Punctual, disciplined, respectful – these are generally characteristics one might associate with trained soldiers, though not necessarily with creative types who make their living through the arts. But believe it or not, there’s a fair amount of overlap in these two categories, and some of the world’s most renowned musicians were lacing their boots for duty long before performing for adoring audiences. Here are 10 musicians who served their country.
1. Jimi Hendrix
Young James Marshall Hendrix was already well on his way to becoming the greatest guitarist of all time when a 1961 encounter with authorities left him with the choice of serving a two year stint behind bars or joining the U.S. Army.
The reluctant Hendrix enlisted in May of 1961, and unsurprisingly proved to be a less than ideal candidate for military service. His ongoing dedication to his instrument of choice brought about friction with commanding officers, with one remarking, “This is one of his faults, because his mind apparently cannot function while performing duties and thinking about his guitar.”
An ankle injury afforded Hendrix the opportunity to receive an honorable discharge just a little over a third of the way into his three-year service, and shortly after he would take the rock world by storm with a visceral coalescence of psychedelic blues guitar.
2. Johnny Cash
Before becoming The Man In Black, Johnny Cash served as a Morse Code Operator with the United States Airforce, intercepting transmissions from the Soviet Army from beyond the Iron Curtain.
It was during his enlistment that Cash would acquire the money to purchase his first guitar, and would write what would become his signature song and an all-time classic, “Folsom Prison Blues.” He received his discharge after serving four years and attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant.
3. Ice-T
The hip-hop pioneer and Law and Order SVU mainstay had a brief run in the U.S. Army before going on to leave his mark on the entertainment industry.
Enlisting right out of high school, Ice-T served four years in the 25th Infantry Division before receiving an honorable discharge.
4. John Fogerty
The mastermind behind the breadth of classic material which would be recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty did six months of active duty at the height of the Vietnam War.
Fogerty served the remainder of his two years with the Reserves, then returned home to pen several American classics such as “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?,” “Fortunate Sun,” and “Bad Moon Rising” – more on that here.
5. George Strait
Many are unaware that King George enlisted as an infantryman with the U.S. Army, where he served from 1971-1975.
During this time he honed his musical skills with an Army-sponsored band, Rambling Country. Strait would attain the rank of Corporal before being discharged, at which time he began attending Southwest Texas State University – now Texas State University- where he would earn a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture.
6. Howlin’ Wolf
Chester A. Burnett, more commonly known as Howlin’ Wolf, would become known as an indispensable figure in the history of blues music, as well as one of the most recognizable vocalists of all time.
Burnett was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II, where the famously resolute bluesman clashed with commanding officers until his eventual honorable discharge in 1943.
7. Jamey Johnson
Country star Jamey Johnson may be best known for his own hit singles such as “In Color,” but the Alabama native attained early success crafting tunes that would be performed by other artists. Some such numbers include “Give It Away,” made famous by George Strait, and “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk,” made famous by Trace Adkins.
Prior to his success in the music industry, however, Johnson served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve for eight years. He served in Company L. 3rd Battalion 23rd Marines as a mortarman (MOS 0341,) eventually attaining the rank of Corporal. He received his honorable discharge just prior to his unit being sent to Iraq.
8. James Blunt
An English native, Blunt is something of an outlier on this list. But the “You’re Beautiful” songsmith had a highly successful stint with the British Armed Forces beginning in the mid-to-late 1990s.
Training at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Blunt eventually attained the rank of Captain, and later served as a member of the Queen’s Guard, participating in the funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 2002.
Soon after, Blunt left the British Army to pursue a career in music.
One of the most influential and technically sound musicians to ever live, John Coltrane was experienced in both saxophone and clarinet by the time he enlisted for the then-segregated United States Navy in 1945.
Coltrane was assigned to the Navy band, the Melody Masters, and played alto saxophone and clarinet during his time serving. However, with the war itself having ended by the time Coltrane completed basic training, he was honorably discharged after having served a year of his two year enlistment.
10. Elvis Presley
Elvis is a unique entry on this list as, unlike the aforementioned artists, Presley’s career in entertainment had already skyrocketed prior to his enlistment.
Having ascended to superstardom with his provocative rock & roll music, Presley turned 21 in January of 1956, which made him eligible to be drafted. Presley was offered a spot in the Army Special Services where, following six weeks of basic training, he would essentially have been permitted to continue his life and career as normal, with the caveat that he perform a predetermined number of dates yearly for the armed forces.
Millions were shocked when Presley, in a move that would command much respect from those who would become his peers in Military service, opted to join as a standard soldier as any other civilian would.
“People were expecting me to mess up, to goof up in one way or another,” Presley later said of the decision. “They thought I couldn’t take it and so forth, and I was determined to go to any limits to prove otherwise, not only to the people who were wondering, but to myself.”
“The King” would attain the rank of Sergeant during his time with the armed forces, and would receive an honorable discharge on March 2, 1960 – concluding one of the most highly publicized military careers in American history.
