HOT GALLERY: These Musicians Wowed Us Onstage—and Won Our Votes

Helen Reddy Performing on The Midnight Special in the 1970s

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Helen Reddy Performing on <em>The Midnight Special</em> in the 1970s

In the early ’70s, Helen Reddy was queen of the pop charts, with more than a dozen Top 40 hits—including her signature song, “I Am Woman.” With it, Reddy became the first Australian to have a No. 1 hit in the U.S., and the first to win a Grammy (her acceptance speech was scandalous at the time, as Reddy thanked “God, because she makes everything possible”). The song was an anthem of empowerment and pride for the feminist movement of the ’70s, one that still resonates today. Reddy also appeared in a string of TV series; she hosted the late-night variety show The Midnight Special for several years and made appearances on Fantasy Island and The Love Boat, among others. She also appeared in movies like Airport 1975 and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Helen Reddy Performing on The Midnight Special in the 1970s and Helen Reddy in 2011

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Helen Reddy Performing on <em>The Midnight Special</em> in the 1970s and Helen Reddy in 2011

Reddy’s family history includes both performing and politics, so it’s no wonder that she found herself drawn to both as well. (Her parents were actors, and her grandfather was once a mayor.) In the late ’70s, California governor Jerry Brown named the civic-minded Reddy commissioner of the California Parks and Recreation department; she served in the role for three years. Now living a modest, “simple life” in her native Australia, she is a certified hypnotherapist and has been touring since 2013. Hear her roar, indeed.

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Krist Novoselic Performing with Nirvana in 1993

Back in the mid-’80s, two disaffected kids from Aberdeen, Washington, started making music together. With the eventual addition of Dave Grohl on drums, they would go on to form Nirvana—and soon a whole new genre would be born. Novoselic and Cobain were close friends, and he was devastated by Cobain’s suicide in 1994. He has since dabbled in various musical projects, including recording with Grohl’s band Foo Fighters.

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Krist Novoselic Performing with Nirvana in 1993 and Krist Novoselic in 2012

Even back in the Nirvana days, Novoselic was politically attuned; the band played numerous benefit events. Nowadays, Novoselic certainly still makes music but is more focused on his political passions. He helped form JAMPAC, the Joint Artists and Musicians Political Action Committee, to combat making it illegal to sell “erotic” music to those under age 18. He has also served as a Washington State committeeman and is chairman of the board at FairVote, which promotes voter turnout and representation. His book Of Grunge and Government: Let’s Fix This Broken Democracy! was released in 2004, and he wrote about politics for Seattle Weekly last year. He describes himself as a “musician/hobby farmer/politico/student/aviator.”

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Luther Campbell Performing with 2 Live Crew in 1998

Campbell and 2 Live Crew brought a dirty brand of Southern rap to the airwaves (and, notably, MTV). They had hits like “Me So Horny” (NSFW!) and numerous others too “nasty” to name. In 1994, Campbell took part in an influential Supreme Court case surrounding 2 Live Crew’s unauthorized parody of the Roy Orbison hit “Pretty Woman”; the ruling, which impacted a slew of future songs, stated that the parody fell under “fair usage.”

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Luther Campbell Performing with 2 Live Crew in 1998 and Luther Campbell in 2011

Campbell ran for mayor of Miami on a platform of creating safer neighborhoods, cleaning up local government, and... well, we’ll let him tell you: “I think we can stimulate the economy with a tax on strippers. They make all this money and don’t pay taxes. I’d take that cash and put it into a fund where it supports youth athletics for girls like cheerleading or softball.” He came in fourth place in the mayoral race. Campbell currently writes an opinion column for the Miami New Times that often veers into political territory.

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Sonny Bono with Cher in 1966

With his (considerably younger) wife Cher, Sonny Bono became a pop phenomenon thanks to the 1965 success of “I Got You Babe” and later with The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, in which they performed skits, songs, and more variety fare. His one solo hit, “Laugh at Me,” never reached the heights of his partnership with Cher; the two divorced in 1975. In 1987, the pair reunited on Late Night with David Letterman to perform their hit together one last time.

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Sonny Bono with Cher in 1966 and Sonny Bono in 1995

Certainly one of the most well-known musicians to become a politician, Sonny Bono was also one of the most successful. In 1988, frustrated with the limitations of local politics, the Republican Bono became mayor of Palm Springs, California; in 1994, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for four years. Bono died tragically in 1998 after sustaining injuries from a skiing accident; he was 62.

