Africa & Asia

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow ~ Strongman ruler of Turkmenistan and frequent finalist in the "World's Craziest Dictator" Olympics. Also locally known by the far more pronounceable name of Arkadag. Besides winning elections by hilariously lopsided margins Arkadag's other hobbies include having gold statues made in his honour, being the nation's champion horse and car racer. Oh; And having the nation's favorite pop duo with his son Serdar, who by happy coincidence is also a colonel and governor.

JOHN OLIVER REPORTS ON ARKADAG;


King Bhumibol Adulyadej ~ King of Thailand from 1946 to his death in 2016, making him at the time the world longest serving monarch (Queen Elizabeth did not take the throne until 1952). The normally quiet and retiring King was a huge fan of Dixieland and Big Band Jazz and played the saxophone including sitting in with visiting players like Benny Goodman, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton, and Benny Carter. He also composed over 40 songs (not all of them Jazz) and did some recordings. Being a King probably helped but unlike some other royal musicians he was actually considered a good player and some of his compositions have been recorded by the likes of Claude Bolling, Les Brown and Preservation Hall Jazz Band. His brother and predecessor King Ananada also played the clarinet and the two did much to encourage a Jazz scene in Thailand which would also lead to a rock and soul scene in the late 60's which was second in Asia only to Japan's.

KING BHUMBIBOL ~ "HOW HIGH THE MOON";


Sherali Joʻrayev - Uzbek singer/songwriter, considered one of the most important artists in Uzbekistan and an activist known for his political content he served in the country's National Assembly from 1990-95 but fell out of favour for criticizing the government and was banned for a decade until the country's strongman leader died. He died in 2023.

SHERALI JO'RAYEV ~ "ARTIRGULIM";


Mahesh Kumar Kanodia - Indian actor/singer from the 1950's to the 1980's and then an MP for the BJP Party from 1991–2009, he died in 2020

MAHESH KANODIA;


Fela Kuti ~ The most famous African musician of his time was also a well known political dissident in his native Nigeria famous for his stinging attacks on the government in music and in print. When the first free elections in a decade were called in 1979 Fela formed his own party and announced his candidacy for president, however his candidacy was disallowed by the government. Fela continued to agitate for democracy and was arrested on trumped up charges in 1984 but released twenty months later after much international pressure. In 1993 he was arrested again but Nigeria's dictator Abacha died the next year. By this time Fela was probably already battling the AIDs that would kill him in 1997.

FELA KUTI ~ "TEACHER DON'T TEACH ME NO NONSENSE";





Kim Ill Sung ~ North Korea's original Dear Leader and founder of the world's most repressive dictatorship was actually educated by Christian missionaries and played the organ in church.

Kim Jong Ill ~ North Korea's batshit insane dictator claimed to have written seven operas, which is pretty impressive. Mind you the official party line is that Kim is also the worlds most prolific author with more than 15,000 books to his credit as well as being the worlds greatest golfer with no less than 11 holes in one, which is better than Tiger Woods. So there. His wife was formerly a popular singer.

Rui Mingas ~ A popular singer and composer in Angola who came from a famous family of musicians, his music would combine Afro-Jazz with Portugese and local traditions and one of his compositions, "Angola Avante" would become the national amthem and he he would serve in the National Congress from 2017-2021, dying in 2023 aged 84. His brother Andre was also a musician and politician.

RUI MINGAS ~ "POEMA DE FARRA";


Balen Shah ~ A popuar Rapper in Nepal ran for the Mayor of Kathmandu in 2022

BALEN SHAH:


Prince Norodom Sihanouk ~ The on-and-off King of Cambodia during the turbulent years from 1941 to his death in 2012 was also a filmmaker and a classically trained musician playing piano, saxophone, clarinet and organ led an orchestra and wrote dozens of compositions combining traditional Cambodian and French music covering romantic and patriotic themes. His nephew and successor Norodom Suramarit was also a musician.

King Norodom Suramarit ~ King of Cambodia since 2012 was raised in exile in France were he received formal training in music and ballet developing a style combiing tradional Cambodian and Western dance and theatre and has written his own compositions.

Valentine Strasser ~ As a young 25 year old captain in the Sierra Leone army and champion disco dancer Strasser led a small protest in 1992 against the government over lack of pay and equipment. Fearing a full blown coup the unpopular president resigned and fled the country, upon which Strasser then declared himself president. A charismatic figure known for his flamboyant clothes and Ray Ban shades as well as his youth as the worlds youngest generalissimo he was initially popular, including in the west, but his regime became more brutal and led to more unrest. Strasser held power until he was in turn overthrown in another coup in 1996. Strasser then fled to England to study law. His brief rule is mentioned in the Super Furry Animals track "Placid Casual," from the album Radiator. He has since been threatened with trail for war crimes and deportation.

U Phoyo Zayer Thaw ~ 40 ~ Myanmar' most famous Rapper with his Hip Hop group ACID before becoming a Member of Parliament Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD Party where he served two terms before returning to music. He opposed the 2019 coup and was arrested by the Junta on trumped up charges and executed in 2022

ACID;


Bobi Wine ~ Popular Ugandan singer known for his political pro-democracy activism being frequently been arrested, was elected to parliament as an opposition member in 2017 and announced his intention to run for the Presidency in 2020 against the regime of President Musevani which has been in power for thirty years. In the subsequent election Museveni was declared the winner in a disputed election after demonstration were put down with much police violence and Bibi himself put under house arrest.

BOBI WINE ~ "KYRENGA";


General Wiranto ~ The Indonesian strongman (like many Indonesians he has only one name) until 2009 is also a lover of karaoke and even recorded an album of love songs called "For My Indonesia" when he wasn't busy racking up human rights abuses in East Timor.

