Famous Individuals Who Surprisingly Play Musical Instruments

I’ve always dreamt of being able to sit down at the piano and pound away on the ivories while sounding even just a little bit like Jerry Lee Lewis. Unfortunately, no matter how many instruments I have tried to learn, I have always turned out to have subpar skills. 

That has indeed been a shame as research shows that being able to play an instrument is a full cognitive training exercise that recruits all brain regions, including sound, movement, memory, and vision. To put it bluntly, it is one of the best things you can do to improve your brain’s cognitive functioning. 

As for children learning an instrument, science recognizes that they start to develop a neurophysiological distinction, which can help them realize sounds quicker and even improve their overall academics. It is like a permanent brain boost. (By the way, iAchieve offers music lessons for all types of instruments, and we can get your child sounding like an expert in no time.)

Here are some famous individuals that perhaps surprisingly, are/were pretty good at playing various musical instruments. 

Albert Einstein

Einstein was known quite commonly as one of the smartest individuals that ever lived. Of course, he invented the Theory of Relativity and won the Nobel Prize for Physics, too, which isn’t too shabby. What may not be commonly known is that his mother was a music teacher and encouraged him to learn an instrument as a young boy. He reluctantly did so, but once he started mastering the violin, he kept on playing it frequently for the rest of his life.  

Steve Martin

Is there anything the famous comedian can’t do? He had a terrific stand-up act, is a great actor, starred in numerous top comedic movies, and has penned several novels. On top of all of this, he is incredible at playing the banjo. Martin is recognized as one of the top banjo players in the world. He is genuinely one of the more talented individuals in Hollywood. 

Clint Eastwood

Eastwood has directed and starred in many of the top films over the last few decades. Looking at his body of work, it is relatively easy to say that he is one of the leading film directors of all time and seems to get better with age. But you may be shocked to know that not only is he amazing at playing the piano, but he has written the scores for several of his top films such as Billion Dollar Baby, Changeling, Unforgiven, and Gran Torino. It just goes to show that even the toughest and most intimidating men can have a musical soft side. 

Bobby Darin

Plenty knows of Bobby Darin as the legendary singer that sang Mack the Knife, Splish Splash, Beyond the Sea, and Dream Lover. Darin passed away at the young age of 37 years old with a heart condition that had troubled him since childhood. Knowing he would not live long, not only did he write many of his top songs, acted in several full films, but he also learned numerous instruments, many from his bedside as he was often weak as a child. The piano, guitar, drums, xylophone, harmonica, and more were all well within his musical skills. 

Richard Nixon

Not considered by many as one of the top U.S. Presidents of all time, Nixon would surprise people with his musical talent. He could play five instruments reasonably well, including the accordion, clarinet, violin, saxophone, and piano. It just goes to show that some of the individuals you would think had nothing in common with music could completely change your views instantly with their hidden talents. 

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