Until Townsman Diskojoe mentioned it, I’m not sure that I knew former Boston Red Sox hope and tragic hero Tony Conigliaro had a singing career. I immediately sought out an example of his recorded works and found this, “When You Take More Than You Give”, a totally respectable slice of ’60s dinner theater pop. This song wouldn’t be out of place on one of HVB’s Thrifty Music hauls. Check it out!
I think this calls for a Battle Royale: Can you find a recording by a professional athlete that tops this record by Tony C? The likes of Garth Brooks, who has taken batting practice in spring training, do not count! The recordings of Rock Town Hall members who played in their phavorite team’s Phantasy Camp also do not count! If possible, please post links to any decent track you might find. Thanks!
“Baby, How Long Can You Keep Me in the Penalty Box” by Dave “the Hammer” Schultz
Isn’t the Chicago Bears “Super Bowl Shuffle” the gold standard? It certainly moved me, I stopped watching sports since I saw it.
I’m trying to find the single that Wilt Chamberlain released in the ’60s or early ’70s. I remember hearing it once and thinking it was better than anything Shaq ever put out.
James Brown was briefly a professional boxer, so his entire body of recordings counts. I win!
My personal favorite is “It’s alright to cry” by Rosey Grier, from “Free to be you and me”.
BigSteve, that’s one slick move you pulled on us. You are well ahead of the pack. So much for me saving my ace in the hole, MC Hammer, who was an A’s batboy as a teenager, which almost qualifies as having been a professional athlete.
Good one, Cherguevara!
Not only was Hammer a world class batboy for the As, he was one of the two or three best MTV Rock ‘n Jock Softball players of all time and he groomed Deion Sanders for his all-too-brief recording career.
More Rosey Grier:
http://funky16corners.wordpress.com/2008/07/13/roosevelt-grier-slow-drag/
Sorry, “Rosie”
My bad.
Paul Robeson also had a professional athletic career.
Best-worst performance, rock video category has to go to Carl Lewis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jamJ4-C_TME
Make sure you stick around for the second half.
A friend of mine had a Terry Bradshaw country album. It was far better than I thought it would be:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeS1c8NtNy8
I heard one song from bird-flipping pitcher Jack McDowell’s band Stickfigure that didn’t suck.
Does anybody remember the Conan O’Brien/Michael Bolton feud? Celebrity softball is not exactly pro athletics, but lest Bolton’s quote be forgotten:
“If we ever play another softball game together I’m going to drive the ball through his head. He plays third base but he better play outfield because he won’t survive the game.”
No love for Iverson’s “40 Bars”? He was just keepin it real, Yo. Y’all are bitch-asses if you don’t feel that.
I’ll second “It’a all right to cry” Besides the powerful singing performance his guitar playing is top-notch
Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHrwcQrY-JM
Then there’s Mike Reid, an All-Pro defensive lineman in the early 70s, who never had much of a career as a singer, but I’m sure he’s made more money as the co-writer of Bonnie Raitt’s I Can’t Make You Love Me than he ever did as an athlete.
Iverson’s science was pretty tight, but Cedric Ceballos was probably the better MC.
I spent a while yesterday trying to find Denny McLain’s organ-centric cover of Hurdy Gurdy Man and came up dry, but I did find videos of Bernie Williams jammin’ with the Allman Brothers and Ozzie Smith singing Cupid.
Mike Reid’s a great call!
I’m surprised how hard it is to track down some of these recordings online.
You know, the tennis player Yannick Noah has a music career of some kind, but I’ve never heard a note of it. (And okay, I know this because it comes up when I google myself).