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.
Riverside High School (Chattanooga, Tennessee)
Eleanor McMain Secondary School (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Northern High School (Detroit, Michigan)
Joliet Township High School and Joliet East High School ( Joliet, Illinois)
Bedford High School (Bedford, Ohio)
Mainland High School (Daytona Beach, Florida)
Roy Miller High School (Corpus Christi, Texas)
Flint Southwestern High School (Flint, Michigan)
California Academy of Mathematics and Science (Carson, California)
Alief Elsik High School (Houston, Texas)
John J. Jefferson High School and Columbia High School (Columbia, Mississippi)
Horace Greeley High School (Chappaqua, New York)
Andover High School (Linthicum, Maryland)
Sevier County High School (Sevierville, Tennessee)
Princess Anne High School (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
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