Offspring and Descendents Lead Singers On Why They Got Science PhDs

How the Offspring’s Lead Singer Went from Punk to Ph.D.: Before delivering a med school commencement address, Dr. Dexter Holland explained his HIV research and the scientific origin of “Come Out and Play.” (Alex Scordelis, Vice, May 24, 2022)

 

John Deacon was the bassist in Queen for many years, until his retirement in 2019. Brian May has always played guitar with the band. His Doctorate (Ph.D., Imperial College, University of London) is in Astrophysics. He went back and finished the degree after a 30+ year hiatus from studies, due to his musical career taking off. Subsequent to the Doctorate, he also served a five-year term as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University.

Dr. May is a phenomenal guitarist. One of a kind. Bass? Dunno. Can't say I've ever heard him play it. John Deacon is pretty darn good, though!

 

Worst celebrity academic: James Franco, who set up an unaccredited vocational school of acting later said to have functioned as a scheme to sexually exploit aspiring actresses. Circa 2010 he claimed to be pursuing graduate degrees in creative arts subjects in several programs at legitimate universities. It appears he completed one, a Columbia MFA CW.

 

Related: Trevor Hurst, lead singer and sole constant member of Canadian industrial/post-grunge group Econoline Crush since 1992, went back to school circa 2015 aged 45 to become a registered psychiatric nurse. The decision was connected to his recovery from alcohol.

Since his graduation in 2016 he's worked as a nurse on the Canupawakpa Dakota Nation, a First Nation of about 300 residents in rural Manitoba which had previously struggled to hire a nurse. He continues to perform with Econoline Crush.

Lead singer of Econoline Crush trades mic for stethoscope to work as nurse on Manitoba First Nation (Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press via CBC News, February 10, 2024)
Econoline Crush lead singer performs at Calgary Recovery day, opens up about becoming nurse to help addicts (Carolyn Kury de Castillo, Global News, September 10, 2017)
An interview with Trevor Hurst of Econoline Crush (A Journal of Musical Things, November 11, 2022)

 

Also, there are those who were awarded honorary doctorates.

Well known keyboardist and composer Jon Lord.

"Lord became known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with Deep Purple. His distinctive organ playing during Deep Purple's hard rock period was essential to the band's signature heavy sound and contributed to the early development of heavy metal. On 11 November 2010, he was inducted as an Honorary Fellow of Stevenson College in Edinburgh, Scotland. On 15 July 2011, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree at De Montfort Hall by the University of Leicester."

"The Doctor of Music degree has also been awarded honoris causa when presented to musicians and composers such as: Joseph Haydn,[3] Richard Strauss, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms, Felix Mendelssohn, Sir Simon Rattle in classical music, and Joan Baez, Matthew Bellamy, David Bowie, Phil Collins, Bruce Dickinson,[4] Celine Dion, Irene Dunne,[5] Bob Dylan, Kenny Garrett, Sir Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, David Gilmour, Barbara Hendrix, Milt Hinton, Billy Joel, Nik Kershaw, Sir Elton John, B.B. King, Mark Knopfler, Annie Lennox, Jon Lord, Sir Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Sir Van Morrison, Jimmy Page, Paul Simon, Joe Walsh, Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder and Neil Young in popular music. It has also been awarded as an honorary degree to musical artists who were not composers, including the ballet dancers Dame Alicia Markova and Dame Beryl Grey, as well as female royalty regardless of their experience in music"

Wiki

 

Blimey! Bloomin' shame! All them 'Sirs' got Doctored - and nuffink for my 'ero - Sir Mick Jagger! Wot's up wiv that?
'E should 'ave 'is!

"Jagger was honoured with a knighthood for services to popular music in the Queen's 2002 Birthday Honours" - Wiki.