At a glance
Boston Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo is just the latest pro athlete to moonlight as a musician. A list of some other hitmakers – and some misses:
Shaquille O’Neal: The Miami Heat center is also the biggest name among all the athletes posing as rappers. Shaq has released five albums – one of which is a greatest hits collection.
Bernie Williams: The New York Yankees center fielder’s instrumental jazz guitar disc, “The Journey Within,” was a best seller and earned positive reviews in 2003.
Wayman Tisdale: After 12 years as an NBA power forward, Tisdale has recorded five albums as an R&B and jazz bassist and performed on the Dave Koz and Friends concert tour.
Mike Reid: The former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle earned a Grammy for best new country song for writing “Stranger in My House,” a hit for Ronnie Milsap in 1983. He’s also written for Bonnie Raitt and Bette Midler.
Jack McDowell: “Black Jack,” as the former American League Cy Young winner was known, named his rock band Stick Figure as a reflection of his 6-foot-5, 180-pound frame. Musical friends include Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder.
Tony Conigliaro: The late, great Tony C, whose promising career as a Red Sox outfielder was derailed in 1967 by a beanball to his face, recorded several 45s in the mid-1960s. He also sang on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and “The Merv Griffin Show.”
Allen Iverson: The 76ers superstar didn’t earn any new fans among women and gays after recording his rap CD – which was never released – in 2000.
Kobe Bryant: His upper middle-class background didn’t exactly give him street cred when he tried to launch a rap career a few years ago. (Just one more example of Shaq coming out on top.)
Ron Artest: The Indiana Pacers forward asked for time off to work on his rap album – and he got it when he was suspended for most of last season for his role in the November brawl with the Detroit Pistons and their fans.
Deion Sanders: The NFL star who likes to refer to himself as “Prime Time” shows his softer, more sensitive side with hip-hop ditties such as “Must Be the Money” and “Y U NV ME?”
Roy Jones Jr.: The boxer’s 2002 debut rap album, “Round One,” includes songs titled, appropriately enough, “Who Wanna Get Knocked Out” and “Invincible.”
Carl Lewis: Do a Google search for “Carl Lewis” and “music video” and you’ll find an event that the nine-time Olympic gold medalist definitely didn’t win. Lewis looks vaguely like Grace Jones as he sings while pumping iron in the gym.
1985 Chicago Bears: They’re not here to cause no trouble. They’re just here to do “The Super Bowl Shuffle,” one of the most insanely catchy one-hit wonders.