Musicians in Costume 25-21

25 - Rob Zombie - Rob Zombie is sort of the opposite of Alice Cooper because he actually is a little scary looking. Mr. Zombie has had a long fascination with B-horror movies and I think it's spilled over into his personal life.

Why he made the list: Rob Zombie has been successful in many different arenas. From his work with the groundbreaking group White Zombie to his newly found talent for directing horror movies, Rob Zombie has entrenched himself in popular culture. He obviously has a vivid imagination that is also sometimes truly disturbing.

24 - Elvis Presley - What is there to say about Elvis that hasn't already been said? Elvis, a one time truck driver, took his love for music and combined it with elements of black rhythm and blues and became an instant hit with white audiences all across America. It's a shame his life was shortened. I sometimes wonder if he would have had a resurgence like Johnny Cash did later in his career.

Why he made the list: Along with swinging his hips, Elvis was known for dressing in his white jumpsuits, complete with sequins, belt, and sometimes a cape. Elvis' look may be responsible for just as many sales as his voice was. How many other entertainers have had such a huge following of impersonators?

23 - Buckethead - Buckethead is a guitarist known for wearing a Michael Myers mask and a Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket on his head. He plays several different styles of music including jazz, avant-garde, electronica, funk, and even thrash-metal. Guitar One magazine named him number 8 on a top 10 list of the greatest guitar shredders of all-time.

Why he made the list: Buckethead knows how to sell his character. His official biography states that he was raised by chickens in a coop. That kind of dedication shows that Buckethead is all about entertaining his loyal followers. Somehow that KFC bucket combined with the frightening face of William Shatner is one of the most clever, and disturbing, disguises I've ever seen. Not only is Buckethead an extremely talented guitarist, but he also gets points for his breakdancing skills.

22 - Daft Punk - Daft Punk are an electronic music duo from Paris. They gained popularity after releasing their American debut album Homework in 1997. Some may be surprised to learn that Daft Punk state Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Bob Marley as two of their influences. After Daft Punk were embraced by American fans, other groups like Air began to receive similar attention.

Why they make the list: Maybe it's because I grew up watching bad sci-fi movies and t.v. shows, but robots are cool damnit! The origin of their robot personas is something straight out of Marvel comics: "We did not choose to become robots. There was an accident in our studio. We were working on our sampler, and at exactly 9:09 a.m. on September 9, 1999, it exploded. When we regained consciousness, we discovered that we had become robots." The duo have taken great measures to keep their identities secret, and have even appeared in interviews with their backs turned.

21 - Humpty Hump - "All right stop what you're doin'/I'm about to ruin/the image and the style that you're used to." And with those words, a whole new style of hip hop was created. Sure, other groups were experimenting as well, but in an era where gangster rap ruled, Humpty Hump and Digital Underground made hip hop fun again. Instead of bragging about blunts and brew, Humpty was dropping lines like:

I like to rhyme/I like my beats funky

I'm spunky/I like my oatmeal lumpy.

I'm sick wit dis/straight gangsta mack

sometimes I get ridiculous

I'll eat up all your crackers and your licorice

hey yo fat girl, c'mere--are ya ticklish?

Yeah, I called ya fat/Look at me, I'm skinny.

Why he made the list: No one was sure who Humpty Hump even was thanks to his oversized plastic nose and glasses, along with his bizarre voice. When rumors started to circulate that Humpty Hump was Shock G of Digital Underground in disguise, painstaking efforts were made for the two to appear together. Painstaking because they indeed were the same person.