25 Tall Musicians

Tall musician JinderAs a 6’4” bass player, people have often asked me why so many tall musicians are bass players. It does seem bass players are regularly the “big bloke up the back” but I wanted to know if there was any fact behind the concept… so I dug around to come up with a list of tall musicians. There’s a fair bit of urban legend about lots of folks (Joey Ramone is often said to be 6’6”, but there are several references to him being 6’3” as well) so I decided to keep it to people whose height seems to be fairly well documented – and are reasonably well known. I love the photo on the right of Jinder – a 6’7” UK singer songwriter – and think it illustrates the story perfectly. He wasn’t as well-known to me as others when I put this list together, but you can check out more of his work at www.jinder.co.uk.

Read on for the full list!

1. Arjen Lucassen (6’8″, 203cm)
This Dutch progressive metal/rock songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist musician and record producer is the biggest dude in rock. He’s apparently best know for his long-running progressive opera project titled Ayreon which, um, I’ve never heard of…

Pete Steele

Pete Steele

2. Pete Steele (6’8″, 203cm)
Steele is the lead singer, bassist, and composer for the gothic metal crew Type O Negative. He guested on a bunch of TV shows in the US, and also once did a nude centerfold for Playgirl magazine…

3. Krist Novoselic (6’7″, 201cm)
The most well known of the big men, Novoselic was co-founder and bass player for Nirvana. Now more involved in political issues than music, but it was cool to see him back with Dave Grohl at 121212…

4. Oliver Riedel (6’7″, 201cm)
The Rammstein bass player – another in the line of archetypical big bass men – started his music career in folk-fiddle/punk-rock band called The Inchtabokatables. How awesome is that?!

Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic

5. Long John Baldry (6’7″, 201cm)
Baldry was one of the first British blues singers, most notably with Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated. But Australians will know him most from his 1980 hit You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’…

6. Jim Root (6’6″, 198cm)
Also known as #4, Root is the guitarist for Slipknot. Root joined the band in January 1999, but prior to that spent his time working as a screenprinter, waiter, and busboy…

7. Adrian Vandenberg (6’6″, 198cm)
Another Dutchman – go figure! This time it’s the Whitesnake guitarist.

8. Thurston Moore (6’6″, 198cm)
The Sonic Youth frontman was ranked 34th in Rolling Stone’s 2004 edition of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.

Oliver Reidel

Oliver Reidel

9. Mick Fleetwood (6’6″, 197cm)
The one Fleetwood Mac member not scarred from inter-band relationships – and one of only two drummers in our top 25 list.

10. Blake Shelton (6’5″, 196cm)
The first of the country crew to make, Shelton is a singer who has been a coach and judge on the US series of The Voice.

11. Danny Carey (6’5″, 196cm)
Our second giant drummer, Carey plays with Tool and is known to have a deep interest in the “magical arts”… including laying claim to a drumming technique that uses scared geometric figues such as the unicursal hexagram. Hmm…

12. Evil Jared Hasselhoff (6’5″, 196cm)
Bass player with the Bloodhound Gang, Hasselhoff suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and on at least one Bloodhound Gang touring rider, has asked for his requested Skittles to be separated by colour.

13. Ed O’Brien (6’5″, 196cm)
The Radiohead guitarist uses his big feet to stomp around on an awesome collection of effects pedals – and is also a pretty damn good drummer.

14. Tom Scholz (6’5″, 196cm)
Founder and guitarist in the band Boston guitar, Scholz was the inventor of the Rockman guitar amplifier.

Thurston Moore

Thurston Moore

15. Win Butler (6’5″, 196cm)
Butler is well known for having won a basketball 3-point shooting comp against some NBA players including Matt Bonner of the Spurs… and also fronting the Montreal-based band Arcade Fire.

