40+ Facts About Our Favorite Musicians That Are 100% True (2024)

Freddy Mercury and Princess Di

Suppose you met Princess Diana and she insisted that she stay with you a little longer. Could you ever in your right mind say no to her? Freddie Mercury certainly couldn’t when Diana asked him just that. And so, he disguised her highness and snuck her into a bar so she could stay without getting recognized.

Dolly Parton Lost

How would you feel if you failed at being yourself out in public? We have no idea how Dolly Parton must have felt but here’s what happened to her — she decided to enter one of those competitions in which people do impressions of celebrities.

Out of the abundance of her excitement, she decided to exaggerate some of her core features. For instance, she went for bigger hair volume, which seemed unrealistic — plus a bigger beauty mark. And in the end, she lost.

Mariah Carey’s Ugly Break-Up

Oftentimes, things can get messy when there’s a break-up involved. Sometimes people can go a little overboard and put you through real trouble. Take Mariah Carey’s ex, for instance.

He decided to swipe one of her pre-recorded audio samples with JLo and released a remix version before the original hit the market. That’s next-level evil in our opinion.

Brian May Is an Intellectual

If you resonate with Brian May with music, then we have a bomb from the stars for you. Though we all know him as a member of Queen, the world used to know him in a different way. Before joining the band, Brian was an astrophysicist.

Not only this, he later completed his doctorate and finished his Ph.D. in the respective field. How cool is it that Brian chased his dreams whilst simultaneously working on the things he loved to do? So inspiring!

Panic! at the Disco

Originally a pop-rock band from Las Vegas, Panic! at the Disco was formed in 2004 by childhood friends Brendon Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson.

There’s something you might have known about these guys, though. Before forming their current band, the members covered vocals for Blink 182 from time to time. Once they launched their debut album as Panic! at the Disco, however, there was no going back.

Alice Cooper’s Love Affair

We’ve all heard the saying — “there’s more than meets the eye.” Did you know that Alice Cooper has a hidden talent, for example?

This singer used to be a huge golf fan. He loved playing golf so much so that he used it as a way to save himself anytime life threw a curveball his way. Not only this, but he also released a book about playing golf entitled Golf Monster: My 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict.

Gene Simmons Was a Teacher?!

Some musicians hold onto a certain type of past that’s very hard to imagine or envision. Now, we don’t say this negatively. What we’re trying to say is that people can be surprising sometimes. Gene Simmons is a prime example.

Kiss’s vocalist and bass player, Gene Simmons, used to be a sixth-grade teacher before he co-founded the band. That’s right — Simmons, who took on the persona of comic-book style character “the Demon” used to teach pre-teens before his musical career took off.

Roger Taylor Really Loves His Car

Despite the fact that adults are grown, they can still act like kids sometimes — and this includes musicians. Did you know that Queen has one song entirely written by drummer Roger Taylor? The name of that song is “I Am in Love With My Car.”

He wanted the band to play his song at the opera and although the other members didn’t agree at first, Roger was extremely persistent. So much so that he decided to lock himself in a cupboard until the rest of the band finally agreed.

Lynyrd Skynyrd Has a Nemesis

The name behind the band’s name has a hilarious back story. So, the band members have a gym teacher back in high school who constantly punished the kids during their time in high school.

So, when they opened a band, they decided to name it after their gym teacher and nemesis, Leonard Skinner. To avoid lawsuits, they tactically changed a few letters in the band name.

Will Farquarson Is Sky High

Can’t remember where you recognize Will Farquarson from? He’s the bassist of the band, Bastille. Other than being passionate about music and guitar, this musician has a mad passion for flying planes — so much so that he even has a professional pilot’s license.

Talk about an impressive feat! What’s next, Will? Are you going to play the bass while flying a plane? Hmm, on the second thought, we don’t recommend doing that.

David Bowie’s Teenage Brawl

We don’t know about you but some of us have always thought that David Bowie had heterochromia iridium — two different colored eyes. It turns out, that wasn’t the case. Luckily, we do know the real reason behind his distinctively different eyes.

After a fight as a teenager, Bowie suffered from anisocoria, a condition that causes the pupils to differ in size. So, in reality, Bowie had two blue eyes, but the pupil in his right eye was much larger than the left.

