For many grade school graduates, being part of the marching band proved to be a formidable experience that influenced the trajectory of their future careers. That notion applies on a greater scale for the countless “band geeks” who went on to become certified celebrities in the world of entertainment.
From super producers like Pharrell Williams and GRAMMY-winning singers like Lizzo to Hollywood actors like Terry Crews, their high school hidden talents might just surprise you.
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Which HBCU Has The Best Marching Band?
In the case of Pharrell specifically, being a member of the marching band at Princess Anne High School in Virginia where he played percussion gave him an early taste of rhythm and performance that went on to shape his later career as a singer, songwriter and producer. Another famed musician with a marching band background is soul icon Lionel Richie, who played saxophone as a young student in Joliet, Illinois before becoming a successful singer and songwriter as co-lead of The Commodores and eventually as a solo star. These experiences gave them both an early connection to music and performing in front of large crowds.
Then you’ve got the former school band alumni who most would’ve never guessed picked up an instrument. Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry played the flute, meanwhile multitalented diva Vanessa Williams knows her way around a French horn. Although not all of these celebrities went on to become professional musicians, their time in school bands helped them develop skills such as discipline, teamwork, confidence and performing under pressure. Their stories show that an activity that seems like a normal part of high school can sometimes become an important part of a person’s future.
Keep scrolling to see some of the most famous faces to march along with the band during their respective high school days:
1. Samuel L. Jackson – Trumpet & French Horn
Riverside High School (Chattanooga, Tennessee)
2. Lil Wayne – Cymbals
Eleanor McMain Secondary School (New Orleans, Louisiana)
3. Aretha Franklin – Tuba
Northern High School (Detroit, Michigan)
4. Lionel Richie – Saxophone
Joliet Township High School and Joliet East High School ( Joliet, Illinois)
5. Halle Berry – Flute
Bedford High School (Bedford, Ohio)
6. Vince Carter – Saxophone
Mainland High School (Daytona Beach, Florida)
7. Eva Longoria – Drum Major & Clarinet
Roy Miller High School (Corpus Christi, Texas)
8. Terry Crews – Flute
Flint Southwestern High School (Flint, Michigan)
9. Chester Pitts – Oboe
California Academy of Mathematics and Science (Carson, California)
10. Lizzo – Flute & Piccolo
Alief Elsik High School (Houston, Texas)
11. Walter Payton – Percussion
John J. Jefferson High School and Columbia High School (Columbia, Mississippi)
12. Vanessa Williams – French Horn
Horace Greeley High School (Chappaqua, New York)
13. Montel Williams – Trumpet
Andover High School (Linthicum, Maryland)
14. Dolly Parton – Snare Drum & Majorette
Sevier County High School (Sevierville, Tennessee)
15. Pharrell Williams – Percussion
Princess Anne High School (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
