Thad McCotter ~ Current moderate Republican congressmen from Michigan and long-shot candidate for the Presidential nomination for 2012. McCotter was formerly the guitarist in a band called "The New Flying Squirrels" who now plays in a band with a few bi-partisan congressmen called "Second Amendments" and often plays songs at his rallys. He also announced his candidacy at a rock concert.
THAD MCCOTTER & MIKE HUCKABEE ~ "LET IT ROCK";
William McNair ~ Mayor of Pittsburgh from 1934-36. McNair was a flashy lawyer and part time violinist who would played on stage and the radio including with Rudy Vallee and on Major Bowes Amateur Radio Hour. Known as a crusading reformer who was the first Democrat to win the job after almost thirty years of GOP rule, however he had no political experience and was known for his hot temper, impulsive, attention seeking antics and fringe beliefs about abolishing taxes and ended up feuding with everybody in both parties at every level of government as well as the media. He suddenly resigned in a fit of pique before the end of his term but later changed his mind and ran for office again a few times without success dying in 1948.
Lee Thomas Miller ~ A Grammy Award winning Nashville country songwriter who has worked with Garth Brooks, Brad Paisley, and Chris Stapleton and who ran for nomination as a GOP candidate for a Congressional seat in 2016. His previous elected office was as President of the Nashville Songwriter's Association. His other qualifications include being the leader of a group called Praying Parents who save schools by praying over them. So there's that.
LEE THOMAS MILLER ~ "IN COLOR"
Pleasant Moberley ~ Also named "Plez", an Old Time Country singer from Kentucky who once ran for Congress riding a mule from town to town and playing a guitar.
Mark Mowry ~ A rancher and part-time Country singer running as a candidate in the Republican primary for the Senate in South Dakota in 2022
George Murphy ~ Well known as a song and dance man in several big budget Hollywood musicals like "For Me And My Gal", Murphy was elected as a Republican senator from California from 1964 (when he defeated Pierre Salinger) until 1970 when he was defeated. A conservative Republican, Murphy was a mentor to his friend Ronald Reagan.
GEORGE MURPHY TAP DANCING;
The Naked Cowboy (real name Robert John Burck) ~ A well known New York street busker famous for wearing cowboy boots, a stetson a guitar and little else. The Naked Cowboy has been a prominent (if probably chilly) fixture at Times Square for several years. He announced he would be running as an independent Tea Party candidate for president in 2011. He had previously announced runs for Mayor on 2009 only to withdraw. In 2016 he campaigned for Trump.
THE NAKED COWBOY;
Richard Nixon ~ The U.S. president played the classical piano in a predictably stiff but competent style . He did however also compose a few pieces.
RICHARD NIXON ~ "PIANO CONCERTO";
Krist Novaselic ~ Bassist for grunge founders Nirvana, after that bands breakup he has been deeply involved in politics as a lobbyist for censorship and copyright issues and encouraging the youth vote. He currently sits as an elected Democratic State Committeeman in Washington and had announced his intention to run for Lieutenant Governor in 2004 and County Clerk in 2008 but withdrew both times. He has said that he still intends to run for office at some point.
NIRVANA ~ "SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRT";
Will Lee O'Daniel ~ Governor of Texas from 1939 to 1944 and Senator from 1944 (when he defeated Lyndon Johnson) to 1948. Was famous as the host of a popular radio show called which was set up to promote "Light Crust Dough" with a combination of bible stories, recipes and western swing music courtesy of a band that included later western swing legends like Bob Wills and Milton Brown and the Light Crust Dough Boys. O'Daniel nicknamed "Pappy" acted as emcee and wrote many of their songs and occasionally sang. Pappy O'Daniel used his radio show to campaign as well as hitting the road with his band and a special touring bus to barnstorm the state. In power he was very right wing opposing unions, teachers and communists, he had promised to opposed a sales tax, poll tax and capital punishment but reneged once in power. During his time in Washington as a Southern Democrat he opposed the policies of Franklin Roosevelt and was marginalized and unhappy, and chose not to run for re-election. Instead he ran for Governor of Texas again in 1956 and 58 as a segregationist, failing to get the nomination badly both times. When he died in 1969 he was largely remembered for his musical involvement with Wills and Brown than for any policies. He is one of the inspirations for the governor character in the film "Oh Brother where art thou".
PAPPY O'DANIEL's HILLBILLY BOYS ~ "PASS THE BISCUITS PAPPY";
Martin O'Malley ~ Current Democratic Governor of Maryland and possible future presidentail candidate, O'Malley was previously a fixture on the Baltimore folk-rock scene starting in the 1980's as a solo and act and as the vocalist/guitarist/songwriter of Celtic rock band "O'Malley's March" from 1988 to 2005.
O'MALLEY'S MARCH ~ "STREETS OF BALTIMORE;
Beto O’Rourke ~ Elected to Congress in 2013 as a Democrat for El Paso Texas. O'Rourke started out as guitarist for Post-Hardcore bands Foss and The Sheeps before becoming a web entrepreneur. He would later make high profile but unsuccessful runs for the Senate in 2018 and Presidential nomination in 2019 during which he got the endorsement of Willie Nelson who he shared a stage with.
THE SHEEPS ~ "DO YOU WANNA DANCE";
Johnny Otis ~ (real name Ioannis Alexandres Veliote) 1950's R&B singer/band leader who played piano and drums. As his real name shows he was Greek but with his dark complexion he passed for mulatto and most of his legion of mostly black fans assumed he was. After playing in the 1940's with swing bands led by Harlan Leonard, Wynonie Harris and Charles Brown he formed his own band and wrote the classic hit "Willie and the hand jive" in 1958 which inspired Bo Diddly with it's distinctive beat and was hugely influential. Also had hits with "Harlem Nocturne'" in 1946, and produced and/or co-wrote such records as Big Mama Thorton's original version of "Hound Dog", "Roll With Me, Henry" for Etta James and "Every Beat of My Heart", first recorded by The Royals in the 1952 but later a hit for Gladys Knight. As a band leader and A&R man for King Records Otis discovered singers like Jackie Wilson, Hank Ballard, Little Willie John, Mel Walker,Little Ester Phillips and the Robins (later the Coasters) sax man Big Jay McNeely. As a session man he backed Johnny Guitar Watson. Otis hosted his own TV show in Los Angeles in the 1950's. His son, Shuggie Otis also had a career as an R&B band leader in the 1960's & 70's. In the 1960's he later also entered politics and ran for California State Assembly under his real name as a Democrat and lost then becoming chief of staff to another assemblyman. He was also a church pastor. He died just three weeks after his 90th birthday.
Johnny Otis ~ "Willie and the hand jive";
Sarah Palin ~ As a contestant in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant in 1982 the young Miss Palin played the flute as part of the talent competition. Ironically the song she chose was "The Homecoming" written by Canadian pianist (and future Liberal Party candidate, see above) Hagood Hardy. She came in third.
SARAH PALIN ~ "THE HOMECOMING";
Rick Perry ~ Texas Republican governor and 2012 presidential candidate was an amateur drummer in his youth, as governor he once got to sit in with ZZ Top on stage.
Rob Quist; A Country singer-songwriter from Montana who has had his songs recorded by Michael Martin Murphey and Loretta Lynn as well as solo and has won awards. He was appointed to Montana Arts Council by Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer. In 2017 he announced he would be a candidate as a Democrat for a soon to be open Congressional seat currently held by a Republican.
ROB QUIST ~ "SHADEY GROVE";
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