Rasolofondraosolo Zafimahaleo; Better known by the far more pronounceable stage name "Dama", is the lead singer/guitarist for the folk-rock group Mahaleo, the best known band in Madagascar since the 1970's playing a fusion of tradition Malagasy folk music and folk rock. Various band members have long supported political causes with Dama successfully running for a seat in the nation's National Assembly and has hinted that he might run for President.

MAHALEO ~ "ISEKELY";


Pierre-Claver Zeng Ebome ~ Popular Gabonese singer in the 1970's and pro-democracy activist who entered politics as "The Crooner Politician". He got elected became a cabinet minister and advocated for canceling third world debts until his death in 2010.

PIERRE CLAVER ZENG;

Latin America And The Caribbean

Attila The Hun ~ No not that one. This Attila (real name Raymond Quevedo) was a highly popular Calypso singer from Trinidad in the 1940's known for his songs attacking the wealthy and establishment figures (and a tribute to FDR) who successfully ran for Port Of Spain city council in 1946 and later for the national parliament for a time.

ATTILA THE HUN ~ "FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT";


Susana Baca; A respected singer and folklorist of Peru's Afro-Latin music Baca became Minister of Culture in 2011, she left later that year but became President of the Commission of Culture for the Organization of American States from 2011 to 2013.

SUSANA BACRA;


Ruben Blades ~ The Grammy Award winning Panamanian salsa star and actor ("Once Upon A Time In Mexico", "The Cradle Will Rock", "Predator 2") wrote the unofficial national anthem ("Patria") and is highly popular throughout Latin America. He is also a lawyer with two legal degrees and a degree in political science and a well known activist who ran for President of Panama in 1994 on a nationalist/reformist platform and finished a respectable third place to the American backed candidate who was later implicated in numerous corruption charges. In 2004 Blades was appointed as minister of tourism by President Martin Torrijos, however he still finds time to perform and act.

RUBEN BLADES ~ "DECISIONES";



Amando Boudou ~ Argentina Finance Minister and successful Vice President candidate in 2011. As a university student he earned extra pesos busking with his electric guitar and promoting rock concerts on campus. He still drags out the guitar an campaign stops.

Manno Charlemagne ~ 69 ~ Haitian singer-songwriter, guitarist and politician, Mayor of Port-au-Prince (1995–1999)

Alan Garcia ~ Right wing president of Peru from 1980-85 and again starting in 2006 to the present. While studying in Paris and Madrid made extra cash as a guitar playing street busker.

Gilberto Gill; One of the best known musicians in Brazil since the 1960's, with his fusion of samba, reggae and African music, Gil was an international star as well when he became Minister of Art & Culture in the government of Lula Da Silva from 2003 to 2008. Gil was also known in Brazil for his opposition to the military governments of the 2970's and 80's which got him banned from the country in the 1970's. After serving in government Gil returned to his musical career.

GILBERTO GIL;


Ana de Hollanda; Succeeding Gil as Minister of Art and Culture Hollanda had also previously been a singer whose brother, Chico Buarque, has been a popular singer-songwriter and author since the 1970's.

Victor Jara ~ Chile's greatest folk singer, Jara was talented, handsome and charismatic and known for his support of Salvador Allende's Unidad Popular Parti for whom he acted as an organizer, campaigner and composer of the party anthem "Venceremos" ("We Will Triumph"). After Allende's election Jara acted as a cultural attache but when Allende was overthrown in a CIA inspired coup Jara was brutally tortured and murdered.

VICTOR JARA ~ "TE RECUERDO AMANDA";


Wyclef Jean ~ The Haiti born rapper was a member of the hugely successful hip hop group The Fugees in the 1990's and later had a solo career including a duo with Shakira. He also busied himself with charitable works for his native Haiti, especially after the earthquake of 2010. In July of that year it was announced that he was considering running for the presidency and had filed the paperwork for this, however his candidacy was rejected by Haiti's election commission for not meeting residency requirements, he also speaks little French. Jean would later endorse another candidate, fellow musician Michel Martelly and while campaigning on his behalf would be shot in the hand.

WYCLEF JEAN ~ "WISH YOU WERE HERE";



Michel Martelly ~ Also known as Sweet Mickey, Martelly is probably the most popular musician in Haiti with several hits to his credit as well as appearing in collaboration with Wyclif Jean and running a successful night club. He has long been outspoken in his support of various figures from Haiti's ruling class (who often hang out at his club) and for his opposition to President Aristide. In 2010 he announced that he would be running for the presidency of Haiti as did Jean. This would have been the first time two pop stars faced of against each other in an election, however Jean was disqualified as a candidate. As it happened Sweet Mickey didn't win either but finished a strong third in an election that was widely dismissed as rigged. Both Martelly and Jean would jointly protest the results and the second place candidate would surprisingly drop out allowing Martelly to stay in for a second runoff round which he surprisingly won in April 2011.

MICHEL MARTELLY ~ "MON COLONEL";



Javier Milei ~ The flamboyant Anachro-Capitalist President of Argentina from 2023 was in his youth the singer in a band called Everest which specialized in Rolling Stones covers.

Pablo Neruda ~ The great Chilean poet/revolutionary was elected to the senate in 1945 as a Communist but was forced into exile when the party was outlawed in 1948. He continued to campaign for various causes in exile, returning to Chile in 1952 he was invited to run for the senate again but declined. In 1970 the Communists invited him to be their candidate for the presidency but he decided to instead support and campaign for the Socialist candidate Salvador Allende who won and appointed Neruda to be ambassador to France. Neruda was suffering form cancer and was hospitalized immediately after the U.S. backed coup in 1973 dying days later. Despite a ban on public demonstrations by the new junta Neruda's funeral was attended by thousands who lined the streets in tribute. As Latin America's most honored poet he has had many of his works adapted to music by both classical composers and folk and prog rock bands both while he was alive and afterward, including the Canadian band Red Rider.

