Some have what it takes to be athlete, singer - some don’t
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 big man 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.
• 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.
• 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.
•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 ever.
• 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.
•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.
• 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.”
• 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.)
• Deion Sanders. The NFL star who likes to refer to himself as “Prime Time” shows his softer, more sensitive side with hip-hop ditties like “Must Be the Money” and “Y U NV ME?”
• Ron Artest. The Indiana Pacers forward asked for time off to work on his rap album – and got it once he was suspended for the rest of the season for his role in last year’s brawl with the Detroit Pistons and their fans.
•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.