That’s about it for the 6’5” or more crew as far as I can tell – and let’s face it, that’s the height when people think you are “really” tall. That said, the 6’4” crew includes some impressive names – including arguably the most famous “tall” Aussie rocker Peter Garrett.

 

16. Albert King (6’4″, 193cm) Blues great
17. Alan Jackson (6’4″, 193cm) Country star
18. Ronnie Dunn (6’4″, 193cm) Brooks & Dunn
19. Peter Garrett (6’4″, 193cm) Midnight Oil
20. Josh Homme (6’4″, 193cm) QOTSA
21. Ric Ocasek (6’4″, 193cm) The Cars
22. Tony Hadley (6’4, 193cm) Spandau Ballet
23. Paul Gilbert (6’4, 193cm) Mr Big/Racer X
24. Blackie Lawless (6’4″, 193cm) WASP singer/guitar
25. Buckethead (6’4, 192cm) Guitar maniac

Corey Parks

Corey Parks

And last but not least, you have to mention Corey Parks. The Nashville Pussy bass player stands an impressive 6’3″ (191cm) making her the only woman to go close to cracking the “big” list.

No doubt I’ve missed some, so please add to the list in the comments below.

And don’t forget to check out the list of shortest musicians and chunky/heavy ones too!

126 Comments on “25 Tall Musicians

  1. Pingback: 25 Short Musicians - The Cavan Project

  2. “He’s apparently best know for his long-running progressive opera project titled Ayreon which, um, I’ve never heard of…”
    Nothing to be proud of, man. Instead of saying you’ve never heard of it, launch youtube and listen to some real music, which Ayreon undoubtedly is.

  3. Pingback: 20 Weird Music Lists - The Cavan Project

  4. Trace Adkins – Country – 6’6
    Snoop Dogg/Lion – Rap/Reggae – 6’5
    The Game – Rap – 6’5

    • Thanks Jay, I’ve seen Snoop listed as 6’4″ and The Game at 6’3″ but you never know what’s accurate! Certainly Trace Adkins is a big ‘un.

  5. I can add some more tall musicians to your list, most of Royal Hunt’s members (as a matter of fact, all of them apart from their drummer). Andre Andersen is about 2 m, DC Cooper (lead vocalist) is 6’2″, Andreas Passmark (bass) is about an inch taller than DC, and Jonas Larsen is about DC’s height. Perhaps this is why I always loved their band (I am 6’3″ myself), lol.

      • No worries, pleasure. I will be writing about this lot on my blog soon, as well as other tall musicians who are not famous at all. My blog is very new (just over a week old), but if you’d like to, you can follow it. 🙂 It is on Word Press too, by the way.

  6. Oh, another one who is very famous, Fish. I don’t remember his exact heigh, but I am sure it is documented. He is well over 200 cm.

  7. How could u forget the Motor City Madman Ted Nugent at 6’5″?

    • Are you sure? When I googled it everything I found said he was 6ft?

  8. Hi again, I have now myself published a chart of my Top 10 tall rock and metal singers. Some of them don’t feature on your list, so I thought you find mine interesting. 🙂 I would be interested what you think, so please free to comment. Here is the link: http://wp.me/4Do1g.

    Thanks.

  9. You forgot to mention the tallest metal drummer, which is Scott Travis from Judas Priest and Racer X.

  10. Tallest woman in Metal: Floor Jansen.
    There’s a lot of tall mezzo sopranos in Metal (over 5’9, that is).

    • Thanks for that – Floor Jansen gets listed at 185cm (6’1″) so you are right she’s a tall one!

  11. Richie Stotts (Plasmatics) 6’7″
    Chris Holmes (WASP) 6’6″
    Bruce Kulick (KISS) 6’3″
    Kth and Kvn (Parasitik Twiins) 6’8″
    Dio (DIO) 5’2″ (just kidding)

    • Good pickup Joseph! Yep, listed as 208cm on Wikipedia which is indeed 6’10”!

