The lives of musicians aren’t lived entirely on stage, in the studio, or on the red carpet. Outside of these places that brought them fame, these people are just like everyone. In this piece, our focus will be on famous musicians and their unusual hobbies.
Now, if you think
your favorite artists are spending their days tucked away in a studio or playing music, you are Wrong. These people are also humans who have time to pursue other interests. They are just as varied as the rest of us! From collecting beetles to designing furniture, each has unique talents beyond what is required for their day job.
Learning about these non-music-related pursuits may provide you with the inspiration you need to find your new quest–whether it be learning how to cook an authentic paella or mastering your artistic skills.
So, here are just some of the many hobbies famous musicians enjoy in their free time.
1. Michael Jackson Was a Motorcycle Mechanic
You’d wonder how the King of Pop would have had time working on a motorcycle. We all thought he spent his entire day writing music and practicing new break dancing moves in a studio.
While
Michael Jackson was known for his love of luxury vehicles, but he was just as enthusiastic about cars, bikes, and racing in his youth. Before becoming famous, he raced motorcycles around the streets of Las Vegas with friends.
2. Coltrane Was an Avid Gardener
One of the most well-known saxophonist and founders of a significant style known as bebop jazz,
John Coltrane, was also interested in horticulture! Perhaps his love for flowers took root when he left India to live in Jersey City with his granddad when he was just a child.
He would even raise orchids inside their home, later transplant to pots on his porch. When he moved to Los Angeles, half of his income went towards renting a garden spot for himself and his wife Alice, who shared this interest. Coltrane, however, never actually learned horticulture himself; instead, he took gardening advice from the neighbors.
3. Perry Was A Fan Of Natural Remedies
Pink is known for her success in the music industry, but she is also a well-known pioneer for alternative medicine. She started with traditional Chinese medicine and herbs in the early 1980s through acupuncture and beliefs in therapeutic touch, then began learning about other alternative practices such as reiki and vegetarianism in the 1990s.
She became a vegetarian in 1997 but still drank milk to help her bones and was an enthusiastic user of alternative health products like wheatgrass and seaweed. She even tried to grow a beard as an alternative to shaving in the 1990s, before her husband stepped in to help her keep it neat!
4. Segal Was A Bibliophile
Though he won the American Songlines ‘“Best Book of the Year” award for his album The Light Inside (2009), Paul Segal’s primary interest has always been reading.
He has a small library at home that contains over 7000 books, including poetry, history, and novels. When he’s not working on his music or reading, you may find him in a library or bookstore.
5. Lee Was a Contemporary Art Collector
Paul Lee has always had an interest in art, and it shows in the artwork he chose for the cover of his album A Better Tomorrow (1985). The cover features three paintings by Jim Flora which are currently on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
For example, he collaborated with tattoo artist John “Flapjack” Riley to create this portrait of then-President Ronald Reagan, which is now part of the permanent collection at the museum as well!
6. Moon Was a Bee Collector
Moon Kyung Sun was a huge fan of insects and collected more than 21,000 during her career. Her first collection began with the cockroaches she found in the Korean countryside at age eight and continued through her time while studying abroad.
She also collected butterflies and insects that never went to market, such as scorpions. She would bring them back to Korea and keep them in her house until she eventually started selling some to scientists at Seoul National University as part of a museum exhibit.
7. Tom Jones Was Interested In Architecture
Tom Jones has always been known to paint his own house, but he is also interested in architecture.
In 2012,
the Welsh singer told the BBC that he tried to build his own home in Wales but was unsuccessful. But later on, he planned to create a new home in Mexico and even hired a Mexican architect. Tom Jones also designed his daughter’s wedding dress!
8. Corgan was interested in Egyptology
In the early 1980s, then-manic pixie popstar and now-rock star Courtney Love gave Tom Gorman a book called Egyptology: Exploring the Catacombs of Alexandria by Robert M. Braidwood describing her interest in Egyptian history.
She also told him that she knew one of the discoverers of King Tutankhamun’s tomb, Howard Carter, and asked him to tell her about his career because she wanted to write a song about it.
Final Thoughts on Musicians and Their Unusual Hobbies
There are many examples of famous musicians with unique hobbies, and these non-musical interests give them a well-rounded personality behind fame and money. Some may even argue that these hobbies helped shape their careers.
