Who is the most unethical musician still performing?

[Rabrrrrrr]

Is it Toby Keith? Clay Aiken? Destiny's Child? Some rapper? Some hip hop dude(s)? Garth Brooks? Charlie Daniels? Ted Nugent? Pavarotti? James Levine?

[hippiechick]

1. I suppose it depends on one's definition of 'ethical' ....

:shrug:

[DS1]

2. Thr Rolling Stones

Gouging the country before one of them finally dies. Or Keith's batteries run out.

[UrbScotty]

3. Ted "Chainsaw Juggler" Nugent

Sigh.

[tekriter]

8. If you call that "performing"

nm

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. Elvis

[tinfoilinfor2005]

59. Haha...was just gonna post this...

He has his nerve fooling all of us about his phoney demise while he works somewhere in a gas station in Upper Michigan. Honest Injun...I have a cousin who saw him pumping gas just three weeks ago...:)

[khashka]

5. Ted Nugent

Any guy who'll get guardianship of girl so he can fuck her has no ethics at all.

Beyonce - otherwise known as Miss "Daddy get rid of that bitch, she's upstaging me".

Pete Townsend - no, seriously, the kiddie porn was for research purposes only! (Gary Glitter gets a mention here too.)

Khash.

[alarcojon]

12. You've got a point with Townshend

Although the Nuge is right up there. I don't know the Beyonce story.

[stlsaxman]

47. Call me stupid but I'm siding w/ Townsend on that one.

Pete was abused himself as a child and has been working out his issues with this for a very long time. I believe him when he says his recent work in this area was to break the cycle.

Besides, he was NEVER convicted of a crime. But the press never tells THAT part of the investigation.

[alarcojon]

50. The press did report it

http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4663408-105248,00.html

Guitar legend Pete Townshend was today cleared of possessing pornographic images of children, but The Who guitarist was given a formal police caution for accessing a website containing images of child abuse.

The musician acknowledged using his credit card to enter a website advertising child pornography, but said he was doing research for his autobiography.

The title character in Townshend's rock opera "Tommy" - a deaf, dumb and blind pinball wizard - is sexually abused by an uncle, and Townshend said he believed he had been sexually abused as a young boy, while in the care of his mentally ill grandmother.

But police said it was not a defence "to access these images for research or out of curiousity." Townshend had also claimed that he did a lot of work for charities struggling to stem the tide of online child pornography, but watchdog the Internet Watch Foundation said it had never had any contact with the star.

In the interest of fairness, I'll put Nugent atop my list.

[stlsaxman]

54. okay, yes- that is as i remember it, now...

and thanks for the fairness.

[jilln]

13. not to mention his gun nuttiness and bowhunting

I also have a special hatred for J Lo, that fur whore.


Oh also, one time "the Nuge" attacked a protester. Protester arrested while cops fall all over themselves asking for autographs. Security video proves the Nuge was the attacker, not vice versa. Howard Stern invites protester and Nugent on his show, protester calls in and Nugent does not. Stern makes tons of fun of the coward Nugent. True story.

[JimmyJazz]

31. didn't steven tyler also get guardianship of a minor

so that he could fuck her? I'd have to add him to the list.

[I Know How To Do it]

6. Elton John.

[Algorem]

7. Lenny Kravitz is up there somewhere

[Tallison]

17. How so?

I'm not a fan of his music, just unaware of any history on him.

[Algorem]

34. seems like if he has a hit song it becomes a commercial 3 minutes later.

[Tallison]

36. Ha! If it weren't for those commercials

I would probably never had heard him.

[SOteric]

9. Jerry Lee Lewis.

[Tallison]

14. I'll have to 2nd that

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. If you mean because he married someone so young, remember,

that wasn't unethical at the time.

[Tallison]

20. No, I think it's the body count

that surrounds him.

[Rabrrrrrr]

23. Oh, yeah, that.

I guess that would be a problem.

Does he have a large body count? I'm not much of a fan, so I really don't pay attention to him.

[Tallison]

25. Two bodies, one shooting

his fourth and fifth wives found dead under suspicious circumstances; shot his bass player Butch Owens (who survived).

[Lars39]

22. Nope, it was considered unethical at the time, too.

Definite stigma.

[wtmusic]

10. Danny Elfman

if what he does can be considered 'performing'

[I Know How To Do it]

11. He does Film Scores. That isn't performing. That's doing Film Scores

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. Danny Elfman? What has he done to deserve a label of unethical?

[wtmusic]

37. His "helpers" are way undercredited

Danny's idea of composing is to bring a casio into the control room and pound out a melody while a team of crack "arrangers" make music out of it

[Rabrrrrrr]

38. Wow, I didn't know that!

I like his music, but I didn't know he had a factory of workers.

Pisses me off when painters do that as well - "Here, I outlined something - you guys paint it, so I can sign it and sell it for $500,000"

[stlsaxman]

49. Hell, that's more or less the way Zappa did it...

leave a tape rolling while the musicians jam... take notes and put it on paper and take composition credit.

