Timeline of vegetarian musicians:
1929 - Link Wray born in North Carolina, says he never ate meat in his life.
1947 - Tony Blackburn, later became a British DJ, vegetarian from age 4
- Pete Murray, who later joined Blackburn on Radio 1, eating at the Vega vegetarian restaurant in Leicester Square, London.
1948-50 David Bailey, later a photographer, vegetarian age 10-12.
1953 - Dave Godin, British music journalist, vegetarian, age 17
1954
1955
1956 - Ravi Shankar moved from India to London - initially to perform and record classical Indian music.
1957 - Little Richard vegetarian (age 25, he became a Seventh Day Adventist minister)
- Geezer Butler, later to be Black Sabbath bassist, vegetarian age eight.
- Pete Murray, now vegetarian, presented the BBC's first rock 'n roll show Six Five Special
1958
1959 - Pete Murray was a regular panelist on the first editions of the BBC's Juke Box Jury, which ran for the next eight years. Soon after that he adopted a raw-food vegetarian diet.
1960 - The IVU Congress was held in Hamburg, Germany. Not far away, at exactly the same time, a little known band called The Beatles was also playing in Hamburg.
1961
1962 (November) - Little Richard, now vegetarian. appeared with the Beatles in Hamburg.
1963 - British blues group The Groundhogs formed by vegetarian Tony McPhee
1964 - The Kinks formed by Ray & Dave Davies who both later became vegetarian.
- (December) Beatles for Sale album inlcuded a Little Richard song Hey Hey Hey, in his medley with Kansas City.
- Pete Murray was one of the presenters at the beginning of BBC's Top of the Pops, which ran weekly for the next 42 years.
- David Bailey's Box of Pin-Ups included the Beatles.
1965 - George Harrison used a sitar for the first time on 'Norwegian Wood'. Other British rock bands also experimenting with sitars.
- Leonard Cohen reported to be vegetarian from 1965-68, and apparently introduced Nico to the diet.
- Grateful Dead formed, three members eventually became vegetarian
1966 - George Harrison met Ravi Shankar in London. Later spent six weeks in India studying sitar with Ravi and was vegetarian from there on.
1967 - (June) Monterey Festival, California, included performances by Ravi Shankar, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Country Joe and the Fish.
- John Lennon shared George Harrison's interest in the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (a speaker at the 1957 IVU Congress), and all the Beatles went to Bangor, North Wales for a weekend with the Maharishi.
- Tangerine Dream formed in Germany, some members became vegetarian.
- BBC Radio 1 launched from London in September - first DJs included Tony Blackburn, John Peel and Pete Murray - Dave Lee Travis joined the following year. All vegetarian.
1968 - (February) All the Beatles went to Rishikesh, Northern India, to spend a few weeks at the Maharishi's Ashram. They were all vegetarian, at least for the few weeks they were there.
- Joan Baez reported to be living in a vegetarian commune, but possibly just briefly.
- British heavy metal band Black Sabbath formed, one member already vegetarian, one was later and a third possibly later.
- British prog rock band Yes formed, at least two members became vegetarian, possibly more
- John Peel had a reading part on the first Tyrannosaurus Rex album. He and Marc Bolan were both vegetarian at that time.
1969 - (August) Woodstock Festival, included performances by Country Joe McDonald, Ravi Shankar, Melanie, Joan Baez, Santana, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane (Jeff Beck was also booked to play but his band broke up the week before).
- Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman and they went on to become one of the world's most famous vegetarian couples.
- Chrissie Hynde became vegetarian, age 18
1970 - Isle of Wight Festival included performances by Groundhogs, Miles Davis, Melanie, Jethro Tull, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen.
- 1st Glastonbury Festival included T Rex
- Morrissey, later of the Smiths, vegetarian, age 11
1971 - George Harrison and Ravi Shankar organized the Concert for Bangladesh in New York. Ringo Starr was also on the program.
- 2nd Glastonbury Festival included Fairport Convention and Melanie.
1972 -
Carlos Santana was introduced to Sri Chimnoy by John McClaughlin.
- Steve Howe of Yes vegetarian
1973 - John McClaughlin and Carlos Santana recorded together, including John Coltrane compositions
- Lee 'Scratch' Perry started producing records by Bob Marley
1974 - Carlos Santana and Alice Coltrane recorded Illuminations
- Barbara Dickson appeared in John, Paul, George, Ringo….and Bert in London's West End.
1975
1976 - Boston released their first album and toured with Black Sabbath
- B52s formed in Athens, Georgia, three of the four were vegetarian by 1980.
1977 - Barry Gibb of the BeeGees, vegetarian - a few months before they recorded Saturday Night Fever
- Barbara Dickson recorded with Ringo Starr on a children's record.
- Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill formed Simple Minds
1978 - Barbara Dickson vegetarian
- Eric Johnson recorded on a Cat Stevens track.
- Def Leppard took in Britain off following promotion by John Peel
1979 - Country Joe McDonald vegetarian, possibly earlier
1980 - Carlos Santana recorded with Herbie Hancock
- Depeche Mode formed, 3 members became vegetarian
1981 - Edgar Froese and other members of Tangerine Dream vegetarian while on tour.
