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Split the list and play Twenty Questions!

Athletes
Bernie Williams, Baseball, Classical Guitar
Wayman Tisdale, NBA retired, Guitar
John Smoltz, Major League Pitcher, Accordian
Tony Lavelli, NBA, Accordian
Oscar Robertson, NBA, Jazz Flute
Trevor Pryce, NFL, Drums
Knute Rockne, Legendary Notre Dame Coach, Flute
Melvin Paige, NFL, several instruments and played in his High School Band
Keith Jackson, NFL, Packers, Cello
Eleanor Holm, 1932 Olympic Gold medal swimmer, Toured as a singer
Dennis Green, NFL Coach, Drums
Vince Carter, NBA, Sax
Tedy Bruschi, NFL, Sax
Marcus Allen, Piano
Mike Reid, Penn State, NFL, Piano, Nashville songwriter
Otto Graham, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback French horn
Tony Stewart, NASCAR driver Trombone
Wayman Tisdale, Former NBA player:Guitar
Malik Rose, NBA player tuba
Mike Piazza, baseball player drums

 

Business Figures

George Eastman, founder of Kodak Flute

Donald H. Trautlein, Chairman and CEO Bethlehem Steel Corporation:Piano.

James Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank: Flute.

 

Television
Montel Williams, Trumpet, Bass Guitar
Paula Zahn, News Anchor, Cello
Harry Smith, CBS “Early Show”, Tuba
Fred Rogers, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood”, Trombone, Piano
Charles Osgood, TV Host “Sunday Morning”, Piano
Rosie O’Donnel, TV Host, Actress, Drums
Deborah Norville, MSNBC Journalist, Accordian
Barry Mitchell, ABC News, Accordian
Emeril Lagasse, TV Chef, Drums
Jenny Jones, TV Host, Drums
Keith Jackson, ABC Sports, Cello
Katie Couric, TV Host, “Today Show”, Piano
Virginia Cha, NBC News, Piano
Johnny Carson, TV Host, “Tonight Show”, Drums

Drew Carey, Cornet and Trumpet
Deborah Norville, Inside Edition, MSNBC Broadcast Journalist: Accordion

 

Astronauts
Ronald McNair, Sax
John Glenn, Grew up with a family band
Neil Armstrong, Baritone

 

Artists
Robert Ryman, Sax
Gary Larson, Cartoonist “The Far Side”, Jazz Guitar
Frank Lloyd Wright, Piano

 

Presidents, Royalty, and other Politicians

Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President, Clavichord, violin, cello

John Quincy Adams,  6th President, Flute

Chester Arthur 21st President, Banjo

Woodrow Wilson, 28th President, Violin

Harry Truman, 33rd President, Piano

Richard Nixon, Piano, Accordian

Bill Clinton, 42nd President, Sax

Elizabeth Dole, US Senator, Piano
Prince Charles, Future King of England, Cello, Piano, Trumpet
Frederick II, King of Prussia, Flute
Sir Edward Heath, Former British Prime Minister, Organist and conductor
Louis XIV, King of France, Guitar
Condeleeza Rice, US Secretary of State, Piano
Helmutt Schmidt, Former German Chancellor, Piano
Ross Perot, Politician & Millionaire, Accordian
Richard Lugar, US Senator, Piano, Cello
Patrick Henry, Lawyer, Patriot, Governor of Virginia, Founding Father, Flute
Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman, retired, Professional Jazz Musician, Tenor Sax
John Glenn, US Senator, Grew up with a family band
Mahatma Gandhi, Leader of Indian Independence Movement, Proponent of Non-violent protest, Concertina
Benjamin Franklin, Statesman, Scientist, Inventor, Played several instruments including violin, harp, guitar,
William F. Buckley, Jr, Piano
Jean Chretien, former Prime Minister

of Canada Trombone

 

Scientists

George Stetten, Research Scientist, CMU Robotics Institute, Piano, Bass, Drums

Albert Schweitzer, Theologian, Philosopher, Musicologist, Missionary, and Nobel Prize Winner, Organ

Christos Papadimitriou, Professor of Computer Science, UC Berkeley, Piano (played in Jazz and Rock Bands)

