Native American influence is deeply engrained in rock and metal, whether you realize it or not. From the greatest guitarist of all time, to the innovator of the power chord, to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions and sharing the stage with the Beatles, we’re paying tribute to First Nation American musicians.
In thrash, two of the metal sub-genre’s greatest vocalists come from a Native background — Testament‘s Chuck Billy and Anthrax‘s Joey Belladonna. Billy has sung about his Pomo heritage on Testament cuts such as ”Trail of Tears” and “Native Blood,” while Belladonna famously lent his voice to Anthrax’s “Indians.”
When a musician’s accolades include collaborating with John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris and more, you think they’d be extremely famous. In reality, that’s not necessarily the case, but you can learn more about the life of Jesse Lee Davis in this post.
Check out these 14 Native American Artists in Rock + Metal in the gallery below.