Musicians: Singers, Bands, Composers, Performers, Recording Artists
Over the generations, Indianapolis culture and and society has been greatly influenced by its art as well as its music. Some of the finest performers and composers in Indiana and throughout the Midwest and the United States are cited in the roster of famous people from Indianapolis.
Below is a brief collection of some nationally-known members of the Indianapolis music community.
Famous Indianapolis Musicians
| Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds – A super-star in modern pop music, singer, composer and producer, Babyface may be at the pinnacle of the list of famous musicians from Indianapolis. | |
| John Hiatt – Indianapolis born and bred John Hiatt is a singer-songwriter with nine Grammy nominations in his resume. | |
| Freddie Hubbard – Jazz great during the middle- to late- 1900s, Hubbard was born in Indianapolis and played at many of the now-famous jazz clubs along Indiana Avenue. | |
| J.J. Johnson – A bebop and jazz star trombonist considered by many the top player of his time, J.J. Johnson was also a famous composer and arranger. | |
| John McLaughlin – This Grammy nominee is well-known around the planet. A native of Anderson, Indiana, McLaughlin is a rising star in the pop rock genre, a singer-songwriter who also performs on the guitar and piano. | |
| Wes Montgomery – Considered by some to be the best jazz guitarist who ever played, Montgomery was a native of Indianapolis and worked his musical magic in its clubs most of his life. Today, a park in Indy bears his name. | |
| Cole Porter - A giant in the musical comedy industry, from Broadway to Hollywood in the 1900′s, Cole Porter’s lyrics and music are known, loved and still performed around the world by all types of musicians. Porter was born in Peru, Indiana, about 65 miles north of Indianapolis. | |
| Larry Ridley – A well-known jazz bassist and educator from Indianapolis, Larry Ridley still teaches jazz bass at the esteemed Manhattan School of Music. | |
| Jon Schaffer – A highly successful and talented composer, guitarist and singer, Schaffer is a famous person from Franklin, Indiana. He is the founder and leader of the internationally-acclaimed heavy metal group, Iced Earth. | |
| James Spaulding – One of the heavyweights among native Indianapolis Jazz musicians, Spaulding is still performing, still touring the world with his music and still renowned as a top Jazz saxophonist and flutist. | |
| Steve Wariner – A prolific and popular songwriter and performer, Steve Wariner is an important member of the Noblesville music scene and has recorded some three dozen hit singles, seven of which soared to number one. |
See articles and photos about Indianapolis bands
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