LUCIANA SOUZA SINGS NERUDA


Francisco Everado Oliviera Silva; Known by his stage name Tiririca, he is an highly popular comedian, clown and singer-songwriter who ran for Congress as a joke in 2010 on an anti-corruption, help the children and support the arts platform using adds in which he sang and danced while wearing a clown hat and mocked other politicians. To his surprise not only did he win, he won the second largest vote getter in Brazil's history. His time in congress was not happy though and he announced he would not run for reelection.

Johnny Ventura - A Grammy winning Dominican salsa & meringue singer and band leader from the early sixties, he was elected Mayor of Santo Domingo (1998–2002). He died in 2021 aged 81

JOHNNY VENTURA;

Scandinavia

ICELAND;
Jon Gnarr; Known as the Punk Rock Mayor of Reykjavik and founder of the Best Party, a progressive protest party in 2009. He started out as a bassist for an obscure punk band named Nefrennsli ("Runny Nose") before becoming a comedian for many years. The Best Party was formed in response to the 2008 financial crisis and became a shocking success, as mayor Gnarr was known for his spiky hairdo, jeans and black t-shirts. He was a popular mayor but did not run for reelection in 2014. There was some speculation he would run for Prime Minster but did not although he has not ruled out running in the future.

Einar Örn Benediktsson; Singer/Horn Player with 1980's pop band the Sugarcubes and later Ghostdigital who went on to co-found the Best Party with Jon Gnarr. Orn would also win a seat on the Reykjavik city council in 2010 but like Gnarr he did not run for election.

THE SUGARCUBES ~ "COLD SWEAT";


FINLAND;
Claes Andersson; Poet and jazz musician who served in the Finnish parliament from 1987 to 1999 for the Left Alliance and the Finnish People's Democratic League where he served as Minister Of Culture. He later served again in 2007-2008.

Mikko Alatalo; Folk singer with many albums to his credit who ran successfully for parliament for the Center Party starting in 2003 and has served since either in parliament or Tampere city council since.

MIKKO ALATALO;


Kike Elomaa; A beautiful blonde professional body builder who also had a brief career as a pop singer in the 1980's and became an MP for the right-wing True Finns Party since 2011.

KIKE ELOMAA - "SAMA SAMA TAIVAS";


Tony Halme; Pro-wrestler, actor and singer who ran successfully for the far-right nationalist True Finns Party from 2003 to 2007 where he distinguished himself by attacking Finnish President Tarja Halonen, things went downhill as he was arrested for firing a handgun inside his house and possession of steroids and later driving while impaired. In 2006 he was committed to a mental institution. He did not run for reelection and was found dead in 2010 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Kari Peitsamo; Multi-instrumentalist and singer with various art-pop bands from the 1970's onward. He has also unsuccessfully run for parliament several times for the Communist Party from 2003.

Anni Sinnemäki; Former leader of the Finnish Green Party and member of Finnish parliament from 1999 to 2011 who served as minister of labour as well as serving on Helsinki city council. Previously she was a poet and lyricist for her husband Kerkko Koskinen's band Ulta Bra who have several albums.

ULTRA BRA ~ "KIRJOITUKSIA";


Tommy Tabermann; A romantic poet and singer who was elected to parliament in 2007 for the Social Democrats but he died suddenly of a brain tumor in 2010.

Veltto Virtanen; An eccentric and theatrical singer who ran for parliament as a protest candidate a few times, actually winning in 1995 and again in 2007. Originally he ran for a Finnish version of the Green Party but later switched to the right-wing True Finns Party.

VELETTO VIRTANEN;


Greenland;

Kuupik Kleist ~ The current prime minister of Greenland and head of the island's independence movement was formerly known as a guitarist, songwriter, record producer and record company executive in his native Greenland and Denmark.

Europe

Alexander III ~ The second last Tsar of Russia from 1881 to 1894. A notorious reactionary who famously censored artists and writers, he had little patience for the traditional balls and dances of the Romanov court. To cut short these concerts one of his favorite tricks was to summarily dismiss the band one member at a time until there was nobody left but a piano and a violin, the guests usually got the point by then. Oddly Alexander himself was actually a trained musician having learned the trumpet and trombone. He could in fact play and read music well enough to occasionally join in band and play along when in a good mood. It's not known if the band found this more disturbing then being dismissed.

Silvio Berlosconni ~ The popular conservative prime minister of Italy and all around buffoon throughout the 1990's to 2011. He's also a businessman and media tycoon who owns most of the television and newspapers in Italy. However he started out as a bass player and cruise ship lounge singer in the 1960's.

Cicciolina; The Hungarian born Italian porn star (real name Ilona Staller) who gained international notoriety by getting elected to the Italian Parliament in 1987 running as a Green candidate serving one term. She had actually been running for office since 1979 and would do so again, both in Italy and Hungary without success. She has announced her intention to run again in the upcoming Italian elections to be held next year.

CICCIOLINA ~ "BABY LOVE";


Krzysztof Cugowski; Polish rocker who served a term in the Polish Senate.

Queen Elisabeth of Belgium ~ Elisabeth of Bavaria(1876-1965), Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, was the Queen escort of Albert I of Belgium, she was raised with a deep love of painting, music, and sculpture. Because of her love of music and an accomplished violinist, the original Ysre International Music Competition is named after her as - "The Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition".

Gabriele D'Annunzio ~ Notorius Italian nationalist poet and considered one of the founders of the Fascist movement. Besides poetry he also wrote operas and collaborated with Claude Debussey. He served a term as member of the Chamber Of Deputies from 1987-1900 but he did not run for reelection and fled Ital to escape creditors. After WW1 in September of 1919 he led led a small Blackshirt militia who staged a coup and seized the Croation city of Fiume over which he declared himself "Il Duce" and established a constitution declaring "Music" to be the founding principle of the new city state and petitioned to be annexed by Italy. When the embarrassed and annoyed Italian government instead demanded he and his militia vacate the city he declared war on Italy forcing the Italian navy to evict him by December of 1920. Returning to Italy he involved hinself in right wing politics as sometime ally and rival to Benito Mussolini who was able to sideline him due partly to his scandalous and erratic behaviour which included serious injuries from a fall out of a window either while drunk or involved in a brawl, it's clear which. After Mussolini siezed power he publically supported the regime including it's wars in Africa but later urged avoiding an alliance with Hitler and a general war. He died just before WW2 in 1938

GABRIELE D'ANNUNZIO;


Anton Drexler ~ Founder and original leader of the Nazi Party until forced out by Hitler, Drexler was a locksmith who also moonlighted as a zither player in local beerhalls which was apparently a thing back then.

