Considering how intertwined music and politics have been over the centuries, it’s not often you hear of a musician running for office. But it has happened. The latest example is Wyclef Jean, who announced his intention to run for the presidency of Haiti. Unfortunately, singing well does not necessarily help you in the political arena — as Jean is quickly finding out. Here are four other musicians who’ve chased a higher calling — some successful, others not.
Sonny Bono: Perhaps the most famous musician-turned-politician. Cher’s ex-husband decided to run for mayor of Palm Springs, Calif., after dealing with heaps of red tape when trying to open a restaurant in the city. He won in 1988 and served four years. He didn’t stop there — he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, as a Republican, in 1994.
Peter Garrett: Midnight Oil has likely long since disappeared from your mix tapes, but at least one member of the band hasn’t left the limelight. Singer Peter Garrett’s first brush with elected office was in 1984, when he ran for Australia’s Nuclear Disarmament Party. He lost then, but in 2004 he ran as an Australian Labour Party member and won. He was appointed Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Arts in 2007.
Kinky Friedman: Better known as the lead singer of Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, this quirky country artist sought Texas’ highest office, as an independent, in 2006. His campaign for governor was as hilarious — and as serious — as his music career. Slogans such as “How hard could it be?” and statements like “I’m a Jew. I’ll hire good people,” got him a lot of attention, but it wasn’t enough. He only garnered 12.43 per cent of the vote.
Dave Rowntree: He may not be a household name in North America, but you’ve heard his music — Rowntree is Blur’s drummer and the man responsible for the anthemic beat at the beginning of Song 2. His political career hasn’t been as inspiring, though not for a lack of trying. While the British musician has been a Labour Party supporter for years, he can’t seem to win an election. He ran for Westminster City Council in 2007 and 2008, and federally this year, losing all three times.
