Patrick Grant is a musician who started International Strange Music Day, which is celebrated on August 24th. He created the day to inspire people to listen to music that they consider to be strange. As a musician, he had an appreciation for a variety of sounds, instruments, and genres, and he wanted to encourage the masses to listen outside of their usual comfort zones. 

What does all this have to do with beards, you may ask? Some people think wearing a beard is strange. Clearly, we don’t agree with them, but we love the idea of trying something new and expanding our horizons, musical or otherwise. 

Musicians, whether you consider their music to be very strange or not, are often trendsetters. Quite a few musical acts played no small part in the men’s grooming trends that have catapulted beards in and out of the fashion spotlight over the years. 

Let’s have a little fun. Here are our favorite bearded musicians. 

Dusty Hill

Dusty Hill is the late bassist and vocalist of ZZ Top. He made one-third of the group that seamlessly blended rock and blues into a unique new style. Hill was known to sport a long beard.

Isaac Hayes

This late soul singer proved that a beard doesn’t have to be long to make a big impact. The signature beard that he kept for most of his career, coupled with shades, added to his aesthetic as an untouchable cool dude. 

Jim James

Jim James is a singer with My Morning Jacket. He often keeps a beard that ends in distinct a triangular point and blends seamlessly with his long locks of hair. 

Chris Stapelton

Christ Stapelton is a country crooner who can often be spotted with a stylish cowboy hat, long hair, and a long beard. His voice is rich like molasses. Although he signs solo as well, he’s also a member of the Zac Brown Band. Stapelton has been known to cross genres. For example, his band has a song with Pitbull called Can’t Stop Us Now.

Bob Marley

The late great Bob Marley was a musical pioneer because he brought reggae to the mainstream. Along with his band, The Wailers, Marley made reggae household music for people thousands of miles away from his home country of Jamaica. Throughout his career, Bob Marley often sported a beard. At times, it was a medium-length goatee, and he wore it shaved down closer to his face sometimes too. His sons, Damian and Ziggy Marley, are carrying the torch as bearded musicians. 

Dave Grohl

To the world, Dave Grohl is the frontman of the Foo Fighters. To us, he’s a Beard Confidence hero. Dave Grohl has long hair, so there’s no question about his ability to grow hair. He also has a beard that some would describe as patchy, which is not an insult in this neck of the woods. Grohl proves that healthy beards can be patchy and just as awesome as a fuller one. 

Wonder if any of these musicians use Smoky Mountain Beards beard oil? Great music comes from all genres, and beards come in all shapes and sizes. In honor of Strange Music Day, why don’t you give some of these artists a listen? Let us know who your favorite bearded musicians are!