Jerry Lee Lewis’ Third Marriage

Sometimes, people aren’t all they seem to be. Jerry Lee Lewis is one of the most talented musicians of all time. He was a singer and a songwriter with “great balls of fire!” Ha, get it? Anyway, what you may have not known about the energetic musician is that he married his cousin.

Before you start cringing, though, we have more to reveal. Jerry’s cousin was a minor when they exchanged vows! When they got married, she was just 13 years old. What?!

Freddie Mercury vs. M.J.

Did you know that Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury once recorded a few duets together? The reason we’ve never been able to listen to these tracks is due to the fact that the two powerhouses had a fallout during their collaboration.

Apparently, Michael decided to bring his pet llama to the recording studio. That’s when Freddie called up his manager, Miami, and asked him “to get me out of here. I’m recording with a llama… I’ve had enough and I want to get out.”

The Beatles’ Natural Talent

When it comes to music, people still worship The Beatles regardless of the time that’s passed by. This band hasn’t aged one bit and probably never will. In 2021, they’re as popular as ever!

Something that you may have never noticed is the fact that none of the members knew how to read or write music. They wrote out words and chords to remember their tunes, but when it came to writingmusicfor others to play, that was left to arrangers at sheetmusicpublishing companies.

Rick Allen Never Gave Up

For many musicians, their love for music is eternal; nothing could ever stop them from making music or pursuing a career in it. Some musicians still pursue a life in music regardless of what they go through or the tragedies they face.

Take Rick Allen, for instance. A horrible car crash led to him losing his left arm. Did that stop him from playing the drums? Of course not! After two years of physical therapy, Allen got back in the game. We have a new level of respect for this guy!

Freddie Mercury’s Overbite

People identify Freddie Mercury without his overbite. His overbite defines him but did you know the secret behind them? The famous overbite of Freddie Mercury was caused by four extra teeth that he had. Surprisingly, the singer wanted to get rid of them by removing them completely.

Sadly, his dentist informed him that the whole procedure would cost him a lot — meaning that there would be changes to his overall vocals if he gets them removed. Then Freddie decided to hold that thought and abort the mission.

Ringo Starr Lent His Voice

It’s not uncommon for musicians to lend their voices to animated characters in certain shows or even advertisem*nts! Ringo Starr, for example, was the first narrator forThomas the Tank Engine & Friends, narrating the first two series and playing Mr. Conductor on Shining Time Station.

Now, does his voice ring(o) a bell? It turns out that he’s not the only icon who has played a character on the show. In fact, comedian George Carlin, actors Alec Baldwin and Pierce Brosnan, and even actress Gwyneth Paltrow have all voiced characters on the show!

Demi Lovato & Selena Gomez: YouTube Sensations

Do you think the beloved Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez first rose to fame with tracks like “Get Back” and “Falling Down?” It turns out that isn’t the case at all. The former BFFs started out as young YouTubers back in the day — well, after they starred on Barney & Friends together.

Together, they created YouTube videos and mainly posted them from Demi’s account. So, if you’re currently posting your songs on YouTube, you might have a shot in the future as well. Don’t lose hope!

Prince Played Ball

Did you know that Prince had other talents besides his incredible music ability? And while we can all agree that talent coursed through his veins, you may find it a bit surprising to learn that Prince used to be a basketball player — and he was good, too!

His former coach once spoke about him and how he used to play. According to the guy, Prince was extremely clever and quick on his feet. What’s more, his coach considered the icon to be an excellent leader as well.

Twenty One Pilots

Have you ever wondered how Twenty One Pilots came up with their name? It turns out that the name of the band came from a play the band members watched once.

Long story short, lead vocalist Tyler Joseph got inspired by a play in which a bad decision caused the demise of — you guessed it — 21 pilots. A great tribute to the incident. Good work there, Tyler.

Stevie Nicks/Prince Collaboration

Many musicians are friends and even collaborate with each other. While fans absolutely love this, these collaborations can sometimes be a bit too draining for musicians.

Stevie Nicks, for example, was supposed to write “Purple Rain” for Prince. She later declined the opportunity as, according to the singer herself, it was too much for her during that time.

