When you think of the state of Pennsylvania, multiple things probably come to mind: state fairs, Gettysburg, the Chocolate Capital of Hershey, automobile history, or maybe even our home school of Greenwood itself. Many of our cities and towns are tight-knit communities, producing work for the average person and stability for families. Simply put, it’s hard to imagine a famous rockstar coming out of PA—but you’d be surprised that countless performers and chart-toppers have originated in our state. Just imagine, you’ve most likely heard a song before that was written by a musician that calls the Keystone state their home state. With that in mind, let’s check out some famous musicians of PA…and a couple of extras that are still moving into stardom.
Joan Jett
Joan Jett (born Joan Larkin) remains to this day one of the most influential women in rock and roll history, breaking into the male-dominated space when she was only 14. At this age, Joan received her first guitar, long after she was out in Philadelphia as an aspiring rockstar. After a family move to California, she waved goodbye to her hometown and gathered all the ideas she had formed there, preparing to jump into the music scene as soon as possible. She became what you could call a rebel, and ditched her divorced parents and Folk songs for disco clubs and inspiration for her first band, The Runaways. But when members began to leave the band, she realized sharing the stage was not quite for her. Thus, her solo career began, and after an initial struggle with record labels, the public soon knew her as the sensation who sang “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” and “I Hate Myself for Loving You”. Nowadays, she is signing bands to her own label called Blackheart Records, and her songs can be heard in film and TV productions of all genres. When was the last time Joan put another dime in a Pennsylvania jukebox, I wonder?
Taylor Swift
Whatever bad blood Taylor Swift has, it’s surely not with her hometown of West Reading, PA. As a young girl, Taylor found poetic inspiration by roaming her family’s christmas tree farm and attending her local youth theater. At age 11 she knew she was destined to sing, but she wasn’t out of the woods yet. She submitted karaoke tapes to Nashville record labels and was rejected. From that moment on, she knew that in order to succeed in the music industry at such a young age, she would have to set herself apart from the others. Taylor found her place in country and pop, transforming her personal poems into creative albums. She graduated a year early from high school to keep up with her growing amount of tours and events. By now the public knew her as a chill yet impactful musician, with hits such as “Love Story”, “I Knew You Were Trouble”, and “Blank Space”. In 2017, her style took a turn with the release of Reputation, where her vocals came across as more abrupt and her instrumentals more electronic. Her two recent albums, Folklore and Evermore, were recorded during the coronavirus pandemic. Fans were also enthused to hear that a re-recorded issue of a previous album is to be released this April.
Mac Miller
This artist has imprinted his legacy in hip-hop ever since he began releasing mixtapes out of Pittsburg. Mac Miller found himself rapping at the age of 15 but created a background in music at only age 6 when he messed with drums and guitar. He noted, “Once I found out hip-hop is almost like a job, that’s all I did”, and won multiple Pittsburg Hip Hop Awards under the age of 21. Mac found that social media engagement took him far in his ranks, and before he knew it, he was performing alongside Kendrick Lamar and Meek Mill. His peak came through the release of his founded record label REMember Music, which focused on fellow rising Pittsburg talents. The public was attracted to him more and more as his music matured, especially with albums GO:OD AM and Swimming. Unfortunately, Mac Miller’s rising popularity was cut short when he died of an accidental drug overdose at age 26 (current official reason, as this is still being investigated). However, his impact continues to thrive today. Many of his songs focused on mental health, and a charity in his name makes donations to MusiCares, an organization that helps young musicians handle substance abuse issues.
Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin is a hard rock band formed by frontman Benjamin Burnley in 1999, Wilkes-Barre, PA. The band was originally supposed to be named Plan 9, but once a solid lineup of musicians joined the band, they decided to revert back to their original name. They had a spike in mainstream fame with the release of their album Phobia, which was quite personal to Burnley, as many of the tracks drew inspiration from his personal struggles with hypochondria, fear of the dark, and fear of flying. Another album, Dear Agony, topped the Billboard charts, while the band toured with similar bands respectively. The band bonded through the release of multiple albums throughout 2014-2020, including acoustic renditions of previous songs. Concertgoers awaited another tour, but it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. During the lockdown, Breaking Benjamin released a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls’ song “Iris”.