- Meat Loaf vegetarian, but only until 1992
- Def Leppard began take off in the US with production by Mutt Lange
1982 - The Smiths formed, Johnny Marr, guitarist, became vegetarian
- Phil Collen joined Def Leppard
1983 - Chrissie Hynde first met Linda McCartney and encouraged her to be more public about her vegetarianism.
- Chrissie Hynde and Ray Davies, of The Kinks, both vegetarian, had a daughter.
- Phil Collen became vegetarian
1984 - the original recording of 'Do they know its Christmas' included Nick Rhodes, Boy George and Paul McCartney.
- Chrissie Hynde married Jim Kerr of Simple Minds (divorced 1990)
- Nina Hagen reported to be dating Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers.
- Phil Collen became vegan. Rick Allen, Def Leppard drummer was also vegetarian by this time.
1985 - (July) Live Aid concert in London included Brian May (Queen), Paul McCartney, Nik Kershaw; and in Philadelphia - Joan Baez, B.B. King, Black Sabbath, Bryan Adams, Mick Jagger, Simple Minds, The Pretenders, Santana, Madonna, Kenny Loggins, Led Zeppelin, Duran Duran, Bob Dylan.
- The Smiths released their 2nd album 'Meat is Murder'
- Eric Johnson recorded on a Steve Morse band track.
- David Lee Roth and Steve Vai formed a 'supergroup'
1986
1987 - Bryan Adams became vegetarian, then apparently vegan two years later.
1988 - B.B. King and Little Richard perform together on an album track.
- Jane Wiedlin released her album 'Fur', with anti-fur trade lyrics.
1989 - Linda McCartney's first vegetarian cookbook published.
- Bill Ward, Black Sabbath drummer, vegetarian
1990 - Anni-Frid Lyngstad, ex-ABBA, became vegetarian and actively involved with environmental groups in Sweden.
1991 - Linda McCartney launched her range of frozen vegetarian food.
- Phil Lesh, of the Grateful Dead, vegetarian
- Rage Against the Machine formed, three members became vegetarian
- Bryan Adams album produced by Mutt Lange included (Everything I Do) I Do It for You.
1992 - Vivian Campbell joined Def Leppard
1993 - Jerry Garcia, of the Grateful Dead, vegetarian for a couple of years before he died.
- Eric Johnson appeared on TV with B.B. King.
- Willie Nelson released Across the Borderline with guests Bob Dylan and Sinéad O'Connor
1994 - Linda McCartney products launched in the USA.
- Morrisey and Siouxsie Sioux released a duet single.
1995 - Jeff Beck played on John McClaughlin's 'The Promise', album track 'Django'
- Steve Howe and Annie Haslam recorded a tribute to 'Yes' album.
1996
1997 - Emmylou Harris performed in Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair, promoting feminism in music
1998 - Linda McCartney took the cover photo for Chrissie Hynde's album Viva el Amor, one month before she died.
- Jeff Beck on one track of Brian May's solo album Another World
- B52s toured with Chrissie Hynde's Pretenders
- Willie Nelson released Teatro with supporting vocals by Emmylou Harris.
1999 - B.B. King became vegetarian some time between 1980-1999
- Chrissie Hynde organised and played in the memorial concert for Linda McCartney at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Paul McCartney also performed and Johnny Marr sang The Smiths 'Meat is Murder'.
- Chrissie Hynde joined Emmylou Harris for a track on her album.
2000 - B. B. King and Charlie Musselwhite appeared together in 'Blues Brothers 2000'
- Def Leppard were inducted into the Rock Walk of Fame by Brian May
2001 - Shania Twain voted sexiest vegetarian
2002
2003 - Jeff Beck opened for B.B. King on tour.
2004 - new recording of 'Do they know it's Christmas' included Paul McCartney, Thom Yorke, Chris Martin and Joss Stone. Damon Albarn made the tea...
- André 3000 voted sexiest vegetarian
2005 - (July) Live8 concerts around the world included Bryan Adams, Deep Purple, Green Day, Annie Lennox, Coldplay, Joss Stone, Madonna, Paul McCartney, R.E.M., Def Leppard, Kaiser Chiefs, Sarah McClachlan, Duran Duran, Good Charlotte.
- Herbie Hancock album, Possibilites, included Joss Stone on vocals.
- Chris Martin (Coldplay) voted sexiest vegetarian
- Emmylou Harris worked with Conor Oberst as a backing singer.
- Chrissie Hynde recorded with Ringo Starr and Incubus.
2006 - Little Richard recorded a cover version of the early Beatles song 'I Saw Her Standing There'
- Dave Lee Travis and Tony Blackburn joined other presenters for the last edition of BBC's Top of the Pops, after a run of 42 years.
- Prince voted sexiest vegetarian
- Barbara Dickson issued a critically-acclaimed collection of the songs of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison entitled ‘Nothing’s Gonna Change My World'.
- Eric Johnson recorded on a John McClaughlin track.
- Willie Nelson supported Kinky Friedman in Texas elections
2007 - Kevin Eubanks voted sexiest vegetarian
- Chrissie Hynde opened a vegan restaurant in Akron, Ohio.
- Eric Johnson recorded on a Jeff Beck tribute album track.
2008 - Leona Lewis and Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers) Voted Sexiest Vegetarians
|
