Acts with an UPPER class background

I don't mean middle class acts such as Pet Shop Boys, Blur and most of the 70s prog/art rock bands. How many actual upper class acts have there been that have gotten some career.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor may be one to begin with, plus Monaco's Princess Stephanie released a couple of singles in the 80s and I guess she could be viewed as rather typically upper class. :)

But who else?

Lord Rockingham's XI

Yello? (partly?)

King Khan

Queen

Nick Drake was pretty damn posh, wasn't he?

Vanessa Paradis, maybe? At least her dad paid for the recording and release of her first album.

Marianne Faithful was the daughter of a Baronness or something.

the absolutely f*ck-obvious answer, though, is Crispian Mills.

Genesis. I was going to say "Genesis not including Phil Collins", but his dad was secretary of a yacht club, so he counts.

Spinal Tap.

James Blunt's accent is something to hear

I would say Queen and Genesis were more middle class than upper class. Just like Roxy Music, Pink Floyd and the rest of the art school bunch of the 70s.

Even though Tony Banks has a very posh accent, it must be added.

What about Prince?

Joe Strummer`s Father was a diplomat...Only one of Floyd not touched with the silver spoon was Waters...

According to this piece, Louis from Rialto was the son of an earl. It also mentions Gram Parsons as the quintessential US example, but most of the examples - even the public-school ones - aren't strictly upper class. Even Sophie E-B had parents who worked in entertainment - not exactly landed gentry. The double-barrelled surname (which arose after their divorce) and the accent makes her seem posher than she is. As for the genuine upper classes, I imagine that when you're preparing to run the world you're probably not inclined to waste time making records.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/posh-pop-theres-blue-blood-on-the-tracks-676760.html

Ho

Hum.

What about Prince?

He was pretty low to middle-class.

Beastie Boys. Mike D, mother's an art dealer. Yauch, one of his parents was a school district superintendent. AdRock, not as much as his (single) mom owned a thrift store but his father's a famous playwright.

paris hilton!

Townes Van Zandt

Bruiser de Cadenet

xp to Townes Van Zandt: Far fucking out.

Apparently Princess Margaret owned a mellotron in the late 60's, but god knows what she did with it and the results have unfortunately never been released (or probably recorded) so you couldn't really call her an "artist". Piss artist, yes.

As for the genuine upper classes, I imagine that when you're preparing to run the world you're probably not inclined to waste time making records.

Unless you are Princess of Monaco with no hope of inheriting the throne :)

Kid "str8 out tha trailer" Rock

I thought The Strokes were rich boys?

Yep, all but one of them went to a boarding school in Switzerland (the same one attended by Sean Lennon, I think).

I would say Queen and Genesis were more middle class than upper class. Just like Roxy Music, Pink Floyd and the rest of the art school bunch of the 70s.

Dunno about the rest of Roxy, but Bryan Ferry's dad was a coal miner, so I'm thinking definitely working class there.

Apparently Princess Margaret owned a mellotron in the late 60's, but god knows what she did with it

Dicked around with the Incredible String Band, did she not?

I was once told that Moritz Von Oswald was v. posh - related to Bismarck and that was why Basic Channel records sound so good - that they could afford a shedload of v. expensive analogue equipment. Whether or not this is true I have no idea.

and then she powered up the mellotron!

Natalie Cole
Wilson Phillips
Sean Lennon
Liza Minelli
etc etc

paris hilton!

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 13:48 (37 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

LOCK THREAD.

I was once told that Moritz Von Oswald was v. posh - related to Bismarck and that was why Basic Channel records sound so good - that they could afford a shedload of v. expensive analogue equipment. Whether or not this is true I have no idea.

― Treblekicker

Yeah, was just going to come here and post that.

now we're just talking about acts with a rich background

UK/US difference?

i'm not really sure who could be considered "upper class" in the U.S. honestly, but i don't think it's really just the same as rich

http://www.virginmedia.com/images/same_difference-galleries-xfactor.jpg

Same Difference!

also surprised that no one's mentioned mark ronson yet

ronson yes, beastie boys no

As for the genuine upper classes, I imagine that when you're preparing to run the world you're probably not inclined to waste time making records.

