Rock Legends in Uniform: 16 Famous Musicians with Military Service

President Woodrow Wilson addressed the public on the inaugural Armistice Day, November 11, 1919, about how to memorialize those who had died in service. In 1954, following another world war, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day to honor all who had served.

Around 20 million Americans are veterans today, and some of the biggest stars in music are among them. These artists wore uniforms long before (or perhaps during) their time in the spotlight, from blues giants to rock stars. Some people did well in the military, but others couldn’t wait to get out and play guitar again.

Here are 16 rock and pop singers who proudly served in the U.S. military. Each one has a narrative of bravery, transformation, and a lot of rhythm.

1. Kristofferson Kris

Kris Kristofferson was a soldier before he became one of the most acclaimed songwriters in country music. He was the son of a two-star Air Force general. He went to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship and then joined the U.S. Army and became a captain. He was offered a teaching job at West Point after a tour in Germany, but he turned it down to follow his passion in Nashville. He stated it was scary to give up stability for music, but it turned out okay.

2. Ray Manzarek

Ray Manzarek joined the Army Signal Corps in 1962, long before he started The Doors. He wanted to work with cameras, but instead he went to Japan to train as an intelligence analyst. He didn’t sign high-level clearance papers that would have kept him from going to Poland, where his family is from, since he intended to go there eventually. He proceeded to UCLA to study cinema after his military service was over. There, fate brought him together with Jim Morrison and the rest of The Doors.

3. Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson joined the Air Force right after high school in 1950. He had to leave after nine months because of back difficulties, but it changed him. He once claimed that the military taught him to “take care of your own area,” which is a simple idea that he used in both his life and his music.

4. B.B. King

A young B.B. in the middle of World War II in 1943, King entered the Army. He didn’t serve long because the government thought his job driving a tractor back home in Mississippi was important to the war effort, but his short time in the military came just before he became one of the greatest blues musicians of all time.

5. John Prine

Before he became famous as a folk hero, John Prine delivered mail. He was drafted into the Vietnam War in 1966 and worked as a mechanical engineer in West Germany. The event changed the way he wrote songs, leading to songs like “Sam Stone,” which is about a soldier who has trouble adjusting to life after returning home.

6. John Fogerty

John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival entered the U.S. Army about the time his draft number came up in 1966. Army Reserve. He was a supply clerk, went through basic training at Fort Bragg, and then served six months on active duty at Fort Knox. Fogerty later remarked that his time in the military taught him how to be disciplined and work with others, lessons he used in his profession.

7. Johnny Cash

The Man in Black joined the Air Force when he was 18 and was sent to Landsberg, West Germany. What does he do? Getting in the way of Soviet Morse code communications. He started his first band, the Landsberg Barbarians, while he was living abroad. When he got back home after four years, he put that blend of toughness and experience into his music, and the rest is history.

8. Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte served in the U.S. Navy before he became famous as a musician and activist. He was in the Navy during World War II. He never fought, but after the war, he used the GI Bill to attend acting school in Manhattan. That choice took him to Broadway, hit records, and a long career of breaking down barriers in the entertainment industry.

9. Elvis Presley

In 1958, when Elvis was conscripted, he was the biggest star in the world. The Army offered him a comfortable job as an entertainer, but he chose to be a regular soldier instead. He soon garnered the admiration of both his fellow soldiers and detractors while stationed in Germany. Elvis came home after his duty as a more mature person, and he had a whole new group of followers who liked how humble he was.

10. Maynard James Keenan

In 1984, the mysterious lead singer of Tool entered the Army right after high school. He did quite well in training and was even given the possibility to stay at West Point, but he chose a different path. Keenan claimed that what resonated with him the most was the lesson of being broken down and rebuilt, which he used throughout his creative, often intense, musical career.

11. Jimi Hendrix

Hendrix had to choose between going to jail for stealing vehicles or entering the Army in 1961. He joined the Army and was sent to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he joined the 101st Airborne Division. He would often find time to play guitar and play with friends at base clubs. But he loved music more than being a soldier, so he was honorably discharged a year later.

12. Jason Everman

Not a bad resume: Jason Everman played guitar for Nirvana and bass for Soundgarden. But in 1994, he quit rock music to join the Army. He went on to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was praised for his dedication. He helped start a band called Silence & Light when he got out of the service. The band is made up completely of veterans.

13. Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead joined the Army instead of going to jail for stealing automobiles, just like Hendrix. He was only in the Army for nine months before being discharged, but during that time, stationed at Fort Ord and later the Presidio in San Francisco, he found the acoustic guitar, which would eventually lead him to one of the most popular bands of all time.

14. Bill Withers

Bill Withers joined the Navy when he was 17 so he could explore more of the world outside of his little community in West Virginia. He worked as an airplane mechanic for nine years, even though he faced discrimination and prejudice. Withers said that the experience gave him confidence and even helped him get over a lifelong stammer. These lessons showed up in songs like “Lean on Me.”

15. Artimus Pyle

Before he played drums for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Artimus Pyle was a Marine. He joined in 1968 and served as an avionics mechanic. He left the service in 1971 with the rank of sergeant. His military training helped him get through long tours and tough gigs with Skynyrd later.

16. Toy Caldwell

Toy Caldwell was a Marine before he became a musician. He is best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of The Marshall Tucker Band. He served in Vietnam, where he was hurt in 1968 and sent home the next year. Back home, he committed to music full-time, channeling that grit into soulful Southern rock.

These 16 musicians show that creativity and bravery frequently go hand in hand. Some served for a short time, while others served for years. But all of them learned things from the military that they used in their art. So the next time Veterans Day rolls around, think about how some of the people who wrote your favorite songs used to wear uniforms. They traded guitars for helmets and microphones for mess halls, yet they still found their way back to the music that moves us all.