The extreme case of that is as producer- he took total credit for "Trout Mask Replica" and Don Van Vliet got nary a penny.

[sendero]

63. If composing insipid muzak..

... was a crime, he'd be in jail :) I cannot STAND Danny Elfman, from the ridiculously misplaced Simpsons theme to anything else he's done.

He's a hack of the nth degree :)

[Greyhound]

53. *Sniff, sniff*, is that the smell of sour grapes?

[I Know How To Do it]

18. When R.E.M changed Labels, the previous Label quickly put out

a greatest hits package....Ker Ching$$$$
The new label put out a greatest hits package....Ker Ching$$$$
Yep, two greatest hits Comps released at the same time from two different labels.
R.E.M signed onto new label with a contract of Michael Jackson proportions.
First song release of new multi-million contract with new label?
"Everybody Hurts."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

[Rabrrrrrr]

19. Ooh, yeah - though I don't know if I'd put REM in the unethical category,

they certainly pulled a fast one on their fans when they sold out in the mid-80s, stupid fuckers.

Certainly they have no integrity. Might even be unethical.

[Kerrytravelers]

21. Not that I'm a fan of Aiken or American Idol... gwad no...what did he do?

[Rabrrrrrr]

26. Oh, I don't know, pandering to an ignorant America's obsession with

rah rah flagwaving jingoistic fake Christian national triumphalistic bullshit.

[Kerrytravelers]

28. I have never heard him sing a note and don't follow this idiot.

I have no interest in American idol, so I had no idea.

[Shell Beau]

65. How do you know it is fake?

[I Know How To Do it]

32. The whole concept of American Idol is rather unethical.

It's nothing but a money making machine.

They sign everyone that ends up on the real show to a contract.
So if even the first person that leaves the show eventually records something, they are obligated to either record on a BMG label or have their contract bought out from BMG. Ker Ching$$$$!

Create a product.
Rake in Ad dollars from show.
Have winners put out Cds on BMG labels that Fox has a stake in. Ker Ching$$$$.

Lather, Rinse, Repeat for next year.

[JRob]

24. when compared to contemporary musicians in the 1960's MOST of

them are irresponsible for sure, unethical maybe and can most certainly kiss my ass...

some exceptions: Green Day, Nine Inch Nails...

[progressoid]

27. If you count the geriatric crowd that cranks out less than mediocre

CDs just for the cash, then there is a huge list.

Of course we shouldn't exclude most of today "musicians" doing the same.

[lazarus]

29. The Pretenders

Why they still allow "My City Was Gone" to be used as the lead bumper music by Rush Limbaugh is beyond me. But when it came on the radio the other day, I honestly associated the opening chords with the druggie, not the the band. That's sad.

[khashka]

39. Nope

The way I heard it was the record company did it.

It always cracks me up that Rush has to promote himself by using a hard left goddess like Chryssie Hynde.

Khash, some brass in pocket dude.

[Tsiyu]

56. Khash, you crack me up

:headbang:

[wtmusic]

40. Because EMI owns the publishing on that song

they could do whatever they wanted with it. The Pretenders had no say in the matter.

[lazarus]

60. oh

Never mind.

[kwassa]

30. What does ethics have to do with good music?

Now that Milli Vanilli is gone ...

[caty]

33. Toby Keith

This RWer has a song entitled "My Little Whiskey Girl" that encourages girls to drink. Such a nice christian man.
(Toby Keith/Scotty Emerick)

Don't my baby look good in them blue jeans
Tight on the top with a belly button ring
A little tattoo somewhere in between she only shows to me
Yeah we're goin' out dancin' she's ready tonight
So damn good lookin' boys it ain't even right
And when the bartender says for the lady
What's it gonna be... I tell him man..

She ain't in to wine and roses
Beer just makes her turn up her nose and
She can't stand the thought of sipping champagne
No Cuervo, gold margaritas
Just ain't enough good burn in tequila
She needs somethin' with a little more edge
And a little more pain
She's my little whiskey girl, she's my little whiskey girl
My ragged on the edges girl, ah but I like em rough

Baby got a '69 mustang
Four on the floor and you oughtta hear the pipes ring
I jump behind the wheel and it's a way we go
Hey I drive too fast but she don't care
Blue bandana tied all up in her hair, just sittin there
Singin' every song on the radio

She ain't in to wine and roses
Beer just makes her turn up her nose and
She can't stand the thought of sipping champagne
No Cuervo, gold margaritas
Just ain't enough good burn in tequila
She needs somethin' with a little more edge
And a little more pain
She's my little whiskey girl, she's my little whiskey girl
My ragged on the edges girl, ah but I like em rough

She's my little whiskey girl, she's my little whiskey girl
My ragged on the edges girl, ah but I like em rough



Album Lyrics: Shock'n Y'all <2003>

Keith Toby
"Shock'n Y'all"

[AntiCoup2K4]

35. Sammy Hagar.

Of course it's doubtful whether this overpriced tequila peddling, cheese ballad writing, Repuke funding piece of shit ever had integrity to begin with. Maybe on the first Montrose album 32 years ago.....