  12. There’s a guitarist in Iowa who’s 6′-10″ tall. His names Kent Aschenbrenner. Sounds a lot like CCR. We follow his band all around Iowa. Very entertaining band…and a very tall lead player. Cheers!

  13. Pretty thorough list. A few more:

    Montell Jordan – 6’8″
    Magnus Sveningsson (bass, The Cardigans) – ~6’5″
    Ben Shepherd (bass, Soundgarden) – 6’4″

  14. Joey Ramone is clearly 6’6 ”, I mean, I’m 6’4 ” and I don’t look that taller…but great list!
    (sorry my english is bad)

  15. Bass legend Stanley Clarke is about 6’4″ I meet him in person n hes taller than me. Im 6’2″.
    Jaco Pastorius had twin boys. David is 6’1 but his other son Felix is a bass player and hes around 6’7″.

    • David is his nephew – Felix is 6’8”- very tall- Julius looks to be about 5’11” or 6’

  16. John Ike Walton, original drummer and founding member of the 13th Floor Elevators, is 6’4″

    • Um, I think you’ll find Peter Garrett is a bit shorter than that – I’ve stood next to him and he’s the same height as me (6’4″). Of course as a frontman and political campaigner some might feel he’s a metaphorical giant 😉

  17. Shaq! He had quite a few albums in the 90’s! Can’t forget about this guy lol 7’1″

  18. Actually the tallest singer is Michael Jackson at 6’11 you didn’t mention him.

  19. Love this list! My husband is 6’4″, my son is 6’6″, and my brother is over 6’7″, so I find I like tall men. Michael Franti is 6’6″, and he usually performs barefoot!

  20. Pingback: 50 Best Music Lists - The Cavan Project

  21. i have been told d
    David Bromberg was 6’3″ or taller…folk singer…I have been trying for weeks to verify this…does anyone out there know how tall he is? He is still playing I would love to know this but have no way to find out…maybe someone else can help me…Help, Ted from Boston

    • Looking to find out how tall folk singer , David Bromberg, is…please help me as i cannot find this out…thanks, Ted from Boston

      ,

      • Sorry Ted, no immediate answer on that one – hopefully a reader will be able to chime in.

  22. They have John Phillips from The Mama’s and the Papa’s listed as 6’5″.

  23. Tim Commerford (bassist) from Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave is 6’4″

  24. just noticed my previous emails from january, 2016…does anyone know how tall DAVID BROMBERG is ? I AM HOPING SOMEONE CAN HELP ME…TED FROM BOSTON

  25. “The one Fleetwood Mac member not scarred from inter-band relationships” completely ignoring the fact he and Stevie Nicks were having an affair circa 1977 – 1979.

    • And Bob Weston( Fleetwood Mac lead guitarist on the albums Penguin and Mystery to Me) was having an affair with Fleetwood’s wife Jenny(Boyd) circa 1973-74. Fleetwood had a breakdown and Weston got himself fired.

  26. Dallon Weekes is 6’4 and plays bass (and is also the most attractive person I’ve ever seen, look him up)

  27. Im the worlds tallest drummer but you dont know who i am 🙂 so i guess ill hafta get famous to be in the list.

  28. I know I’m two years late to the party, but what about Clarence Clemons? Dude was literally known as “The Big Man”.

  29. I guess John Illsley (was a Bass guitarist of Dire Straits ) is a big guy too , but I could’t find out the correct information, just let us know if anyone knows that, >>/?

    • Not sure exactly how tall, but I stood next to him on the tee when I was playing golf ages ago and I don’t think he was taller than me (I’m 6’4″). Anyone know for sure?

    • Cheers Gabby – I can’t find any solid confirmation on it, but there are a couple of references to his height. Certainly vaults him up the ladder a bit if true.

