How many popular singers and musicians became preachers (or other religious/spiritual equivalents) later in life?
Note: I'm not talking about people who were already involved in religious pursuits when they became famous, nor those who were primarily known for gospel music or other religious musical genres; I'm interested in people who became famous as secular musicians and later went into religious ministry or other assorted spiritual professions.
My question was prompted by a snippet of trivia I heard on the radio yesterday: Domingo Samudio, the leader of Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs (best known for
Wooly Bully and
Little Red Riding Hood), became a preacher later in life, working for prison outreach programs and performing gospel songs along with his hits. It made me curious about how many other popular musical artists became preachers.
I'm guessing Little Richard would be the most famous example. And there's M.C. Hammer, who got ordained after he went bankrupt in the 90s.
I also thought of Rev. Run (Joseph Simmons from Run-D.M.C.), but I'm pretty sure he was already ordained prior to, or during, the height of his popularity (so he's not a "later in life" example).
How many others are there?
As a side note, I wonder if part of the reason why some singers and musicians are drawn to preaching comes from the fact that musical performance and preaching both require a sense of showmanship (at least they do if you want people to pay attention). Or I could be over-thinking it.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 1:46 PM on June 5, 2010 [3 favorites]