"Are we not Devo?
Well we sure as fuck aren't Van Halen!!

[Maestro]

42. Van Halen so desperately needs

David Lee Roth. They went so downhill with Hagar!

[Poiuyt]

41. What has James Levine done that was bad?

[Rabrrrrrr]

43. pedophilia, told me by an insider, generally covered up by the Met

so that nothing was done about it.

Do I have any substantiating evidence? No, I don't. But this from a guy who was well connected in the world of opera and classical music.

[bettyellen]

51. i heard he also sexually harassed women he worked with so bad

that the Met had to make sure a bodyguard watched him every moment he was on premises. That came from someone that works there. :shrug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

64. I've heard this as well...

I've heard that he keeps getting bought out of trouble. I don't know if it's true or not. I'd like to think it wasn't. But I wouldn't leave my kid alone with him.

[no name no slogan]

44. "Creedence Clearwater Revisited"

what a freaking scam that is.

no Fogarty bros. == NO CREEDENCE. end of discussion.

[LeftyMom]

45. re: Garth Brooks

I assume you're refering to the Trisha Yearwood thing, right?

[stlsaxman]

46. B. B. King-

Mr. "Republican National Convention Playin' Uncle Tom Sell-out to Whitey Yowsa Massa I play De Blues For Your Party So As You Can All Feel Good About Oppressing My People As Long As You Pay Me $1,500,000.00 To Play Two Songs" Muthafucker.

stlsaxman thinks he may have just pissed a bunch of people off here...

Actually, like Lionel Hampton, BB is a BIG supporter of the GOP.

[ghostsofgiants]

48. Gene Simmons certainly deserves some recognition

[leftofthedial]

52. Paul Simon

stole many songs for Graceland

never really got called for it

[Greyhound]

55. If you're going to count stealing music, taking credit for other's work,

selling out, and being an egotistical asshole, then you'd have to include everyone in the entire entertainment industry, not just music. :hide:

[RoyGBiv]

57. Define ethics ...

This was asked in the beginning, but never addressed, and reading the responses makes me question just what the standard is.

Whose ethics? Yours, mine, the amorphous ethics of society as a whole? Is there a music industry standard of ethics? If so, what is it? Are we talking about a person who happens to be a musician and is also unethical, or are we talking about a person who is unethical in his performance of music?

Am I taking this too seriously? Probably. :-)

I guess what's prompting this is the various commentary about making money. Why is it that when an artist starts to make money, he or she starts being seen as "unethical" or a "sell out" by some for doing so? I suppose if Neil Young started doing endorsements for Pepsi and Coke (age check), we could pretty clearly call him a hypocrite and not holding to his own ethical standards. However, what percentage of musicians go into the business specifically not to make money or having offered some pledge never to do an endorsement or allow their music to be used by others to make money? When a struggling band or singer signs that first contract, do they generally have the pull to make sure they maintain all copyrights but the right of first sale?

By way of comparison, I believe I can say without fear of error that guy who gets up in the morning and cleans toilets all day is not doing it for some higher purpose, even if for some bizarre reason he enjoys the work. He's trying to make a living, just like everyone else, and if he ever got famous for cleaning a special toilet especially well, I can pretty much guarantee he'd cash in while he could.

In answer to the question, I suppose I'd say someone like Toby Keith. I believe that people who use their talents to celebrate the deaths of innocents have special rooms in hell.

I go back to my hole now. :hide:

[joebascemy]

58. Don't leave out Chuck

Anyone who has seen Hail, Hail Rock 'n' Roll has seen some of Chuck Berry's ass on display. The peephole cameras and steamer-lovin' rumors hardly trump his cold-blooded management style and motive for continuing to make money instead of music. How long has the Berry volcano been extinct? Even longer than B. B.'s Will somebody tell me how the Republicans hijacked the blues and got away with it? Not all of 'em are neo-cons, but a lot are. Maybe it is that 50's fixation and all that vacuum tube mojo jive; only a tech-hater (and that's Bush to a Texas 'T')could believe that shit.

[KitchenWitch]

61. Ted Nugent

I think he still does limited tours.

[argyl]

62. Gregg Allman.Snitched out one of his roadies to get out of a drug bust.

Poor guy wound up with a serious sentence;20 years or so. Saw him on a Geraldo show shortly thereafter babbling about how "his lady" ( Cher at the time)had helped him beat his dope habit.All the while nodding off,scratching his nose, and his eyes were bloodshot and his pupils were pinpricks. Classic signs of someone really smacked out.

Also, didn't he seriously abuse an underage porn actress? Might have been Traci Lords.

A real POS. Duane musta rolled over in his grave when his little brother ratted out a friend.