Wrestling Stars Who Also Had Interesting Music Careers

It's often said that the music scene parallels that of the whacky world of professional wrestling. Whether it be living life in the limelight, or just living life on the road, wrestling superstars often compare the two performing arts to one another. In fact, Bully Ray discussed the on the road lifestyles of both wrestlers and rock stars during a recent episode of "Busted Open." Yet sometimes in the business, a wrestler and rock star can be one in the same. Some professional wrestlers have very successfully ventured into the world of rock, rap, pop, punk, and even country music. Many wrestling talents have also toured the globe performing on a different kind of stage alongside some of the biggest names in the music business, at some of the biggest music festivals in the world. Some of these artists have even gone platinum, performed on late night shows, won awards, and become massively successful outside of the squared circle.

Whether they became a singer-songwriter or just decided to pick up an instrument, many of wrestling's greatest stars have proven to be truly multi-talented. Some of today's current wrestling superstars and Hall of Famers even began playing music at a very young age. Many have even used their musical acumen to give back to the business in producing entrance music or even performing their own entrance songs. While some superstars' musical endeavors were more successful than others, here are some of the most notable wrestling stars that have dipped their toes into the music industry thus far. There may even be a few that surprise you.

Arguably the most notable full time professional wrestler, who is also a full time rock star, is Chris Jericho. The man formerly known as "The Ayatollah of Rock N' Rolla" officially joined the band Fozzy Osbourne, a cover band founded by lead guitarist Rich Ward, in the year 1999. Jericho had sat in on a few performances with the band in 1999, before ultimately becoming the permanent lead singer of the group, now simply Fozzy.

Fozzy has gone on to become a very successful rock band, performing all around the globe, and placing within the Top 10 on the United States Rock Radio Charts on several occasions. Their hit single "Judas," which is also Jericho's entrance theme in AEW, brought the band to new heights cracking the Top 5 on the Rock Radio Charts. The single also propelled the band to earning a Gold Record, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. 

"NXT" ring announcer Alicia Warrington has played drums for many national acts, including the Prince of Darkness' own daughter, Kelly Osbourne. She even appeared on the hit MTV reality show "The Osbournes."

Warrington may have arguably spent the most time on stage out of all the performers in this feature, as she has also played alongside Miley Cyrus, Lillex, Selena Gomez, Dawn Robinson of En Vogue, Colton Dixon, Chris Rene, Uh Huh Her, and more. Aside from performing on stages all over the world, Alicia has performed all over national television from late night shows to music award shows. She has laid down drums on several notable albums, including two of Osbourne's studio albums and one live record. The multi-talented "NXT" ring announcer can also play guitar and sing, as was seen (and heard) in her former band The All-Girl Boys Choir.

One of the most decorated women's champions of all time, Mickie James isn't only just known for her accolades inside of the squared circle. The Virginia native is also known for her country music career as a singer-songwriter. In fact, Mickie currently uses her song "Hardcore Country" as her entrance theme in "Impact Wrestling." During an interview with Cowboys and Indians Magazine in 2020, James stated, "I've been developing my music career. It's a balancing act. I debuted in WWE in 2005. At that point it was 250 days out of year for five years straight. I put out my first album in 2010. I had time to promote the album because I was only on the road 100 days a year then. But I went back to WWE in 2016, only doing bigger shows. And I had my son. Now I average about 150 days a year on road. I'm spending a lot more time recording and writing."

Using her musical acumen, James has been able to perform on national stages across the globe including CMA Fests and national television. Her music has been critically acclaimed by publications such as CMA, Country Weekly, and more. She's even shared the stage with several top country music acts, including The Rascal Flats. Her friend/former rival Trish Stratus and now husband Nick Aldis even took part in her music video for her single "Somebody's Gonna Pay" in 2013. Other accolades include a Native American Music Award for her song "Shooting Blanks" and an induction into the NAMA Hall of Fame in 2017.

All Elite Wrestling's The Butcher is also known for playing rhythm guitar in the metalcore band Every Time I Die. Although the band recently parted ways due to tensions with their lead singer, Every Time I Die was a prominent part of the metalcore scene since its formation in 1998.

The Butcher, real name Andy Williams, could often be seen touring the globe shredding with his signature guitar distortions and tones. Every Time I Die was a staple of many recurring festivals, including Vans Warped Tour and Riot Fest. The band was inducted into The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 2019 and nominated for several Alternative Press Awards throughout the year, with Jordan Buckley winning best guitarist in 2015. With the band no longer touring for the foreseeable future, The Butcher can now focus on his ring goals with partners The Blade and The Bunny.

Another longtime strummer in the music scene is none other than the former AEW Tag Team Champion, Frankie Kazarian. He plays bass in the '80s and '90s inspired hard rock band, Gutter Candy. The band isn't a fully fledged cover band, but rather plays heavily classic rock inspired originals and tributes. The rockers will also be performing on Chris Jericho's next "Rock N' Wrestling Rager at Sea: Four Leaf Clover" cruise in February of 2023 alongside Fozzy.

The former SoCal Uncensored member has said on several occasions that Jericho has helped influence him in both the worlds of music and professional wrestling. During an interview with Sportskeeda, Kazarian stated, "Chris Jericho set the bar for me high in terms of being a top-notch wrestler and a top-notch musician, and he is both of those. I'm like the JV version of Jericho, just trying to keep it alive, man."

A four time WWE Women's Champion and a trailblazer for The Women's Revolution in professional wrestling, Lita (real name Amy Dumas) is also known as being the frontwoman for her former punk band, The Luchagors. Dumas found a passion for music at an early age playing in many acts until forming The Luchagors in 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia. The four piece only recorded one album, which was self-titled, in 2007.

