age, Tenacious D, Ghost B.C, Them Crooked Vultures, Tom Petty, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, David Bowie, Scream, Probot and many, many more. I don't think I have to say anything here. Everybody knows it.
He still drums for Them Crooked Vultures
Jeffrey Ross Hyman, professionally known by Joey Ramone, was an American musician and singer-songwriter, lead vocalist of the punk-rock band The Ramones. Dee Dee Ramone was the vocalist. Then he switched to bass (not switched, only bass). And he became vocalist.
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. With John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, he gained worldwide fame with the rock band the Beatles, one of the most popular and influential groups in the history of pop and rock music.One of the most successful composers and performers of all time, he is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, his versatile and wide tenor vocal range and his musical eclecticism, exploring styles ranging from pre-rock 'n' roll pop to classical and electronica. His songwriting partnership with John Lennon remains the most successful in history Might be the only reason he used to play bass with a pick. He was used to play guitar. He did vocals, piano ad drums too. But it was a major change to his role.
James Newell Osterberg, Jr., known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Used to play drums in a blues band.
Michael Ryan Pritchard, known professionally as Mike Dirnt, is an American musician best known for being the co-founder, bassist, backing and occasional lead vocalist of the American punk rock band Green Day. Don't know who was the original bassist of Green Day. But he was a guitarist when he joined/formed Green Day. He became bassist in later days.
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American musician, songwriter, composer, record producer, actor and filmmaker. I didn't know he played drums
Todd La Torre is an American singer and drummer. He is the lead singer for the progressive metal band Queensrÿche, and a former lead vocalist of the bands Crimson Glory and Rising West. He was a drummer for 24 years but circa 2010 joined Queensrÿche as the lead singer to replace Geoff Tate. Todd La Torre is great at both - drumming and singing. But because lead singing was something newer to him, he said in 2013 "I still feel like a drummer that likes to sing".
James Patrick Page is an English musician, songwriter, and record producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Joined as a bassist in The Yardbirds. But became guitarist later. I doubt he ever wanted to play bass.
Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald James Padavona; July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010) was an American heavy metal singer, songwriter and musician. He fronted and/or founded numerous groups including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven & Hell. He is credited with popularizing the "metal horns" hand gesture in metal culture and is known for his medieval themed lyrics. Dio possessed a powerful versatile vocal range capable of singing both hard rock and lighter ballads; according to Rainbow/Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore upon hearing him sing, "I felt shivers down my spine." Dio sold over 47 million albums throughout his career.
He died from stomach cancer in 2010 at the age of 67. A lot of people don't know this:
He originally was just a bass player until he discovered how gifted of a singer he is. He joined Elf (his first band) as bassist/vocalist. Upon joining Rainbow and eventually Sabbath, he became a full time vocalist
Christopher John "Chris" Cornell was an American rock musician and singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter and rhythm guitarist for Seattle rock band Soundgarden and as former lead vocalist and songwriter for the supergroup Audioslave. His vocal range was C2 to A5, while ...read more.
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who has also worked as a record producer and actor. Philip David Charles " Phil " Collins is an English singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, record producer and actor. He is best known as the drummer and lead singer in the rock band Genesis and as a solo artist (Wikipedia).
He was originally a guitarist and vocalist and joined King Crimson to be a vocalist, and Rick Kemp would have been the bassist until he suddenly left at the last second. As a result, Fripp had to teach Boz Burrell how to play the bass instead of trying to find another bassist.