Live
If you read my previous article closely, you might remember that Mr. Watts mentioned this band in our interview. Live was formed in York, PA in 1984, right around when post-grunge was about to become popular. After a rocky start deciding on a name that fit the band, they began recording various EPs. Their philosophic lyrics and lead singer Ed Kowalczyk’s emotional voice soon put the band on top charts, beginning with their album Throwing Copper. With hits like “Lightning Crashes” and “Selling the Drama”, this remains the band’s most known album to date. Live released a few more albums before announcing a hiatus, which almost became a permanent split, had the members’ solo projects shown more audience. Luckily, in 2017, all original members returned to the band and they toured again in the summer of 2019 to celebrate Throwing Copper’s 25th anniversary.
Henry Mancini
This successful composer, conductor, and pianist was raised in Aliquippa, PA. If his name sounds familiar, you might recognize him as the composer of the easily identified “The Pink Panther Theme”. Mancini was attracted to music as a child and this attraction stuck with him as he enlisted in the U.S. Army at 18 years old. There he was reassigned to liberate concentration camps in Austria and met many musicians along the way while in training. After the war, he decided to pursue a career in music further and joined Universal-International's music department. Mancini died of cancer when he was 70, around the time when he was composing for Broadway. His solo career left a legacy that was largely impactive on all types of music. His honors include winning 20 out of 72 nominated Grammy Awards, 4 out of 18 Academy Awards, and an honorary doctorate of music from Berklee College of Music. In 2005, the Henry Mancini Arts Academy was opened to the public. He was even printed onto a stamp by the U.S. Postal Service! Talk about recognition, all starting from an 8-year-old playing piccolo in Pennsylvania.
Poison
This band had nothing but a good time in mind when they first formed in Mechanicsburg, PA. Poison’s main lineup includes Bret Michaels, Rikki Rockett, Bobby Dall, and C.C. DeVille (fun fact: they named the band after the Kix song Poison). Poison is your classic rock band that started out in a garage and has now reached platinum fame. Except, the special thing was that they met in Pennsylvania. Poison began performing in local clubs, and their frequent appearances on MTV quickly made them a hot subject in gossip and record labels. Although the band’s motto was “work hard, play hard”, this sometimes didn’t only refer to their smash hit albums. Things often got rowdy at parties, and soon a few lawsuits against recklessness were drawn up as the band reached the spotlight. The members decided it was time to ditch their current public image and try a new approach. This led to the release of their Greatest Hits album, with favorites such as “Nothin’ But a Good Time”, “Unskinny Bop”, and “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”. In 2010, A Shot of Poison was released; a biography written by rock journalist Christopher Long that highlighted the band’s achievements. The band pursued both collaborative projects with other artists as well as tours throughout the past years. They were set to tour with Motley Crue, Def Leppard, and Joan Jett this past summer, but were withheld due to the pandemic. They were even set to be right back here in PA, with both Philly and Pittsburgh included in the tour.
Halestorm
Alright, you may or may not find this rock band from Red Lion, PA in your local Hot Topic. But I promise they’ve come a long way since being recognized in 2009. Signed with Atlantic Records, Halestorm consists of siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale, as well as two other friends Joe Hottinger and Josh Smith. Their most recent and popular works, “Do Not Disturb” and “Love Bites (So Do I)” are what really gained them a fanbase after being played on the radio so often. What makes them unique is that it truly doesn’t stop at the music for Halestorm. The band has proved to be extremely involved in activism, and lead singer Lzzy herself is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, making their concerts a safe haven for all. The band believes that progressive and modern rock and roll culture is what the world needs. Halestorm is on their way to proving this, and Lzzy keeps their well-earned Grammy award on her mantelpiece to keep the band’s progress in the air.
Small Town Titans
Small Town Titans have literally been a small town band until about two years ago when their heavier cover of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” went viral right around the holidays. Members Phil Freeman, Ben Guiles, and Jonny Ross are always enthused to share their journey as aspiring York, PA musicians to their fans. They are focused on creating new music constantly and connecting with their audience personally. This makes concerts full of banter and adds down-to-earth rawness in their performing. STT’s latest album entitled The Ride was released shortly before the start of 2021. According to the band’s Instagram, they are “creating new stuff all the time”, so it’s best to be on the lookout for what’s next from this rapidly rising band.
*** all sources come from Wikipedia or the said musician’s personal website bio ***