Dunno, the sons of the earl near here have all played in bands on the local scene, none famous enough to clutter the thread with. Then again, the eldest may be a viscount but I don't know what a family title and manor actually gets you these days in the "running the world" stakes. They're all multi-instrumentalists so I'm guessing it gets you plenty of money for instruments and music lessons as a kid, though...

(lifelong training for talking like you already belong wherever you want to be and are very important there could be ideally suited to any music scene, too, but not thinking of the same people as previous anecdotal evidence here, must try not to connect the two)

America doesn't have an upper class. Our upper class are families like the Kennedys, etc... basically former immigrant criminals who made a lot of money and passed it onto their kids.

Yes, this,

I don't know what a family title and manor actually gets you these days

is why I think money primarily defines class in the US. I'm sure this has been covered ad nausem here.

America doesn't have an upper class. Our upper class are families like the Kennedys, etc... basically former immigrant criminals who made a lot of money and passed it onto their kids bought sweaters.

Gram Parsons (scion of citrus magnates)
Mike Nesmith (mother invented White-Out)
Huey Lewis (grandfather invented that red stuff that they wrap cheese with)

Huey Lewis (grandfather invented that red stuff that they wrap cheese with)

A.K.A Hugh Anthony Cregg, III!

lex wins

Ed Tudor Pole must be old money.

Upper class, in the UK or US, surely implies old money, passed down through many generations. Noel Gallagher's or Eminem's daughters will grow up rich and attend private schools but they still won't be upper class. I don't know where you draw the line but surely you need more than rich parents - maybe you just need rich grandparents too, at least in a country as young as the US.

i think that you are defining 'upper class' far too much for the purposes of this thread. new money can be upper class, they just have to act the part.

anyways, it seems that any band that talks up their privileged upbringing in the press and generally makes it a part of their image (and lyrics) deserves to be lampooned a tad more on this thread. vampire weekend, you are the most enraging media presence of 2008

new money is too trashy

there's a difference between 'upper class' and 'classy'

psychgawsple, I must insist that you would doubtlessly also point fingers at Vampire Weekend if they sang about throwing riots or racing in the street.

Mike Nesmith (mother invented White-Out)

Very much not the case; they didn't see money from that until Mike was grown.

But I'd suggest James Taylor for the list. Thus spake Wiki:

"Taylor grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where his father, Isaac M. Taylor, was the dean of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine from 1964 to 1971. His family spent summers on Martha's Vineyard."

Summering on Martha's Vineyard sounds to me like an OK U.S. litmus test.

Chris de Burgh,,,,yawn...Grandfather Sir Eric de Burgh [KCB, DSO, OBE]....From true blue blood French nobility..

indeed, there are many things to hate about vampire weekend

Using "summer" as a verb is a good litmus test.

That famous old rocker Giacinto Scelsi

Reading this thread, I'm learning a lot about Britain and the States! : )

New money isn't upper class in Britain, they just get to hang about with them. You become upper class by descent or by education, though education only gets you into the Upper Class (Nouveau Riche) bracket. Otis Ferry may try hard, but he'll nevah be true aristocracy

Summering on Martha's Vineyard sounds to me like an OK U.S. litmus test.

In that case I nominate Rufus Wainwright, whose "Grey Gardens" is about Kennedy clan members he used to hang out with in the Hamptons.

And indeed, Loudon Wainwright III

Phish:

Mike Gordon's dad founded the Store-24 Chain.
Page McConnell's dad was involved with invention of Tylenol.
Trey's dad was an executive with Educational Testing Service.
Not sure about Fishman.

All prep-schoolers, to be sure.

Fishman's Dad was an orthodontist and sculptor in Syracuse. His Mom was diagnosed with glaucoma in her teens. He went to public school.

Mike went to a private Jewish elementary/middle school, and a public high school (in a wealthy area). Page and Trey were definite prep-schoolers.

Word.

Prep school hippie
Or hip school preppie
I can't decide
Should I spend my adolescent days wearing tie dyes or Vuarnets
I can't decide
Big ten kegger at the frat
Or watching Jerry shake his fat.

American Idol season II contestant John Adams was a direct descendant of two presidents of the same name. Sic transit gloria.

MGMT anyone:

http://www.ny2lon.com/archives/mgmt.jpg

With names like Goldwasser and VanWyngarden, I somehow don't think these boys were living a poor uni lifestyle.

Mika's a raging posho too

With names like Goldwasser and VanWyngarden, I somehow don't think these boys were living a poor uni lifestyle.

