Why isn't he an option on your list?

I doubt they'll get into "best" category, but the Blues Project had the distinction of being all-Jewish, with Al Kooper, Danny Kalb, Steve Katz, Andy Kulberg, and Roy Blumenfeld (this is after Tommy Flanders left and Kooper joined).

Okay, not all of Jane's Addiction...

But Perry Farrell and Stephen Perkins.

Actual, serious, true blue rock.

--dak

...that is, if he's Jewish, which I'm pretty sure he is.

No question.

My runners up would be David Lee Roth and Neil Diamond (you can't leave out the Jewish Elvis).

Ira Kaplan - Yo La Tengo

David Berman - Silver Jews

You left out Geddy Lee of Rush, and Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits -- both leaders of influential bands. And I believe all the members of Phish are Jewish. Not as important to his band, but percussionist Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead is Jewish.

What about Marc Bolan???

I know, I KNOW.

But, still.

Cheekily,

Gordon

If only because he's put some serious studio time into working out/celebrating his heritage. Oh, and 'cause he kicks a little ass, too.

* The Beastie Boys
* Jonathan Richman
* Richard Hell

David Lee Roth made more bad solo records by himself than good records with Van Halen, therefore does not belong on any such list.

Yeah, I know. The Beastie Boys are on there. What can I say?

tomorrow we'll all be warcriminals here.

Marc Bolan!

Can you think of someone better to share four glasses of wine with? She rocks my vote with hr terrific new album and her great performances at SXSW. Did you even have any girls on your list (what about those women from Slater-Kinney and Northern State)?

Kind of creating a bias by showing a picutre of Lou Reed.

Perhaps he lacks the cultural reach of some of the other folks mentioned, but I'll be damned if he ain't a wonderful and original songwriter who deserves some props.

That said, to ask the question of "who's the greatest Jewish rock star" is to beg the answer: Dylan, who tops the list of "greatest" even when the goys get to be on the list.

Sorry.

Practicing Jews?

I didn't know Bob Dylan was Jewish! Does he wear a yarmulke and everything?

There's this whole world of separate and special Jewish people that I never knew was out there. I just thought they were "people."

Dylan is not only rock's greatest Jewish artist, but arguably rock's greatest artist period. So I voted for him. However, I think Leonard Cohen deserves special mention. He never became as popular as Dylan, but in many ways his career is much more consistent. Like Dylan, Cohen has also traveled down similar spiritual paths (often times describing these travels more poetically). Cohen is a great poet who I've always considered to be related to the Jewish mystic tradition. I mean, really, is there an album that so profoundly articulates problems of love and faith better than Various Positions?

I recall reading somewhere that Carlos Santana had learned that his family are descended from Conversos (Jews forced to convert to Catholicism during the Inquisition). I wish fervently that Mark Knopfler (a personal guitar hero) was Jewish, because his Dad was, but his rep has stated publicly in the past that Mark himself aligns with no faith. His brother David has written faith-based music in the past but not specifically about Judaism.

If the Jewish tradition traced one's heritage patrilineally rather than matrilineally, Lenny Kravitz would rank here. I do not know if he practices.

Peter Himmelman gets my vote: doesn't perform on the Sabbath, and is quietly Bob Dylan's son-in-law.

Also Marc Cohn ("Walking in Memphis"), who was in a teen band with Mr. Himmelman.

And the great Chuck Brodsky ("On Christmas I Got Nothing", et al.)

And Mort Shuman. (writer of "Save the Last Dance For Me" and "Teenager in Love.")

And who can forget The Strangeloves ("I Want Candy")!!!

My write-in:

"Yiddish-fluent non-Jew Walter Becker and authentic Hebraic rocker Donald Fagen",

aka Steely Dan

Quote above from the informative and amusing "Jews Rock" website at http://jewsrock.org/

Mary Weiss -- Shangri Las.

Thanks for the great on-line poll. I agree with the one post that stated Dylan was the greatest...period.

first, yo la tengo is pretty great (have you listened to that last album?). and they are proud of their jewish heritage too. if you check out the website you'll see so by the t-shirts they've got for sale and the gigs they throw together on certain holidays. also, the silver jews ain't so bad. but these guys are still in their prime (arguably), and people like lou reed and leonard cohen are kind of already legends. so it's sort of biased.

but i have a question... didn't dylan convert to some form of christianity or another? you can have the blood/belief arguement if you'd like, but when one of my people abandons camp i'm not so sure he's part of the tribe anymore. you know what i mean?

anyway, my votes for joey ramone cuz a) he rules, and b) maybe he changed music more than any of the other choices.

(billy joel?!? david lee roth!?!)

and that's that.

ps sorry for the spelling and grammatical mistakes; i've been dealing with a synthetic language for a couple of years now and i'm forgetting my english. it's embarrasing.

ok, alright, i've always been a miserable speller. there, i said it.

This reminds me of a stupid joke from my brother. What does a six-pointed star made of granite have in common with Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, and Paul Simon? They're all Jewish rock stars!

goes to Sleater-Kinney - 2/3rds Jewish(Brownstein & Weiss)!

Have some taste, folks. After Dylan, Joey Ramone, sure; Leonard Cohen, of course. But Lou Reed? He is SUCH a poser.

"you better explain yourself if you think Barbra Streisand trumps Bob Dylan" -- WTF? So Bob Dylan is the standard by which rocking is judged?

Where is Blue Öyster Cult? They're from Long Island! They were banned in Germany!

http://www.jewsrock.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=words.view&wordid=2F18560F-3B37-48DC-A1F443E85443500C