Dumas stated in a 2008 interview with The Dalton Daily Citizen, "My career being in the WWE, there are so many things you get to do that you never thought you'd do in a lifetime as far as seeing the world and performing in front of so many people and getting to do all these neat experiences. But it's always been kind of like there's one thing that I never really did and would like to give it a go. And that's being in a band." The punk band hung around the scene for nearly a decade until their final show in July of 2014.

WWE Hall of Famer, The Mouth of the South, Jimmy Hart is most known for his success managing some of the biggest names in the history of professional wrestling. But Hart's musical career is nothing to look past, as he helped produce some of the most notable wrestling entrance themes of all time, including those of Ted DiBiase, The Road Warriors, The Mountie, and most notably Shawn Michaels' "Sexy Boy." During an interview with Fightful, Hart stated, "You know what? Ted DiBiase did a great job. He kinda did the rap when me and my partner wrote his song, 'Money, Money, Money.' Shawn Michaels did a good job. When we took Shawn in and I cut 'Sexy Boy' that we wrote with Shawn Michaels. So, he was good. But, the Honky Tonk Man had the best voice of all." Mr. Hart even performed "Girls in Cars" live at the 37th Annual Slammy Awards in 1987. 

The Mouth of the South is also known for his time as a vocalist with his band The Gentrys out of Memphis, Tennessee in the 1960s. The band saw some success with their single "Keep on Dancing" in 1965. The song charted at Number 4 on The Billboard Hot 100 and sold over one million records. Additionally, "Eat Your Heart Out, Rick Springfield" from "The Wrestling Album" is still considered a lowkey banger by many wrestling fans to this day.

Ron Killings, better known as the seemingly ageless R-Truth in WWE, can often be seen rapping his way down to the ring during his entrances on WWE programming. But Truth, in fact, started in the world of music before he even stepped foot inside of the squared circle. On an episode of "WWE Ride Along" Truth would state, "Being around the hood, I just got involved with rap. I'm talking about Sugar Hill Gang, Will Smith, Digital Underground. That's where I met Tupac."

Aside from his immensely popular entrance theme, "Wassup," Truth has put out numerous singles including "Run It," "Set it Off," "Hit Em Up," and many more. His single "Legacy" created a lot of buzz for the artist in late 2021. During an interview with Soundsphere Magazine, Truth shared exactly what he'd like his legacy to be: "As an artist, I would like for my legacy to be undeniable, respected, remembered and inspiring."

One of the most revered announcers in the history of the WWE, Lilian Garcia is also a stellar vocalist who has been performing since an early age. Garcia would often sing The National Anthem at live events. Most notably, Garcia's performance on the September 13th, 2001 Edition of "SmackDown," just two days after the September 11th terrorist attacks on the US, is regarded as one of the most emotional moments in the history of WWE.

Garcia went on to put out music both within and outside the realms of the WWE. She performed the vocals on Torrie Wilson's entrance song, "Need a Little Time" and her own entrance song, "You Just Don't Know Me At All." She also made appearances at The Latin Grammys and The Latin MTV Awards. Her debut album "!Quiero Vivir!" dropped in 2007, and she is still releasing music to this day.

Former WWE Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion Matt Cardona was another former WWE Superstar to crack the top 100 on the iTunes music charts with his single "Hoeski" in 2013. The former Zack Ryder, who has always done very well with his social media platforms, parodied pop artists on the single alongside a comedic music video featured on the WWE YouTube channel.

Cardona most recently starred as the antagonist Alexander Swagger in the new musical, "The Last Match: A Pro Wrestling Rock Musical" alongside Ramin Karimloo and Amber Ardolino through all four debut performances in Jersey City, New Jersey. The self proclaimed Thousand Dollar Broski actually sings a few times throughout the show in typical Broadway (yet typical wrestling heel) fashion. Cardona and the show itself are already receiving rave reviews, as many legendary figures in professional wrestling have been in attendance.

Multiple time World Champion John Cena is also known for many of his roles outside of the ring. Whether he is starring in a movie role, writing a book, doing voice over work, or appearing in a commercial, he's considered to be one of the most successful crossover stars of all time. It's no secret that John Cena raps his own entrance theme song, "The Time is Now," but he also put out an entire album with the WWE Music Group and Columbia Records entitled "You Can't See Me."

The album featured Cena's cousin, Tha Trademarc, and together the duo encountered early success after the album's release. "You Can't See Me" debuted at Number 15 on The Billboard Charts, reached Number 3 on U.S. Billboard Rap Albums, and reportedly sold over 1.3 million copies allowing it to obtain certified platinum status. The album is still revered today as a total success, but a sequel never followed.

A Renaissance man and surefire future WWE Hall of Famer, Jeff Hardy is another talent that has dabbled in the world of art and music. Most musically known for his writing and performances with his band PeroxWhy?Gen, The Charismatic Enigma has released multiple singles and albums with the group. Arguably his most popular single track is "Obsolete," which was largely tied to The Broken Universe era of The Hardy Boys on "Impact Wrestling." The song is currently being used as the opener for Matt Hardy and Jon Alba's "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" podcast.

In an interview with WWE.com, Hardy stated, "Peroxwhy?gen. It's very confusing, and people wonder what it means. I was on the toilet one day and I looked at a peroxide bottle, and I thought, Peroxide, it cleans wounds and heals you. And oxygen, we need that. I just took that letter 'y' and made it a word 'why.'" Jeff Hardy recently did a short solo acoustic tour earlier this year ahead of his signing with All Elite Wrestling, where he performed many songs including an acoustic cover of his WWE entrance theme, "No More Words."