  30. I read somewhere that Ian Gillan was 6’3″ and is now around 6’2″
    Chris Squire of Yes was 6’5″
    Rick Wakeman – 6’5″
    Travor Ravin – 6’7″
    John Marshall of Metal Church – 6’7″

  31. If you include Blake Shelton (country), then this list should include Trace Adkins at 6’6″ and Ray Benson at 6’7″.

  32. Benjamin Burnley (Lead singer for Breaking Benjamin)-6’4″
    Aaron Bruch (Bass Player for Breaking Benjamin)-Looks around the same height as Ben.
    Neil Peart (Drummer for Rush)-6’4″
    Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan (Former Avenged Sevenfold Drummer)-6’4″

  33. Hi all,
    Not trying to be a dick or anything, but the pic at the top of your page (bearded guy in jacket with height chart) is a picture of me, taken from an article featured in the Independent newspaper in 2012. I’m 6’7″ and am about to release my tenth album. As opposed to the similarly lanky Krist Novoselic who hasn’t released so much as a fart in the last seven years…

    • First off sincere apologies – just because you aren’t well-known to me doesn’t make you less well-known to anyone else. The throwaway line at the end of the intro copy was a bit thoughtless (and I’ve edited it as you’ll see). I look forward to listening to your music, and thank you so much for putting me back on track!

    • i think he actually did release an independent collection of farts in 2009…

  34. Nick hexum & Pnut of 311, both 6′-4″
    Ben Sheppherd of Soundgarden 6′-4″
    Duff Mckagan of GNR 6′-3″
    Adam Jones & Justin Chancellor from Tool are ~6-3″ or 6-4
    Allen Collins of lynyrd skynyrd 6-3″
    Roger Waters 6-3″
    Tim Commerford of Rage against the machine 6-4″
    Chad Smith of RHCP 6-3″

  35. Mark Stoermer, bassist for The Killers is 6’5 and Dave Keuning & Ronnie Vannucci Jr. from The Killers are both 6’2

  36. Frank Pugliese , from San Antonio Garage Punk legends , Sons of Hercules , is easily 6’6”. So is Jim Skafish. Joey Ramone’s Brother . Mickey Leigh (nee Mitch Hyman.) is about 6’4″ , if not precisely . He’s not as tall as Joey was , but , I’ve met him, he’s VERY tall. His best known bands were The Rattlers and Birdland (Backing band for Lester Bangs.). Muffy Kroha (From Detroit’s Sirens.) and Traci Trouble (From various Chicago bands, inc. Wanton Looks , Paper Bullets, Thee Invaders.) , are two lovely tall women, each apparently over 6′ tall , but , I’ve never asked either their height….There’s some things you just don’t ask a lady .

  37. Jazz piano legend Randy Weston is 6’8″. He even wrote a famous jazz standard about his height: “Hi-Fly”

  38. Pingback: Top 10 Tall Rock and Heavy Metal Singers – Not Another Tall Blog

  39. Brett Cain is 6’8″ , very tall musician, look him up, he has been on tv.

  40. Chris Holmes from W.A.S.P. is 6’5″ and Robbin Crosby from Ratt was 6’6″ . .

  41. Famous for the hit song “Tell Me How My Ass Taste”, Shaquille O’Neal is 7’1

  42. Chris “Big Bitch” Flippin’ of Lagwagon is recorded as 6’10” a bunch of places – I can’t confirm that, but I can say that I met him in 1995 and, I’m 6’5″, he seemed real tall to me.

  43. Alice Cooper drummer Neal Smith is 6′ 6”, or was back in the 70’s anyway.

  44. Actually, he’s only 6′ 5″ (196 cm.) To be 2 m tall you need to be 6ft 6 3/4 approx. 6ft 7 is 201 cm.

  45. Snowy Shaw (King Diamond, Therion, Notre Dame, and for the tiniest time. Dimmu Borgir) is just under 6ft5. He told me when I met him. I’m 6ft 2 and female and he towers over me.

  46. Where is Joey Ramone, the king of punk in the list? He was 6’6.

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