Sir William Herschel, British astronomer, Organ

Nancy Grimm, Research Scientist, Arizona State University, Piano

Donald Glasser, American physicist and Noble Prize Winner, Violin

Albert Einstein, Physicist, Violin and Piano

Thomas Edison, Inventor, Piano

George Eastman, Founder of Kodak, Flute

Dr. Jack Crow, Professor of Science, National High Magnetic Laboratory, Piano and Trumpet

George Washington Carver, American Botanist and Agriculturalist, Piano

Louis Braille, French teacher of the blind, invented “Braille”, Cello, Organ

Alexander Graham Bell, Scientist, Inventor of the Telephone, Piano

Benjamin Banneker, American astronomer and mathmetician, flute and violin

Nancy Grimm, Assistant Research Scientist at Arizona State University. Studies desert stream eco-systems: Piano.

Christos Papadimitriou, Associate Chair and Professor of Computer Science at UC Berkeley:Piano. Used to perform in jazz and rock bands.

George Stetten, Research Scientist at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute. Inventor of the Sonic Flashlight:Piano, guitar, bass, and drums.

 

Authors/writers/Journalists
Noah Webster, “Webster’s Dictionary”, Flute
Mark Twain, Piano
Carl Sanburg, Guitar
Julith Viorst, Piano
Madeleine L’Engle, Piano
Army Archerd, Hollywood Columnist:Piano.
Thomas Hardy, Accordian
Ken Follett, Bass Guitar
Charles Dickens, Accordian
Stephen King, Guitar
Dave Barry, Humor Columnist:Guitar and sings
Gilbert Kaplan, Former Wall Street Journalist and Publisher of Institutional Investor Magazine: Amateur conductor.
Gary Larson, Cartoonist (The Far Side): Jazz guitar.
Andrea Mitchell, Journalist:Violin and piano.

 

Actors/Actresses

Clint Eastwood, Actor:Jazz piano

Jennifer Garner, saxophone

Julia Roberts, Clarinet 

Calista Flockhart, Flute 

Halle Berry, actress Flute

Bruce Willis, Blues harmonica

Peter Weller, Jazz Trumpet

Meryl Streep, Violin (played own parts in “Music of the Heart”)

James Stewart, Accordian

John Stamos, Drums (toured with the Beach Boys)

George Segal, Clarinet, Banjo

Paul Reiser, Piano

Dudley Moore, Jazz Piano, composer, arranger

Alyssa Milano, Flute and Piano

Steve Martin, Banjo

Anthony Hopkins, Piano

Bob Hope, Saxophone

Dustin Hoffman, Jazz piano

James Woods, trumpet 

Andy Griffith, Guitar and Tuba

Kelsey Grammar, Piano

Jeff Goldblum, Jazz Piano

Richard Gere, Sax and Piano

Jennifer Garner, Saxophone

Tom Selleck, saxophone 

Jonathan Frakes, Trombone

Jamie Fox, Piano

Clint Eastwood, Piano

Charlie Chaplin, Accordian

Ewan McGregor, French Horn 

Beau Bridges, Piano

Jeff Bridges, Piano

Jack Benny, Violin

Larry Bryggman, Piano, Accordian, Bassoon

Woody Allen, Clarinet

Kevin Bacon, Guitar

Samuel L. Jackson, French horn

Conrad Janis, Trombone

John Raitt, Actor, Singer, Producer, and Director:Piano, trumpet, and voice

Singers/Entertainers

Celine Dion, Flute

Gwen Stefani, Flute

Gloria Estefan, Clarinet

Lionel Richie, saxophone

Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) trumpet

Vanessa Williams, French Horn

Nelly Furtado, Trombone

Bill Engvall, comedian Trombone

Steve Allen, Comedian, Author, and Emmy-award Winning TV Host: Composer. Wrote over 7400 songs and recorded over 52 albums

Jack Benny, Comedian: Accomplished violinist.

Aretha Franklin, singer tuba

Dan Ackroyd, actor tuba

Tommy Lee, musician for Motley Crue drums

Trent Reznor, musician for Nine Inch Nails drums

 

Other

Steven Spielberg, Clarinet

Ansel Adams, Photographer: Virtuoso pianist. Almost pursued a career as concert pianist.

Tipper Gore, Wife of Former Vice President Al Gore:Drums.

Dennis O'Hare, Tony Award Winning Theater Actor: Clarinet, oboe, piano, and violin

Greg Villepique, Staff Writer, Salon Magazine:Guitar.

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