The lead vocalist of the hard rock band, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne is an iconic hard rock star. His successful stint with the band was followed by an equally successful solo career with albums like No More Tears. However, the Godfather of Metal has also attracted media glare owing to his alcohol and drug abuse issues and crazy public behaviour.
Popularly known as the Demon of Screamin, Steven Tyler is the lead singer of the famous rock band Aerosmith. Known for his high-energy performances, Tyler is named in Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest Singers. Also a well-known philanthropist, Tyler launched a non-profit organization called Janie's Fund and has helped raise more than $2.4 million for the organization.
Regarded as one of the most influential music artists of all time, Robert Anthony Plant was the lead singer and song writer of the extremely successful rock group Led Zeppelin. After the band disbanded, the Grammy award winning artist, with his powerful and wide vocal range, established a successful solo career. He has also collaborated with other artists and bands.
Alice Cooper is a singer-songwriter. In his career, spanning more than five decades, Alice Cooper has earned the nickname The Godfather of Shock Rock for his ability to produce a theatrical brand of rock aimed at shocking audiences. He is also credited with helping to shape the look and sound of heavy metal. Cooper has influenced musicians like Rob Zombie.
Jeff Lynne is an English multi-instrumentalist, record producer, singer, and songwriter. He is credited with co-founding the popular rock band Electric Light Orchestra. He is also credited with popularizing the band with his leadership skills following the exit of co-founder Roy Wood in 1972. In the 2020 Birthday Honours, Lynne was appointed OBE for services to music.
Carl Weathers began his career as a football player, playing for the NFL team Oakland Raiders and the CFL team B.C. Lions. He stepped into acting with Arthur Marks’s blaxploitation films. He is best known as Apollo Creed from the Rocky films and as Greef Karga from The Mandalorian.
Five-time Grammy Award-winning folk singer James Taylor is best known for his hits You've Got a Friend and Fire and Rain. One of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, he has sold over 100 million records worldwide and has also won the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Jeremy Irons is a popular English actor. In the US, Irons is best known as one of the few actors to have achieved the famous Triple Crown of Acting. Also an activist known for his charity work, Jeremy Irons works closely with the United Nations. He also supports charities, such as The Prison Phoenix Trust.
Billy Crystal is an American actor, filmmaker, television host, comedian, and singer. He is credited with hosting the Academy Awards nine times. In recognition of his contribution to the American entertainment industry, Crystal has been honored with six Primetime Emmys, a Mark Twain Prize, and a Tony Award. Also a philanthropist, Crystal has worked with non-profit organizations like Comic Relief.
British singer, Cat Stevens, has released more than 15 studio albums and has churned out many hit songs. He converted to Islam in 1977 and adopted the name Yusuf Islam. He was slammed for reportedly backing the death fatwa on author Salman Rushdie. He has also been accused of allegedly having ties with terrorist organisations, a charge he has vehemently denied.
Latvian-born Russian-American dancer and choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov was a prominent male classical dancer of the 1970s and 1980s. Born in Latvian SSR, he moved to America where he joined the New York City Ballet. Within years, he became one of the most widely recognized contemporary ballet dancers in the world. He is also a dramatic actor.
Todd Rundgren is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is credited with forming popular rock bands, such as Utopia and Nazz. Regarded as a pioneer in the fields of progressive rock, electronic music, Internet music delivery, and music videos, Todd Rundgren's works, such as A Wizard, a True Star remain influential in the world of music.
George Wendt is an American comedian and actor best known for portraying Norm Peterson in the popular television series Cheers, for which he received six consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations under the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category. He has also appeared in several films, playing important roles.
American magician and illusionist Teller is most noted for his performance with Penn Jillette as half of the famous comedy magic duo Penn & Teller. Works of Teller also includes featuring in the series Penn & Teller: Bullshit! with Jillette; co-directing and incorporating stage magic techniques in the plays Macbeth and The Tempest; and directing the documentary film Tim's Vermeer.
John Oates is an American guitarist, record producer, singer, and songwriter. One half of the popular pop rock duo Hall & Oates, John Oates was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the musical duo. In 2017, Oates published his memoir, Change of Seasons.
Screenwriter, composer, musician, and director Christopher Guest is a multifaceted man. He is known for writing and directing a series of comedy films shot in mock-documentary (mockumentary) style. He has also starred in many of his films, often playing comedic characters. Despite his penchant for portraying comedic characters onscreen, he is known to be a serious person in real life.
James Cosmo is a Scottish actor known for playing important roles in popular TV series, such as Game of Thrones. He has also appeared in several epic historical films like Braveheart, Troy, and Ben-Hur. Apart from being an actor, James Cosmo has also been serving as a patron of a charity named Chance for Childhood.
English actor, Jim Carter, is best known for his role in the TV series Downton Abbey, for which he earned four Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Even though he initially aspired to become a lawyer, he changed his mind and became an actor instead. He has been active in the entertainment industry for over five decades.
Australian actor, John Noble, is best known for his role in the Fox action-horror series Sleepy Hollow. He has also appeared in many films and played a high-profile role in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is the winner of one Saturn Award. Besides acting, he has a deep interest in theoretical physics and enjoys painting.
Black Sabbath lead guitarist Tony Iommi was named one of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Known for his signature black leather jacket and silver cross neckpiece, he is fond of playing dark guitar tones. While he successfully beat lymphoma, the cancer was in remission later.
With 10 Grammy Awards, Panamanian musician, singer, and composer Rubén Blades didn’t just soar to international fame but also redefined the Latin jazz and salsa genres. A qualified lawyer from Harvard, he came to be known as the Latin Bruce Springsteen for his music that mirrored social issues.
Polish fantasy author Andrzej Sapkowski is best known for his widely translated iconic book series The Witcher, which has also been made into a Netflix series. While he initially studied economics and worked as a sales representative, he soared to fame with the short story Wiedźmin, which later became The Witcher.
Daniel Eugene Ruettiger, better known as Rudy Ruettiger, remains an icon of the football team of the University of Notre Dame. One of his parents’ 14 children, he suffered from dyslexia, before finding his calling in football. His life later inspired the film Rudy, with actor Sean Astin playing his role.