BY MIKEY MIGO
It's easy to think of our favorite rock stars in the image they achieved their fame in. Of course it's easy to picture Jimi Hendrix in fro and hippy wear, Elvis in a Hawaiian shirt, Ice-T in bling, and Maynard James Keenan in…wigs. But that's not always been the case. This isn't a situation of embarrassing school pictures, but just putting in perspective that they served in the military. Sometimes the military isn't for everyone. Sometimes shit happens and someone just has to get out. We are not to judge and it's not even about that. For me this is just a "wow, did you know?" type of discussion. I don't care what one's beliefs are, if they went AWOL on base, or anything political. I just wanted to cover some musicians who, at a time, honed their respected militaries fatigues and uniforms. Let's take a look at some of the more notable musicians who traded their guns in for groupies…
Name: Elvis Presley
Service: US Army
Let's get this one out of the way. It's obviously one of the most known military/musician stories in history. In December of 57, Elvis, who was already a very famous singer, was drafted by the United States government to serve his country. He was in the middle of a few projects, but after some push and pull Elvis Presley would enter the US Army the following March. Elvis didn't want special treatment and as a way to get the media to back off during his service the military gave the media a one day free for all before cutting them off completely. Still, Elvis's celebrity was of notice. He donated his Army pay to charity, bought TV sets for the base, and even extra fatigues for his outfit. He would do basic training at Fort Hood and during leaves and breaks would still find time to get to the nearest studio to record new music. After basic training the king found himself in the 3rd Armored Division in Friedberg, Germany. By March of 60 he was back home honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant. What's really interesting is what all happened during this stint. He would meet Priscilla while in Friedberg, he would be introduced to amphetamines and karate, and via unreleased material would have ten Top 40 hits. Most musicians don't have that kind of success their entire career that alone while they're off serving their country.
Name: Jimi Hendrix
Service: US Army
In 1961, Hendrix seemed to be a troubled youth. After getting in trouble over riding in stolen cars he was given the choice between two years in prison or joining the US Army. He went with the Army was part of 101st Airborne Division stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He would be discharged after only a year served. The reason why has often been of discussion and confusion. Hendrix never spoke much about his experience in the military except for acknowledging he was actually there, his dislike for the Army, and about how parachuting is part of the inspiration of his "spacey" guitar sound. Some reports say he was just a bad soldier as he would sleep on duty, didn't follow rules, and showed no skills with a gun. There are some reports that claim he said he was medically discharged after breaking his ankle on a jump. Then one journalist even claims he faked being homosexual to get out. It's pretty unclear, but I guess is now a moot point. Hendrix would never be remembered for his military service, but rather his art. I just find it sort of ironic that some of the most memorable Vietnam movie scenes have his music scored to it.
Name: Terrence Trent D'Arby
Service: US Army
After winning the Golden Gloves as a lightweight in Orlando he received an offer to go to boxing school in the US Army. His father insisted he go to college instead, which he did for a year before dropping out. From there, he did in fact join the Army and served in the 3rd Armored Division in Germany. This wouldn't last long as he would be discharged in 83 for going AWOL. While in Germany, the man found his true calling as he worked with a band called "The Touch". The band didn't really pan out all that well, but it got his feet moving in the direction that would result in a lot of success. But apparently college and the army wouldn't be the only things he deserted as we would legally change his name to "Sanada Maitreya" in 2001.
Name: Maynard James Keenan
Service: US Army
Maynard can be a weird dude, but to much surprise he served in the Army. After seeing Bill Murray in 1981's Stripes, Keenan joined up with the idea that the GI Bill would cover his dream of attending art school. He joined up, went to the US Military Academy Preparatory School, and even ran on the cross country team and sang in the glee club. He did well for himself there in training, but when it came down to getting into West Point he declined. He'd leave with the new moniker of "Maynard" and go on to pursue his music dreams.
Name: Jerry Garcia
Service: US Army
This hippie legend would seem like the exact opposite of someone who'd serve. His music speaks of peace and a pacifistic tone. In 1960, after stealing his mother's car he was forced to join the United States Army as a punishment. He did his basic training at Fort Ord and was then transferred to Fort Winfield Scott in San Francisco. Obviously this wasn't a world for him as he was too laid back and missed roll call and went AWOL many times. Due to Garcia not complying with standards and regulations of the Army, he would get a general discharge before the year would end.
Name: Ice-T
Service: US Army Ranger
This actually shocked the hell out of me. With T's past with pimping, gangsta rap, and "Cop Killer" controversy it's just surprising. He just doesn't seem like one to follow orders or stand for authority figures. Seems like a good guy these days based on the acting and somewhat silly interviews, but has a pretty strong personality. None the less, after Ice got out of high school he enlisted into the United States Army and served as a ranger for the 25th Infantry. Not so surprising is that he didn't enjoy his four year term. He would take his opinions of his time of service and channel it creatively into his musical work. He doesn't hide his feelings on the topic. Even the cover of "Murder 4 Hire" had a political stance on his perception that the military as the cover depicts Uncle Sam holding a sign that reads "Will Kill for Money". You can agree or disagree with the man but he served time to defend the rights, which includes Freedom of Speech.
Name: James Blunt
Service: British Army
If you played me a James Blunt song and said "this dude was in the military", I'd most likely laugh at you. Sadly, that would make me guilty of judging a book by its cover. Multiple generations of Blunt's family served in the military and he would be no different. He, like most, really got into music while in high school. While not allowed to listen to popular music at home, at school he would be exposed to the likes of Hendrix, Pink Floyd, and the Pixies. He could already play multiple instruments and wanted to pursue a music career, but knew he'd have to serve first. He would make his rounds in Kosovo as part of the NATO peacekeeping force as Captain. He even had the assignment of standing guard of Queen Mother's coffin in 2002. While successful in service, he was still keeping music in his sights. While in Kosovo he began writing songs and preparing for his chosen future. After serving the required four years he would respectfully leave the military and embark on his career. Yeah, it's still hard to believe the "You're So Beautiful" guy was a soldier, but he definitely was.
Name: Shaggy
Service: United States Marine Corps.
Born Orville Burrell to Jamaican immigrants, Shaggy would join the United States Marine Corps in 1988. Part of the 5th Battalion 10th Marines he serves as a Field Artillery Cannon Crewman during the Gulf War. While in the Marines, he began adding flair and a personalized inflection to his marching cadences. This would end up being the roots of his signature vocal style and would be the inspiration for the styling's in "Boombastic". One must wonder if he hadn't served would he have went the musical route that he did. Not only did he serve, but pretty much gained a successful music career out of it. Good for him.
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