Who else were playing professionally as children?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by jwb1231970, Mar 16, 2019.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Godbluff

    Godbluff Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Andy Fraser was playing professionally with John Mayall when he was 15 after being recommended by Alexis Korner. He was still 15 when Free first got together, Koss was only 17 at the time with Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke a year older.
     
    Panama Hotel likes this.
  2. JozefK

    JozefK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dixie
    Tom Lehrer wrote this when he was 16. Presumably he performed it in public. Maybe he was even paid for it, thus making him technically professional and eligible for this thread.

     
    scousette likes this.
  3. Hey Vinyl Man

    Hey Vinyl Man Another bloody Yank down under...

    Connie Francis appeared on national TV (I forget which show) playing her accordion at age 11 in 1950.
     
  4. egebamyasi

    egebamyasi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Worcester, MA
    Hank Williams Jr.
     
  5. qwerty

    qwerty A resident of the SH_Forums.

    Julian Lennon played drums at age 11 on his father John's album Walls and Bridges, on the track "Ya-Ya".
    However, I wouldn't count this as playing professionally!
     
    andrewskyDE and Zoot Marimba like this.
  6. Silksashbash

    Silksashbash Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
  7. Silksashbash

    Silksashbash Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
  8. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...

    George Jones

    The Quarrymen

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2019
  9. Thomas D

    Thomas D Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bradenton, FL
    Dolly Parton

     
    scousette likes this.
  10. Buddy Rich, as Baby Traps ( :) ) the Drum Wonder...

    George Benson...
     
  11. before age 12:

    Bernie Worrell

    Ricky Skaggs

    Mark O'Connor

    Ashley Campbell

    Alison Krauss

    Buddy Rich

    Art Blakey

    Louis Armstrong

    Mel Torme

    Benny Goodman

    before age 18:

    Craig Chaquico

    Neal Schon

    Quincy Jones

    Glen Campbell

    George Harrison

    Keith Moon

    Bob Weir

    Iggy Pop

    Ted Nugent

    Paul Simon

    Bob Dylan

    Ray Charles

    Michael Shrieve

    Rick James

    Etta James
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2019
    SandAndGlass likes this.
  12. pc-Ray

    pc-Ray Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Dodie Stevens

    Can't believe she was just 13 when she did this. It's great!

     
    hutlock and Silksashbash like this.
  13. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    Tanya Tucker had her first hit song when she was 13 in 1972 ("Delta Dawn").

    Grace VanderWaal had a Top 10 EP in 2016, when she was 12.

    Petula Clark starting singing on BBC Radio in 1942, when she was 9. Twenty-three years later, after numerous hits in Europe, she finally became an "overnight sensation" in the U.S.
     
    Silksashbash and Lightworker like this.
  14. egebamyasi

    egebamyasi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Worcester, MA
    Tommy Stinson (The Replacements)[​IMG]
     
  15. Lightworker

    Lightworker Forum Resident

    Location:
    Deep Texas
    "Scott Walker" (Noel Scott Engel)
    First release: 1957 (age 13)
    Still a respected and innovative recording artist/producer today.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2019
    royzak2000 likes this.
  16. Lightworker

    Lightworker Forum Resident

    Location:
    Deep Texas
    I met "tiny" Tanya and her parents at a country music talent showcase in College Park, MD in 1972.
    She didn't go over all that well, so I was surprised when she charted not long thereafter.
     
    Panama Hotel likes this.
  17. egebamyasi

    egebamyasi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Worcester, MA
    Derek Trucks
    Quinn Sullivan
     
    Zoot Marimba likes this.
  18. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

  19. oops, sorry, forgot that you specified younger than 16- most of the musicians on my "under 18" list were 16 or 17 when they began playing professional gigs or getting money for writing songs. I'm having a tough time coming up with any more musicians who were working professionally before age 16. Other than the Jacksons and the Osmonds...

    Robbie Robertson (age 14)
    Rick Danko (age 14)
    Lenny Breau (age 14)
    Richard Manuel (age 15)

    Booker T. Jones got his first recording date at the age of 16, as a sax player. But he was apparently a multi-instrumentalist musical prodigy by then.

    Michael Bloomfield apparently began playing gigs as a blues guitarist in Chicago at age 15 or 16.
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2019
    Lightworker likes this.
  20. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Some kid named Billy Preston playing with Nat King Cole:
     
  21. Yovra

    Yovra Collector of Beatles Threads

    W.A. "Wolfie" Mozart was playing an composing at a young age with his first concert-tour at the age of six!
     
  22. blutiga

    blutiga Forum Resident

  23. snepts

    snepts Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eugene, OR
    Wasn't Wayne Newton a child performer?
     
    jwb1231970 likes this.
  24. Silksashbash

    Silksashbash Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    Oh yeah, Tanya. By 16 she'd made three LP's with several hit songs. I have the middle one, "What's your mama's name". Love it!
     
  25. Wow! And amazing photos!

    It's funny how his voice is really unrecognizable here. Like he then sang in a lower range than the one he developped as an adult.
     
    blutiga and Panama Hotel like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine