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Music’s greatest polymath?

Woodface

pfm Member
Ok, I’m bored so time for a bit of fun.

I reckon Kris Kristofferson is perhaps the ultimate in this regard. I am not interested in artists who play lots of different instruments, so what? KK was a military helicopter pilot, a Rhodes scholar in creative writing at Oxford & a writer of genuine all time great songs. Before Oxford he graduated top of year at his college.

He was also a gifted sportsman & crumpeter.
 
Tom Scholz should probably make the grade. Guitarist,keyboardist and founding member of Boston, 2 degrees from MIT, founded his own R&D company which produced many gadgets that are used by bands the world over and is a philanthropist. Just one of those would be a great acheivement!
 
I'll vote for Todd Rundgren:
Plays guitar, keyboards, drums, sax
Sings
Writes
Engineers & produces
Was an early synth pioneer in r&r
Early computer enthusiast
Early video adopter
Early adopter of interactivity
Virtually single-handedly invented the whole 'patronet' model of funding for artists
 
I'll vote for Todd Rundgren:
Plays guitar, keyboards, drums, sax
Sings
Writes
Engineers & produces
Was an early synth pioneer in r&r
Early computer enthusiast
Early video adopter
Early adopter of interactivity
Virtually single-handedly invented the whole 'patronet' model of funding for artists
Yeah but you're clearly biased!

Good choice though (there's an interview with him on YouTube where he virtually predicts streaming musics services - in the mid-80s!).
 
Polymath implies expertise across far more than just music.

Hard to beat Jonathan Miller
I went searching for his musical credentials (apart from directing opera, of course) which in turn led me here and made me chuckle. Warning - contains naughty word.
 
Some good ones. As much as I rate Tod, he can’t fly a helicopter or play sport to a high standard.

Brian May is also a potential but I cannot stand his music.
 
Bruce Dickinson?
singer, songwriter, airline pilot, author, brewer :)
I thought about him, but in the course of research discovered he was a Brexiteer so I took unilateral action and disqualified him.

If we are limiting ourselves to popular musicians I’d rather go for Sterling Morrison, musician, composer (by his account), influence on a thousand others, scholar of medieval literature, PhD dissertation written about someone I’ve never heard of and, er, tugboat captain.
 
CB Fry. No idea if he did music to be honest but as he was ace at everything else...
 


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