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Wyclef Jean Performing in 2000

As a member of the hip-hop band the Fugees, Wyclef Jean enjoyed smash success with the 1996 album The Score and its No. 1 hit “Killing Me Softly.” After the band broke up, Jean had a successful solo career with songs like “Gone ’Til November.” His more recent releases, like “Hold On,” have had a decidedly political flavor.

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Wyclef Jean Performing in 2000 and Wyclef Jean in 2010

A native of Haiti, Jean filed to be on the Haitian presidential ballot in 2010 but was disqualified as he did not meet residency requirements. His aid organization Yéle Haiti has come under fire for financial mismanagement, but Jean recently told MTV, “Always remember this: If you decide that you’re not just gonna be a musician, you’re not gonna just be a rapper, you’re gonna stand up for something and be in the forefront of it, you are gonna get challenged constantly.”

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Dave Rowntree Performing with Blur in 1997

The British alt-rock band Blur have been making music together for more than two decades, with Dave Rowntree as drummer and a founding member. Their self-titled album was released 15 years ago and featured their biggest hit, “Song 2.” (Don’t remember the title? If you listened to radio—or watched commercials—back in the late ’90s, you’ll definitely recognize it.)

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Dave Rowntree Performing with Blur in 1997 and Dave Rowntree in 2010

Dave Rowntree has had a number of successful career paths: He’s been a rock star and a computer animator, and now he works at a law firm in London, having completed his training as a solicitor. All that, and he’s also run for public office as an active member of the Labour Party—not successfully thus far, but he’s gotten close and will likely run again. He is a strong opponent of the death penalty.

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Martha Reeves Performing with the Vandellas in the 1960s

In the early ’60s, as the Motown sound became a sensation around the world, Martha and the Vandellas delivered hit after hit, including “Nowhere to Run,” “(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave,” and “Dancing in the Street.” Miss Martha Reeves still performs regularly. “I’m going to sing as long as I’m able; I’m going to dance as long as I can,” she said recently.

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Martha Reeves Performing with the Vandellas in the 1960s and Martha Reeves in 2011

From 2005 until 2009, Reeves served as a city councilwoman in Detroit, where she has lived for almost all her life. She has also been a vocal (so to speak) advocate for artists’ rights to fair wages and royalties (she herself filed suit against Motown for decades of unpaid royalties; in 1991 she was awarded an undisclosed settlement, as well as an apology). In 2012, she had a sold out six show stand in London and she's continuing to perform around Europe and the U.S.

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Peter Garrett Performing with Midnight Oil in 1984

Back in 1987, Midnight Oil’s “Beds Are Burning” was everywhere, and its lead singer, Peter Garrett, became an instant spokesman for environmentalism-through-music. “How can we dance when our Earth is turning?/ How do we sleep while our beds are burning?” The Australian band’s political messages didn’t end there, though; there was also “Put Down That Weapon” and “Bedlam Bridge.”

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Peter Garrett Performing with Midnight Oil in 1984 and Peter Garrett in 2010

Peter Garrett has put the ideals he espoused in his songs into practice. In 2004, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives; in 2006, he became a minister for Climate Change, Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts (what a combination!); and since 2010, he has been Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth. You can read a selection of his speeches—and find out about some of his policies—on his personal site.

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Rubén Blades Performing in the 1990s

Panamanian singer Rubén Blades has won multiple Grammy awards for his politically conscious salsa music, including songs like “Pedro Navaja.” But he may be best known among American audiences for his acting; he has appeared in TV series including Gideon’s Crossing and movies like Do the Right Thing, Once upon a Time in Mexico, and The Milagro Beanfield War.

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Rubén Blades Performing in the 1990s and Rubén Blades in 2007

Blades is a hero of sorts in Panama; when he ran for president of the country back in 1994, he received nearly one-fifth of the vote (a significant accomplishment) and the political party he founded continued to hold sway for years. A lawyer who also has a degree in international law from Harvard, Blades put his music career largely on hold during his term as Minister of Tourism from 2004 to 2009.

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Youssou N’Dour Performing in 1988

Youssou N’Dour was already a star in Senegal and throughout Africa by the time his pro-woman hit with Peter Gabriel, “Shakin’ the Tree,” entered the U.S. charts in 1989. His 1994 duet with Neneh Cherry, “7 Seconds,” was similarly socially minded, this time speaking to racism and poverty. Though it only made it to No. 98 on the Billboard Hot 100, it reached No. 1 throughout Europe.

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Youssou N’Dour Performing in 1988 and Youssou N’Dour in 2011

Political activism has always been woven into N’Dour’s work. He has been involved in UNICEF and has acted as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. His run for president of Senegal earlier this year was ultimately disqualified due to a technicality, but he was named Minister of Tourism and Culture.