Goldwasser is from small-town upstate NY; his Dad is a vet. Vanwyngarden is from Memphis, where his Dad edits the local alt paper; his Mom is a NM hippie.

"Taylor grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where his father, Isaac M. Taylor, was the dean of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine from 1964 to 1971. His family spent summers on Martha's Vineyard."

― Joseph McCombs, Wednesday, November 19, 2008 11:45 PM Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Summering on Martha's Vineyard sounds to me like an OK U.S. litmus test.

― Joseph McCombs, Wednesday, November 19, 2008 11:46 PM Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

it's a lot easier to go away for the summer when you're an academic. my family "summered" in Seattle when my parents were junior Professors, but I never would have used it as a verb.

Jakob Dylan from The Wallflowers. His dad is Bob Dylan, a wealthy musician.

his Dad is an itinerant entertainer and bohemian

<img src="http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/tony_blair.jpg";>
Ugly Rumours

<img src="http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/tony_blair.jpg";>
Ugly Rumours

(curse you rubbish new keyboard)

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/tony_blair.jpg
Ugly Rumours

(Mod!)

Hehe I tried to find "The Ruling Class" by The Monochrome Set (indie fuxx0r x 100) to explain "upper class" to Americans etc (and i'm not even british! i'm from a country where aristocracy was BANNED by LAW a hundred years ago!), and struck GOLD or possibly BASE TIN with THIS:

It is the song I looked for tho!

So one of these kids who had a £2.4m party flat is now in the vaccines?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3347397/Mothers-boys.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/mar/10/the-vaccines-album-review/print

no! not the vacccines

i mean if it was band i didn't care so much about it would be funny

but this is awful

there seems to be a lot of "posh" kids forming bands now and getting deals.
Wish carmody still posted here.

this makes me wonder:

geir are you countin' mad skrilla??????

Never heard of, so I don't know. :)

Mike Diamond is from one of the richest families in New York

How could you not be with a name like that

Ehhh... that is a very loose definition of "richest" right there. Not saying he went to bed hungry or anything.

If you're talking about Mike D, I don't think that's accurate at all.

I mean I think his dad had money from art dealing and collecting, but being "from one of the richest families in new york" kind of implies something more than that imo. Unless his mom was old money or something -- don't know.

So I googled...

Mike D's dad Harold was an art dealer who passed away when Mike was 16. His mother worked as an interior director. He grew up in a duplex on Central Park West (pretty nice, but let's get real here). Where's gabbneb? Nevermind, pretend I never said that. Went to school at St. Ann's in Brooklyn Heights (ie, not a Swiss boarding school).

This is pretty cool though (but just to generally note if you're rich you don't sell art, you buy it):
Harold Diamond passed away on November 20th, 1982. However, his name made news again in November of 2004 when Hester Diamond decided to auction off six pieces from their modern art collection through Sotheby's. The pieces which she parted with had an estimated value of sixty million dollars and were paintings by Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, Fernand Léger and a sculpture by Constantin Brancusi. Charles Moffett, Co-Director of Impressionist and Modern Art at Sotheby's, was quoted in an artdaily.com news piece as having said the following, "these six Modern masterworks from the collection of Hester Diamond rank among the best to have appeared on the market in the last 30 years. Together, Ms. Diamond and her late husband, Harold, had an unerring eye for quality. They focused their collecting on only the finest examples by any given artist."

Yeah it sounds like they accumulated some real wealth through their own collection, which they probably acquired relatively cheaply. I also noticed in Harold's bio that he went to city college and taught public school, so I don't think he came from money.

Musicians coming from good backgrounds is not new.

Thank you for clarifying that. *phew*

Someone posted a few hours ago as if it was a new phenomenon!

Surprised no one's mentioned publishing scion Carly Simon. (Maybe nobody considers her worthwhile enough to bother with...I love some of her earliest singles.) Ellen Willis once wrote that "You're So Vain" was proof that even rich people could make great rock 'n' roll.

http://lexposure.net/style/spotlight/scene/ts-impossible-to-be-depressed-in-this-room-a-beastie-boys-moms-awesome-apartment

Oy! I guess I hit a nerve with my "one of the richest"...but I guess "solidly upper middle class" won't raise the same kind of hackles (it probably will)

Charlotte Gainsbourg