DID YOU KNOW THAT THESE MUSICIANS ARE JEWISH?

I have always been curious about the abundance of ethnically Jewish individuals who have achieved significant success in the music industry. This phenomenon has been in train for many decades, and it displays no apparent signs of concluding.

In order to have any chance of “making it” in the music industry, you require musical talent. This being said, in order to “survive” in the music industry, you require infinite levels of drive. Let’s explore this point in comparison to the last century of Jewish civilisation.

The global Jewish population was decimated during the World War II era, and in effect, has been required to re-populate itself in order to survive. In doing so, this fight against adversity appears to have generated a certain “X-Factor” in the character of Jewish people, to the extent that “failure is not an option”.

There are many musically talented individuals in the world, however the vast majority of these individuals never realise their true potential due to various factors, albeit predominantly based around a lack of commitment to their craft. This could be the single defining reason as to why so many Jewish people are successful in the music industry; it all comes down to talent and drive.

We are all very familiar with the musician superstars who are patently Jewish [e.g. Billy Joel, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Barbara Streisand] and the music industry chiefs [e.g. Clive Davis, David Geffen]. There are even some very successful rock groups who are almost exclusively Jewish!! [e.g. Kiss and 10CC]. Let’s have a look at some past and present Jewish music superstars who have reached the zenith on the music industry, albeit without actually promoting the fact that they are Jewish.

Dianne Warren – the most successful songwriter of the past 25 years.

Robbie Robertson [real name: Jaime Robert Klegerman] – his biological name defines his Jewish background, albeit it is interesting that Robertson has consistently promoted his mother’s Native American heritage throughout his long career.

Harry Connick Jr – his music tends more towards Sinatra and the South; Connick Jr has built a career around bringing a contemporary feel to the Swing Sound.

Melissa Manchester – her early musical years of singing backup to Barry Manilow and Bette Midler provides a link to her Jewish background.

The Cars – Ric Ocasek, Elliot Easton [real name: Elliot Steinberg] & Ben Orr [real name: Benjamin Orzechowski] were the driving force behind this Boston-based pop/ rock Group of the 1970’s & 1980’s.

Pink [real name: Alecia Beth Moore] – her mother is Jewish, and Pink has been the most successful female singer/ songwriter for the past 15 years.

There are also some famous musicians who have never confirmed nor denied their Jewish faith; Alice Cooper [real name: Vincent Furnier] comes to mind.

Either way, it’s a great achievement for the individuals of a rebuilding religious faith to command such a presence in an extremely demanding industry. I’m keen to read your thoughts about my statement, plus I look forward to your contributions to my list!!