Willem Engel ~ One of the leaders of Vrij en Sociaal Nederland, a small far-right party for conspiarcy theorists, anti-vaxxers and Putin fanboys, he was formerally the owner of a dance studio that taught Latin dancing, he ran for parliament in 2021 but the party failed to win any seats

Brian Eno ~ The legendary multi-instrmentalist originally with Roxy Music in the 1970's then solo as well as producer with the Talking Heads and U2 is currently on the Board of Directors for the Democracy In Europe Movement, a cross border progressive EU political party which seeks to reform the EU, other members include Jean Michel Jarre

ROXY MUSIC ~ "IN EVERY HOME A HEARTACHE";


Joseph Goebbels ~ Unlike most of the Nazi leaders who were thugs and cretins, the Minister of Propaganda was actually (like Hitler) a frustrated artist with a novel to his credit as well as being a trained amateur pianist. After 1939 when all works by Polish composers were banned, the works of the great piano composer Fredric Chopin were specifically excluded from the ban as Goebbels was a fan, although Hitler was not.

Princess Stephanie Grimaldi De Monaco ~ The younger daughter of Prince Ranier and Princess Grace had her own career in the 1980's as a model and pop singer even scoring a few hits in Europe which thankfully never translated to North America which had one of it's occasional bursts of good taste.

PRINCESS STEPHANIE ~ "IRRESISTIBLE";


Jean Michel Jarre ~ French pioneer of electronic music is currently on the Board of Directors for the Democracy In Europe Movement, a cross border progressive EU political party which seeks to reform the EU, other members include Brian Eno

JEAN MICHEL JARRE ~ "FOURTH RENDEVOUZ";


Vakhtang Kikabidze - 84 - Georgian singer & actor, long a critic of Russia and the USSR he was a notable figure in Georgian independence and ran for and won a seat in the Georgian Parliament where he travelled t Ukraine to show support for their war with Russia but soon died after becoming ill.

Vytaulas Landsbergis ~ The first president of an independent Lithuania from 1990 to 1992 was also a well respected concert pianist who taught at the Lithuanian Conservatory and recorded several albums of classical music.

VYTAULA LANDSBERGIS;


Vladimir Lenin ~ Before he became a full time revolutionary Lenin came from a well educated middle class background as a lawyer and part-time time musician who could read music and play classical guitar and balalaika. Oddly one of his favorite composers was the bombastic Wagner, also the favorite of arch enemy Hitler. He also had the typical Russian love of poetry. However after his older brother was executed for plotting against the Tsar Lenin dedicated himself to revolution with such single minded focus that he gave up all other interests, including music. Later after he became Soviet President he began to take an interest in music again, at one point even inviting Leon Thermin to teach him how to play his new invention, the theremin. According to Thermin, Lenin was a good player.

Thanos Mikroutsikos ~ Respected Greek composer and pianist from the 1960's onward, besides works celebrating Greek culture he also adapted works of Berthold Brecht. He was also heavily involved with politics opposing the 1960's right-wing junta as a member of the Greek Communist Party. When democracy was restored he served the socialist govt as minster of culture in the 1990's. He died in 2019.

THANOS MIKROUTSIKOS ~ "CYRENIA";


Alessandra Mussolini ~ The granddaughter of Italian dictator Benito and niece of Sophia Loren, started out as a model and actress who made a number of mostly B movies in Europe. One of those films in which she played a minor role was however nominated for a foreign language Oscar and won a Golden Globe in 1977. As a model she did photo shoots for Playboy. She also found time to record an album of Euro-Pop called "Amore" in 1982 which was however only released in Japan. She later quit showbiz to join the other family business, running for election to the Italian parliament as a neo-fascist in 1992 where she has sat ever since. She also ran for mayor of Naples but lost. As for her grandfather Benito; he played the violin and his son (and her father) Romano was a successful jazz, lounge and film soundtrack pianist.

ALESSANDRA MUSSOLINI ~ "LOVE IS LOVE";


Hilbrand Nawijn; A typical fat, white, far-right politician who had an untypical career path in that after his electoral career petered out he tried his luck as a contestant on a Dutch talent show and even though everyone agreed he was devoid of talent or looks he managed to get a recording deal and recorded a couple of hit singles.

HILBRAND NAWIJIN ~ "HEY JUMPEN";


Jan Paderewski ~ The first prime minster of an independent Poland in 1919 was also a concert pianist and composer and probably the most famous musician of his era, known for the crowds of swooning fans who attended his world tours. He used his fame to promote Polish independence in the 1900's and briefly served as Prime Minister but disliked the job and soon returned to music. During WW2 after Poland was invaded he again resumed his role as a promoter of Polish independence and fundraiser until he died in 1941 at the age of 81.

JAN PADEREWSKI ~ "HUNGARIAN RHAPSODY";





Vardo Rumessen; Respected Estonian classical pianist and musicologist who was a leader of the independence movement from the USSR he became a member of the Riigikogu (1992–1995, 1999–2003) dying in 2015.

Ruslana; A hugely successful singer and sex-symbol in the Ukraine, she has also been heavily involved in supporting figures like Viktor Yushchenko and Yulia Tymoshenko along with a high profile role in the Orange Revolution, activities which have gotten her banned in Russia. She has suggested she may run for the presidency.

RUSLANA ~ "IT'S MAGICAL";


Miroslav Skoro ~ Croatian folk-pop singer known for his patriotic songs during the Yugoslavian Wars of the 1990's ran for the Presidency in 2019 as a far-right nationalist in a campaign where he praised the Nazi collaborationist regime of WW2. He got a large number of votes but lost narrowly in the first round and failed to make it to the run-off round.

MIROSLAV SKORO ~ "U MOM DVORISTU";


Maria Stern ~ An Austrian former singer/songwriter and current leader of the JEZIT List a breakaway group from the Green Party who got several MPs elected in 2017 but were wiped out in 2020.

MARIA STERN ~ "STRACHE SONG";


Arturo Toscanini ~ The famously temperamental Italian conductor was an early supporter of Benito Mussolini and ran as a Fascist candidate in 1919 and lost. However he soon publicly broke with Mussolini and refused to display his portrait and refused to play the Fascist anthem as required even when government ministers were in the audience. This resulted in his being assaulted by Blackshirts and had his passport revoked until international outcry forced Mussolini to back down enabling him to travel to America and perform. Toscanini fled Italy in 1939 and did not return until the end of the war to a rapturous welcome, however he largely remained in the U.S.A. until he died in 1957.

ARTURO TOSCANINI ~ BEETHOVEN'S 9TH SYMPHONY;



Slavi Trifonov ~ Current President of Bulgaria as of 2021 was previously a popular musician in various genres from Folk to Folk Rock & Punk and Hip Hop as well as a television host.

SLAVI TRIFONOV & KU KU BAND";


Guiseppe Verdi ~ The great Italian composer was also a famous supporter of the Italian Unification led by Garibaldi and Cavour and served as a member of provincial counsils and a member of parliament from 1859 to 1865 however he quickly grew to dislike politics and after Cavour died he stepped down to resume his musical career. In 1874 he was appointed to the senate anyway in which he refused to serve.

Mike Wade ~ The singer of an Isle Of Man band Ballaghs, ran for a seat on the local municipal board in 2021 and easily won. However he resigned in 2023 announcing he was buying a pizza place and couldn't spare the time.

Valodomir Zelensky ~ The President of Ukraine had famously been a major TV star as a comedian but he also did musical and dance numbers includng winning the Ukraine version of "Dancing With The Stars".

VALODIMIR ZELENSKY ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS";

United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia

Tony Blair ~ The British prime Minister from 1997 to 2007 originally wanted to be a rock star and promoter, singing and playing guitar in a short lived and unrecorded punk band named Ugly Rumours after he moved from Scotland to England in the late 1970's. One band mate was Mark Ellen, who would later become a rock journalist and television emcee for "The Old Grey Whistle Test". Blair was apparently considered a pushy self-promoter and was generally disliked in the scene.

Peter Chapman ~ A Tory member of the Scottish Parliament released an album of folk songs in the Scottish English language known as Doric

Edward VIII ~ Before he became the disgraced former king of England the Crown Prince was a popular figure of the Jazz Age where he was known for appearing at Dixieland jazz clubs and sometimes sitting in with the bands and playing the drums and banjo at which he was apparently quite good. His Grandfather Edward VII was another party animal who played a little banjo and reportedly got lessons from popular Black Canadian minstrel duo the Bohee Bros.

Elizabeth I ~ Like her father Henry VIII (see below) Queen Bess considered herself quite cultured and dabbled with various stringed and key instruments but was especially fond of dancing.

Tim Farron; MP and Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2015 to 2017 was a member of an obscure synth-pop band under various names such as "Fred the Girl" and "The Voyeurs" but he's been vague about the band's history. He ran for parliament successfully in 2005 and has been reelected since but stepped down as leader after the party's dismal results in the 2017 election.

Peter Garrett ~ The bald and over six foot tall singer for the Australian post punk band Midnight Oil from 1973 to 2002 was also a lawyer and activist for peace, native rights and the environment, running for the Australian Senate in 1984 unsuccessfully as a green candidate before switching to the Labour Party and winning election in 2004. He is currently the Minster of Environment, Heritage and the Arts.

MIDNIGHT OIL ~ "BEST OF BOTH WORLDS";





Dennis Healey ~ A powerful leader in the Labour Party from the 1960's to the 1980's as a cabinet minister and leadership candidate, Healey was also a good pianist who occasionally appeared on television.

DENNIS HEALEY ~ "THE WIZARD OF OZ";


Danny Healy-Rae ~ The Healy-Raes are a family dynasty in County Kerry in Ireland who have run held various offices as independents for decades the old fashioned way, shaking hands, showing up at funerals christenings and weddings and using traditional campaign fight songs railing against the elites in Dublin and London at least one of which features MP Danny Healy-Rae on the accordion.

Edward Heath ~ British Conservative Prime Minister from 1970 to 1974 was a respected classical conductor and pianist who conducted the London Symphony Orchestra and others in the U.K and U.S.A even while still in office and won honorary music degrees. After losing the Tory leadership to Thatcher who toppled him and then excluded him from cabinet he stayed as an MP for the next twenty years (long enough to get his revenge by voting against Thatcher when her leadership came up) while cooling his heels on the back benches he recorded albums and wrote a book of Christmas carols. Note; This Ted Heath is not to be confused with his contemporary Ted Heath who confusingly led a Jazz Big Band in Britain from the 1950's to the 1980's.

EDWARD HEATH CONDUCTING;


Henry VIII ~ Considering himself the ultimate Renaissance Prince (at least until he became a fat, bloated, syphilitic, buffoon) Henry was considered a talented musician on various stringed and keyed instruments as well as composing a number of songs, both hymns and love ballads, he was also a good dancer.

A.P Herbert ~ Humorist for Punch Magazine in Britain and a light opera librettist for Cochran, was also a lawyer who ran for Parliament in the 1930's on a platform of liberalizing divorce laws, and lost.