Elvis’ Iconic Jet-Black Hair

What do you think Elvis’ hair color was back in the day? Jet-black, right? Well, we’re here to reveal that iconic, jet-black hair wasn’t natural. His actual hair color or natural shade was blonde until his late teens.

He later dyed it black. Guess what he used to dye his hair the first time? Shoe polish. Later, he started using black hair dye.

The Zombies Impersonators

Bands often fall apart or break up. It’s very natural for famous bands like The Zombies with even the most record-breaking hits to break up at some point. We’ve all seen it before. What we haven’t seen, though, is people pretending to be them.

So, after the band fell apart, some people went on a tour pretending to be the band members and got caught almost immediately. A fun fact is that those members later opened their band and continued playing.

Richie Havens’ Improvisation

When we hear the name, one of Richie Haven’s famous songs instantly ring in our heads and that is “Freedom.” This song was way ahead of its time. There’s something you need to know about this song and that is, “Freedom” was an improvised song on stage.

So, as the other artists were delayed at the Woodstock, the artist kept playing one song after another and later came up with this one right on the spot. Boom, what a hit!

Paul McCartney’s Dreamy Melody

The Beatles is one of the most iconic bands of all time, with music so timeless that the group is still wildly popular. If you know them well, then there’s a good chance you know their hit song, “Yesterday.” Paul McCartney came up with the melody of this song from a dream he had.

So, when he played it for the first time in front of the band, they said that they had never heard that before. What a beautiful way to create music.

Keith Richards Can’t Get No Satisfaction

Since we’re talking about finding inspiration in dreams, then we can’t forget about Keith Richards from The Rolling Stones. Keith had experienced something similar once.

In the early hours of May 1965, Keith woke up and grabbed a tape recorder. That’s when he laid down one of the greatest hooks of all time — the opening riff of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” — before falling back to sleep. What’s funny is that Keith had no memory of recording anything…

Neil Young & Rick James

Life is a journey and thus you can’t really know where you’ll end up one day. We think Neil Young, a Canadian folk artist, would agree.

He and funk star Rick James once played together before they both discovered what they were really good at — which were two very different genres.

Madonna’s Dunkin’ Donuts Scandal

There’s no denying that the Queen of Pop — also known as Madonna — walks to the beat of her own drum. She certainly doesn’t hold back or hide her emotions, and this story is a perfect example of that sentiment.

Madonna used to work at Dunkin’ Donuts before she became The Material Girl we all know her as today. She got fired from there after squirting jelly at a customer. We’re glad that it wasn’t any of us that day.

Lady Gaga’s Inspiration

Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, Lady Gaga is an American singer-songwriter that has taken the music industry by storm since she first entered it in 2001.

If you’re wondering how the beloved icon came up with her stage name, then you’ve come to the right place!The true inspiration behind her stage name was from the song, “Radio Ga Ga” by Queen. That was a classic indeed.

Dolly Parton & Miley Cyrus Go Way Back

You might think celebrities meet each other on sets or after joining the industry but here’s a fun fact — some of them know each other before they even step foot into the spotlight. Take Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus, for instance.

The two celebs have known each other for a very long time. How? Well, Parton is actually Miley’s godmother! No wonder why these stars have been connected for so long. How cute!

Jimi Hendrix

You know the members of The Beatles weren’t the only ones in the music industry who couldn’t read music. In fact, the beloved Jimi Hendrix was yet another talented artist that didn’t have any clue how to read music.

We don’t know about you guys but we find that utterly impressive considering the kind of music the man made — and those incredible guitar solos! We didn’t think it was possible but Jimi just became even cooler.

Ed Sheeran & Jamie Foxx

Pursuing your career in the music industry is not a decision you make out of the blue. Many rising artists have to go through financial struggles before landing their first break.

It’s because of the people who have their backs and support them during those dark times that they’re able to make it so far in life. Back in the day, when Ed Sheeran was struggling and had no place to crash, Jamie Foxx offered to host the artist rent-free.

Cher

Autotune is no stranger to the music industry. But while many of us thought that artists like Britney Spears were the first to use autotune, that couldn’t be more far off.

It turns out that back in 1998, Cher — Goddess of Pop — used autotune for the very first time on her track, “Believe.” So, as you can see, autotune has come a long way.

Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez

We mentioned this duo earlier. Did you know that these two were friends before they even entered the entertainment industry, or created a YouTube channel? That’s right — Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez starred in Barney & Friends together!

Whether or not you knew this to be true, there’s no denying that this fact is totally adorable, not to mention impressive. We mean, they both have become household names since their time performing with the purple dinosaur!

Tina Turner

You know musicians don’t earn a fortune just by creating music alone. With fame comes extra work and/or endorsem*nts. Some even star in advertisem*nts and commercials for extra cash. For instance, Tina Turner. Aside from her undeniable talent, Tina has also been admired for her looks — and specifically, her gorgeous legs.

The singer-songwriter’s legs became such a significant feature of hers that she insured them! Can you guess the amount? Probably not. She insured her beloved legs for a whopping $3.2 million!

We Meet Again, Prince

Have you ever seen Fox’s New Girl starring Zooey Deschanel? Apparently, Prince really admired the series — so much so that he reached out to Zooey and shared his desire to make a cameo on the show.

The casting directors later brought the musician in for an episode. That was one wholesome gesture on Prince’s behalf, and fans loved it.

Mel B and Geri Halliwell

It’s very common in the industry to see musicians date each other while working on a certain project. These two members of Spice Girls were together during their days as Scary Spice and Ginger Spice.

Their relationship was not very exclusive as the two were very on-and-off. Still, we have to admit that they handled things very professionally while working in the same band.

Katy Perry

Do you know the Oscar jokes regarding Leonardo DiCaprio? Something similar happened to Katy Perry at the Grammys. Katy Perry is one of the most talented and beloved musicians in the music industry today. She has tons of big hits under her belt.

Regardless of this, she was nominated for the Grammys 13 times and has yet to actually win one. We hope she breaks this chain, as DiCaprio did when he finally won an Academy Award for his performance in 2016’s The Revenant.

Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick

In the music industry, many people are related to each other in one way or another. Still, it may come as a shock to learn that Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick are related.

Yes — both of these talented artists come from the same family; they were cousins. And while we had no idea up until this point, we’re beginning to realize the many similarities these two shared.

Beethoven’s Piano Lessons

Are you a fan of Beethoven? It’s pretty hard to find someone who isn’t. He was so talented that people used to wait in line for a chance to take piano lessons with Ludwig. What’s the funniest part?

Beethoven only gave piano lessons to two types of people — the first kind was extremely talented people with prior knowledge of piano and the second type was attractive women who barely had any talent. Interesting approach, Beethoven.

Bob Marley

To this day, Bob Marley is one of the most influential musicians to ever exist. Even now, younger generations find solace and inspiration in his music. And while he was so beautifully talented and high on life, Marley also had his fair share of hardships — including his battle with cancer. In fact,

Sadly, the world lost him too soon when he passed away at the age of 36. Before he passed, Bob’s final words to his son were yet another lesson of life, that money can never buy a life. This guy was way ahead of his time.

Miles Davis

If you pay attention to the work of musicians, you’ll notice that many of them have a pattern — a pattern of always crawling back to old songs.

This doesn’t apply to all artists, but a good number of musicians tend to revert back to their older tunes. Not Miles Davis, though. Instead, the jazz artist always preferred to make new music.

Bach

Bach was a big fan of numbers. If you pay attention to his songs, you’ll notice this. The most common numbers he used in the music he composed were the numbers 14 and 41.

The reason behind the frequent use of these numbers was because as per mystical numerology, his name was a combination of these numbers.

Elvis Presley

If we told you Elvis Presley never really wanted a guitar as a child, how hard a pill would that be for you to swallow? If you’re having a hard time believing it, then we’re all on the same page. Here’s a fun story from Elvis’ childhood.

When he was 11 years old, he got a guitar as a gift. As a kid, he wasn’t happy to receive this, as he really wanted a bike.

Madonna

When it comes to selling crazy amounts of albums, many names come to mind. In regard to female artists, though, no one could ever top Madonna. She has a record of selling big numbers.

If we’re talking numbers, then let’s have a look at Madonna’s collection. The singer-songwriter has a huge fan base worldwide and as a result, she has sold over two hundred million records globally. That’s a record-breaking number for a female artist.