Miles-tones

Memorial Day Rockers, Part 4: The Marines

By Craig Hlavaty Mon., May 25 2009 at 11:30 AM
Categories: Lists, Miles-tones
craigers.jpg
Semper Fi: The author as a young jarhead, 2003.
Marines have about a million different monikers. Call them leathernecks, jarheads, devil-dogs, drunks, psychos, the list goes on. The Marine Corps is both the most revered and reviled branch of the U.S. military.

This side of Rocks Off did some time in the Marine Corps, and it shaped who he is today. It wasn't too terribly long, but his time served was eventful and full of shenanigans too numerous and ridiculous to mention. Let's just say that San Diego has plenty of pretty girls who dig the uniform. And that if you drink enough Listerine, you will get smashed and suffer a hangover that rivals any that tequila could ever throw at you.

The gaggle of Marines littering the rock and country worlds is astounding. True, the branch bred some weirdoes like Lee Harvey Oswald and Drew Carey. But the folks that made it out alive have made music all the more better. Maybe it was all the midnight beatings, saltpeter and stolen beer from the Officer's Club that made them all so rebellious.

Uncle Sam's misguided children indeed.


The Everly Brothers: The poppy twosome actually joined up halfway through their career, a move that ended up throwing off its trajectory. Don and Phil were immensely influential, touching everyone from the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and even Neil Young. After their stint in the Corps, the duo began drinking and fighting, which led to a nearly ten-year breakup.

George Jones: One of the last of the old-school country badasses, Hardin County native Jones enlisted in the Corps soon after he and his first wife separated. That's what you get for settling in Jasper, we guess. His military service probably also explains the bitchin' high n' tight haircut he sports in this video.

Freddy Fender: San Benito native Fender escaped small-town life at age 16 to join the Corps. He served a three-year hitch, coming back home to Texas to revolutionize Hispanic rock and roll, and made the world safe for Los Lobos.

Fender passed away in 2006 in Corpus Christi, and his house off Ocean Drive in Corpus reportedly has an underground boat ramp - which is, decidedly, the shit.

Other musical Marines of note: Scott Shriner (Weezer), Shaggy, Nate Dogg, Josh Gracin (American Idol), Buddy Rich, John Phillip Sousa and Michael Graves (Misfits).

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Music Newsletter: Keep your thumb on the local music scene with music features, additional online music listings and show picks. We'll also send special ticket offers and music promotions available only to our Music Newsletter subscribers.

Privacy Policy
Write Comment Email to Friend Print Article

Related Content

VOICE Daily Deals
Sign up for free stuff, news info & more!

Slideshows»

Tools

Entertainment

More >>
About Us | Work for Houston Press | Esubscribe | Free Classifieds | Advertising | Privacy Policy | Problem With the Site? | RSS | Site Map
© 2012 Houston Press, LP. All rights reserved.
Browse Voice Nation
avatar
Newsletters | Mobile
  • Voice Places

    Voice Places

    Discover restaurants, nightlife, travel, shopping...

  • VOICE Daily Deals

    VOICE Daily Deals

    Get 50 to 90% off every day on restaurants, movies, massages...

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    More than 10,000 of the BEST things to eat, drink, and experience

  • My Voice Nation

    My Voice Nation

    Join the Village Voice community and get exclusive deals and info

  • Happy Hour

    Happy Hour

    Your local Happy Hour guide at your fingertips

or

Log in or Sign up

Social Connect:

Use your favorite account to access My Voice Nation.


Use your My Voice Nation account to log in:





Forgot password?
or

Sign Up or Log in

Social Connect:

Sign up for My Voice Nation with your preferred network.


Sign up for a My Voice Nation account:



Privacy policy