Lillian Lenton ~ One of the most radical of the British women suffragettes of the early 20th century as well as the most beautiful, Lenton started off as a trained dancer before being radicalized by the issues of woman's equality. As a radical suffragette she was noted for acts of vandalism and arson for which she was arrested several times upon which she went on hunger strikes and was force fed once almost leading to her death when food was forced into her lungs by mistake. Eventually she escaped to Europe where she served as a nurse during World War 1 and was awarded with medals. After the war she became an advocate for children and animals. She died in 1972.

Brian May; Guitarist for mega-successful pomp-rock band Queen. May has been a Conservative supporter but is also well known environmentalist and supporter of historical preservation. In the 2015 election he announced he might run for parliament as an independent but later declined and endorsed the Green Party.

QUEEN ~ "CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE";


Donnie Munro ~ Singer for popular Scottish Celtic Rock band Runrig since 1974, Munro was also the Rector of Edinburgh University from 1991 to 1994. He suddenly quit in 1999 to run for the British Parliament for the Labour Party only to narrowly lose to The Liberal Democrats. Munro subsequently returned to scholarship and Gaelic music. Fellow Runrig band member Pete Wishart would also run for office with better luck (see below).

RUNRIG ~ "LOCH LOMAND";


Dave Rowntree - Drummer for 1990's top-ten Britpop band Blur. He later became a lawyer and ran for the Labour Party in 2007 unsuccessfully and again in 2008, 2010 and 2011, so far with notable lack of success.

BLUR ~ "SONG 2";


Andy Semple - AKA Andy Septic, guitarist for 1970's Scottish Punk band the Limps. Later became a Cockermouth City Councillor for the Labour Party.

THE LIMPS ~ "SOMEONE I CAN TALK TO";


Rose Simpson ~ Bassist for the 1960's British psychedelic/folk group the Incredible String Band. After quitting music she settled in the Welsh town of Aberystwyth where she was appointed Lord Mayoress as a Liberal Democrat. After serving her term she retired and still lives in the town.

THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND ~ "PAINTING BOX";





Screaming Lord Sutch ~ British shock rock pioneer from the early 1960's who claimed to be a hereditary English Lord (which he was not) and who became a famously perennial candidate in forty British elections from 1963 to 1997 as the leader and founder of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, occasionally getting more votes than some of the "serious" parties. His campaigns were good matured but nonsensical and best known for his flamboyant costumes. In 1990 he got more votes than the SDP led by former foreign secretary David Owen which promptly disbanded weeks later. After Sutch got several hundred votes in Margaret Thatcher's riding the rules were changed forcing candidates to pay a larger fee to run, but Sutch simply staged more fund raising concerts and kept on running until he killed himself in 1999.

SCREAMING LORD SUTCH ~ "JACK THE RIPPER";



Pete Wishart ~ A Scottish National Party member of the British Parliament for the Scottish riding of Perthshire since 2001, Wishart was previously known since 1986 as the keyboardist for the popular Celtic Rock band Runrig, before that he had been in a lineup of Big Country, one of Scotland's biggest bands of the 1980's. Wishart in fact did not quit Runrig until he was elected. He was also not the first member of Runrig to run for office as singer Donnie Munro had already done so for the Labour Party with less success (see above). Wishart was re-elected in 2010.

Canada (pt.2 L-W)

Serge Laprade - 83 - French Canadian 1960's Pop singer and radio broadcaster ran for the Liberals in the 1988 election unsuccsefully

SERGE LAPRADE ~ "CAPRI C'EST FINI";


Wilfred Laurier ~ Canadian Prime Minister from 1896 to 1911 was a famously cultured dandy who also played the flute.

Jack Layton ~ Current NDP leader and previously a longtime Toronto city councilor now Leader of the Opposition. Also a well known ham has been known to break out the guitar and harmonica and busk to fundraise for various causes. He also played the piano and a little saxophone. He died of cancer in 2011.

JACK LAYTON ~ "PARTY FOR SALE OR RENT";



Kenzie MacDonald; A Cape Breton singer and songwriter ("The Island") as well as a theatre and TV producer. He was also served as Chair of the Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation and editor/publisher of the Cape Bretoner magazine. He also found time to run for Parliament as a Tory in 2004 and 2006, losing both times. In 2019 he ran again for the regional Cape Breton United Association (CBUA).

Rodney MacDonald ~ Tory Premier of Nova Scotia from 2006 to 2009 is well known as a Cape Breton fiddler who has recorded for Smithsonian/Folkways as well as two albums of his own.

RODNEY MACDONALD ~ VARIOUS FIDDLE REELS;



Ashley MacIsaac ~ The flamboyant Cape Breton fiddler has long been an advocate of gay rights and the environment and done some charity work. In 2006 he announced that he was planning on running for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada only to drop out a few months later.

ASHLEY MacISSAC ~ "POKA ROKIN";


Ernest Manning ~ Alberta Premier in the 1950's & 60's and successor to William Aberhart (see above). Like Aberhart he also came from a gospel background and also played the fiddle. He was the father of Reform Party founder Preston Manning.

Blair Martin ~ The singer/guitarist for Toronto punk band The Raving Mojos ran for mayor in 1982 against Liberal Art Eggleton and finished well back with 1,800 votes.

THE RAVING MOJOS ~ "STRANDED IN THE STREET";



Stephane Moraille; a singer with Canadian pop band Bran Van 3000 who had hit singles in the 1990's. Later became a lawyer and ran for the NDP in Montreal in 2013 and lost to the Liberals.

