Musicians From New Jersey

Considered one of the greatest rock stars, Bruce Springsteen’s catalogue of songs over many decades is unparalleled. His fame skyrocketed in 1975 after the release of his third album, Born to Run, and it reached dizzying heights with his seventh album, Born in the USA, in 1984. He was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

Known as the iconic founder of the popular rock band Bon Jovi, Jon Bon Jovi is a record producer and singer-songwriter. In 2012, he was named in Billboard magazine's The Most Powerful and Influential People In The Music Business list. Also a well-known philanthropist, he founded the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation in an attempt to eradicate poverty and homelessness.

One half of the popular musical duo Simon & Garfunkel, Paul Simon is a singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists and songwriters of all time. His career, which has spanned more than 60 years, has been so influential that Time named him among the 100 People Who Shaped the World in 2006.

Ricky Nelson was an American pop pioneer, rock & roll star, and singer-songwriter. After establishing himself as a top teen idol during the 1950s, Ricky Nelson went on to release several chartbusting songs. He achieved great popularity and was ranked 91st on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list.

Queen Latifah is an American musician and actress whose song U.N.I.T.Y. played a major role in raising awareness about women's rights worldwide. Dubbed Queen of Jazz-Rap, Latifah has influenced several soul, R&B, and hip-hop artists like Remy Ma, Lil' Kim, Ivy Queen, Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, and Eve among other artists. As an actress, Latifah has won several prestigious awards.

Famous rapper and singer, Lauryn Hill, is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time and a pioneer in the Neo soul genre. The artist whose album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill won five Grammy Awards, is an inspiration for numerous singers and rappers. Earlier, she gained recognition as member of Fugees, an award-winning hip hop group.

Best known as the co-founder of the rock band, My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way is a popular singer and songwriter. Also a famous comic book writer, Gerard Way co-founded DC's Young Animal imprint and wrote the Eisner Award-winning book series ,The Umbrella Academy. After struggling with prescription drug addiction and alcoholism, he has been maintaining sobriety for many years now.

Musician, singer, and songwriter Kevin Jonas rose to fame as a member of the pop-rock band, the Jonas Brothers, with his younger brothers, Joe and Nick. Also an actor, he has appeared in many Disney Channel productions. He is involved in business ventures as well and is the founder of a construction company, JonasWerner.

The son of popular actor and singer Frank Sinatra, Frank Sinatra Jr. followed in the footsteps of his father to become a singer-songwriter and conductor. He was kidnapped at age 19 and released two days later. The kidnapping was rumored to be a publicity stunt to promote his singing career, which he established around the same time.

Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Zakk Wylde is best known for his stint as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne. He is also the founder, lead singer, and lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He started playing guitar as a child and was already performing in bands in his teens. He also sells custom guitars and amplifiers.

Patti Scialfa is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. The wife of popular musician Bruce Springsteen, Scialfa has been an important member of Springsteen's primary backing band, E Street Band, since 1984. As a member of the band, Patti Scialfa became an inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

Clint Black is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, musician, country music singer, songwriter, and actor. He is credited with founding a record label named Equity Music Group in 2003. Over the years, he has won many awards, including five Academy of Country Music awards and two Country Music Association awards.

Bill Evans was an American composer and jazz pianist. Many of his compositions and other works continue to influence jazz pianists and are played and recorded by several artists. His work has influenced players like Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Steve Kuhn, and Michel Petrucciani among many other musicians. Evans is an inductee of the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.

Dead or Alive lead vocalist Pete Burns was a legendary musician of the 1980s. The son of a Holocaust survivor mother, he had a troubled childhood and quit school. He made his androgynous looks and his bisexuality his signature style. Plagued with surgery-related health issues, he died of a cardiac arrest at 57.