BRAN VAN 3000 ~ "DRINKIN' IN LA";


Kevin O'Leary; As one of the co-hosts of reality shows "Dragons Den" (in Canada) and "Shark Tank" O'Leary often loved to show-off his prowess on his collection of electric guitars. In 2017 he announced to much fanfare his intention of running for the leadership of the opposition Conservative Party. He quickly became one the front-runners but dropped out at the end of April when he made the startling discovery that his lack of French might be a bit of a drawback. In Canada. He endorsed the Tories in the 2019 losing 2019 election but any chances of gaining the party leadership sank when he was involved with a boating accident involving alcohol in which a woman died.

KEVIN O'LEARY & RANDY BACHMAN;


Sean Panting; A singer/songwriter in Newfoundland bands Drive and Kelly Russell & The Planks as well as solo as well as acting in the series "Republic Of Doyle". His father was leader of the Newfoundland NDP in the 1970's and Sean ran as candidate in the 2015 provincial election where he lost to the Liberals.

SEAN PANTING ~ "MUSIC AT WORK";


Elvis Aaron Presley ~ No not that one, this one is an Elvis impersonator from Canada's Yukon Territory who has performed with Chubby Checker and on the TV show "Dragon's Den". Born Gilbert Nelles, he legally changed his name after encountering a UFO, as you do. The King has also run for the Legislature twice as an independent and he also ran for the leadership of the Yukon Liberal Party in 2005 finishing last with five votes.

Bob Rae ~ Canadian MP from 1978 and NDP Premier of Ontario form 1990 -1995 currently serving as a Liberal MP in Toronto. One of his hobbies was playing piano and singing flatly, including at party fundraisers. Famously wrote a mawkish theme song "We're in the same boat now" which was cordially disliked by all. Lately he has challenged Prime Minister Harper to a piano playing contest which Harper declined to respond to.

BOB RAE ~ "LET IT BE";



Michelle Rempelle ~ High profile right-wing Alberta Conservative MP is a classically trained pianist although oddly there are no videos of this.

Trudy Schroeder ~ The then former executive director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra ran in a 2022 byelection for a Winnipeg suburb as a candidate for the NDP and finished a distant third behind two former pro football players.

BRAD WALL ~ Conservative Premier of Saskatchewan for several terms until 2016, he is also a competent bluegrass banjo player.

BRAD WALL & THE MacEVOYS:

Canada (pt.1 A-K)

William Aberhart ~ The Social Credit Premier of Alberta in the 1930's started off as a radio preacher nicknamed "Bible Bill" who played piano and organ in a staid gospel style.

Charlie Angus ~ Guitarist for Toronto post punk band L'Étranger, who recorded two albums in the 1980's and the country rock band The Grievous Angels in the 1990's. Currently a NDP Member of Parliament for Timmins in Northern Ontario. His former L'Etranger band mate Andrew Cash was elected as an MP for the NDP as well. (see below)

L'ETRANGER ~ ONE PEOPLE;




Tommy Banks ~ An Edmonton Alberta based pianist, conductor, arranger, composer and broadcaster starting on local radio in 1960 then on CBC television on CBC on the "Tommy Banks Show" from 1968 to 1983. He also recorded and toured both as a pianist and big band leader. He was given the order of Canada in 1993 and in 2000 appointed to the Canadian Senate by Jean Chretien were he still sits.

THE TOMMY BANKS BIG BAND ~ "HYMN TO FREEDOM";


Honoré Beaugrand ~ Liberal Mayor of Montreal from 1885-87 and unsuccesful Provincial candidate in 1890, among his many other careers he was a newspaper publisher, writer, collector of Quebecois folklore and violinist.

Geoff Berner ~ A BC singer/songwriter paying the accordion in the 1990's Kelzmer-Punk band The Terror Of Tiny Town and later solo has a few albums under his belt and collaborations with Bobby Wiseman and others. He had also run for office four times for the Green Party starting in 1990 and once for teh Rhino Party. Recently he has joined a new far-left party the Eco-Socialist Party of BC.

GEOFF BERNER ~ "Whiskey Rabbi";


Bob Bratina ~ A popular liberal talk radio host in Hamilton and Toronto. Ran for Hamilton City council and later became mayor in 2010. In the 1960's he was a member of Wally Mack Orchestra a well known old time party band with at least one album, and later the Balkan Strings Folk Orchestra. As mayor, while neighboring Toronto has been talking about cutting arts grants and closing libraries, Bratina would been increasing them. After a term as mayor he successfully ran for Parliament as a Liberal and was reelected in 2019.

Edgar Breau; Singer/guitarist with late 1970's cult art-band Simply Saucer and later a solo folk singer. He ran for a seat in the Ontario Provincial Assembly in 1999 for the right-wing Christian Family Coalition Party but got just over 1% of the vote.

SIMPLY SAUCER ~ "MOLE MACHINE" (video done by yours truly);


George Canyon ~ Popular New Country singer who ran for the Tories in 2019 in Nova Scotia (in a riding he did not live in) and lost to the Liberal MP.

GEORGE CANYON ~ "OUT OF THIS TOWN";


Jim Carr; Current Winnipeg Liberal MP since 2015 and provincial MP and deputy leader from 1988 to 1992, now serving as minister of Natural Resources. Previously he was an oboist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, a music writer and Director of The Manitoba Arts Council. Has has returned to play with the Orch.

JIM CARR & WINNIPEG SYMPHONY ORCH;


Andrew Cash ~ Former singer with 1980's Canadian post punk band L'Etranger and later solo folk-punk singer elected as a Member of Parliament for the NDP in Toronto in the 2011 election, but he lost in 2015 and again in 2019. His former band mate Charlie Angus is already the NDP M.P. for Timmins.

ANDREW CASH ~ "TRAIL OF TEARS";


Jean Chretien ~ Liberal Prime Minister of Canada during the 1990's and M.P. since the 1960's. Chretien played the trombone when younger and as P.M. was part of "True Grit", a Dixieland jazz band made up of Liberal M.P.s including Don Boudria on guitar and Roger Gallaway on piano.

Tony Clement; Longtime Ontario Tory MP and former cabinet minister both federally and provincially until a sex scandal ended things in 2018 also has an equally longtime rock star fantasy claiming the Clash as an influence. Luckily for him Joe Strummer is still dead.

TONY CLEMENT;

Gary Crawford ~ A current rookie Toronto City Councilor from Scarborough elected in 2010, Crawford is also billed as a former musician as a drummer in a rock cover band and painter who had served on various boards of arts groups and who ran promising to support arts funding. He had previously run as as Tory candidate provincially and lost.

Don Davies ~ NDP MP for a Vancouver riding since 2008, Davies is also a decent fiddle player.

DON DAVIES ~ "ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL JAM";


James Desautels ~ Candidate for Mayor of Calgary in 2021 running on a Green platorm, previously a concert violinist and conductor with the Austin Pops as well as a violin maker whose previous political activities are as a board member with the American Federation Of Musicians

Ed Fast ~ A current Canadian Conservative MP from B.C. is also a pianist for a white gospel group with his three daughters called Father's Daughter who have toured and recorded even while he was sitting as a MP, and have in fact won a Gospel award.

FATHER'S DAUGHTER ~ I STAND REDEEMED;




Roger Gallaway ~ Canadian Liberal MP from Sarnia, Ontario from 1993-2006. Was also a pianist who played with the Sarnia/Port Huron's International Symphony, and was the narrator of a "Child's Introduction to the Symphony". As MP formed a Dixieland jazz band called "True Grit" made up of fellow Liberal MPs including the Prime Minister Jean Chretien. In 2010 he ran for mayor of the small town of Point Edward, Ontario but lost.

Steve Goof ~ AKA Crazy Steve, the singer for Toronto crusty hardcore punk pioneers The Bunchofuckingoofs (AKA THE BFGS) sine the mid 1980's. Steve Goof also ran for mayor and municipal office in downtown Toronto a few times as well and surprisingly lost.

BUNCHOFUCKINGOOFS ON THE NEW MUSIC;


Ron Graham ~ An Elvis impersonator who ran for Mayor of Toronto in 2003 in which he got 800 votes

Hagood Hardy ~ Toronto based jazz pianist who had a huge 1975 easy listening AM radio hit with "The Homecoming theme" ran as a candidate for the Liberal Party in the Ontario provincial election in 1995 but lost to NDP leader and Premier (and amateur pianist, see below) Bob Rae.

HAGOOD HARDY ~ "THE HOMECOMING";


Stephen Harper ~ Canada's Conservative Prime Minster is a reasonably competent pianist. Famously known for his contempt for "white tie galas" and the arts he recently impressed a white tie gala dinner (including Yo Yo Ma) by playing and warbling a flat version of "With a little help from my friends". He later got to "fulfill a dream" by jamming with Bryan Adams.

STEPHEN HARPER ~ "WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS" (with YoYo Ma);





Leanne Haze ~ A Toronto based singer in a goth/metal band named Haze as well as a Wiccan priestess who ran for the Green Party in the same election as Hagood Hardy and Bob Rae.

Jennifer Hollett; An NDP candidate in the last election, Hollett started out in the 1990's as a member of an all-female hip-hop dance troop called "Shebang!" who worked with Nelly Furtado and Le Tigre. She later became a host on Much Music before moving into politics running unsuccessfully for the NDP nomination for the Toronto Rosedale riding before getting the nomination in the neighbouring riding in the 2015 election which she then lost to the Liberals.

Ben Kerr ~ Toronto 1960's folk singer who became a well known street busker, anti-smoking activist and perennial mayoral candidate running in every election from 1985 to 2003 going to debates with his guitar and singing his theme song "The Fringe Candidate". Kerr died in 2005 and has a street named after him but he never actually recorded.

BEN KERR;


Mike Hurley ~ Current Mayor of Burnaby B.C. is also a bass player who has backed up the now Councillor and former DOA frontman Joey Keithley

JOEY KEITHLEY & MIKE HURLEY ~ "WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER";


Joey Keithley ~ Singer and guitarist for the Vancouver punk band DOA ran for the British Columbia parliament as a Green Party candidate in 1996 and 2001 getting a respectable number of votes. He recently announced his intention to retire from music entirely and run as an NDP candidate in the comming B.C. election expected in 2013. He was finally elected to Burnaby City Council as a Green in 2019.

D.O.A. ~ "WORLD WAR 3";





Mart Kenney ~ 1930's & 40's Big Band sax & clarinet player and band leader who recorded several light swing numbers with RCA and Blue Bird Records. Later in the 1960's entered municipal politics becoming an alderman in Mission BC before moving to Toronto where he ran unsuccesfully for Parliament as a Liberal in 1968 but lost the nomination. He died in 2006. His grandson, Jason Kenney would later become a Conservative MP, Cabinet Minister in Stephen Harper's govt and later Premier of Alberta. In 2021 as part of Jason Kenny's revamping of the education curriculum Mart Kenny was listed as Canada's leading Jazz figure which is clearly not true

MART KENNY & HIS WESTERN ORCH ~ "THERE'S HONEY ON THE MOON TONIGHT";




Warren Kinsella ~ Strategist, spin doctor and unsuccessful candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada, Kinsella is also proud of his musical knowledge having been the bassist in a punk band called The Hot Nasties in the 1980's. He still occasionally plays in a part time band. He also wrote a memoir about his punk years. By 2018 he had a falling out with Justin Trudeau and left the Liberals to briefly sign up with the Greens until the backlash about his hardball tactics drove him to the Tories where he focused on a campaign to destroy the anti-immigrant People's Party. That led to more bad headlines so it's unclear who he works for now, if anyone. To be fair hating racists is the one thing he has actually been consistent about, he was also responsible for launching criminal charges to get a rabidly anti-Semitic and homophobic newspaper shut down.

THE HOT NASTIES ~ "BALLAD OF THE SOCIAL BLEMISHES";