Brian May, the legendary lead guitarist and songwriter of the rock group, Queen, has a bachelor of science in physics degree he obtained back in the 70s. And mind you, he earned the degree with honors. May then went back to school at Imperial College London so he could complete his Ph.D. in astrophysics. He did his doctoral thesis on the motions of interplanetary dust.
Prior to earning a degree in physics, May was educated at Hampton Grammar School where he achieved ten GCE Ordinary Levels and three GCE Advanced Levels in mathematics, applied mathematics, and physics. Dr. May’s intellect is just as rockin’ as the songs he wrote and played in the band.
Gene Simmons Has a Bachelor's in Education
Who would ever think that The Demon would have been a schoolteacher? If Gene Simmons didn’t pursue his dreams of becoming a rock star, he would have landed in academia. The bassist and co-lead singer of the popular rock band, Kiss, spent two years at Sullivan County Community College to earn an associate degree in education. He went back to New York City and graduated with another degree: a bachelor of arts in education from Richmond College.
After getting his degree, Simmons met Paul Stanley and formed a band called Wicked Lester. Together with his other friend, Steve Coronel, the three began performing on the nightclub circuit. But they weren’t earning much. Simmons briefly taught sixth graders in Spanish Harlem to support their dreams. He also held other jobs, including being a deli cashier and an assistant at Glamour, before forming Kiss and becoming massively successful.
Lionel Ritchie Has a Bachelor's in Economics
Known for being a versatile musician, Lionel Richie also has a degree in economics, with a minor in accounting, gained at the Tuskegee Institute. But it was also during this time when he took a major interest in music and eventually formed the band, The Commodores. The famous American singer, songwriter, and producer placed his studies on hold after being picked up by an agent and going on tour with his band. But he went back to school and earned his diploma in 1974.
It was also in 1974 when The Commodores got signed with the prestigious Motown label. It was quite a wonderful year for the young lad and his band.
Lisa Kudrow Has a Bachelor's in Biology
Lisa Kudrow may be famous for playing the typical dumb blonde, like Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom Friends and Michele Weinberger in Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, but she is nowhere near that in reality. Her world before acting actually revolved around medical research.
Kudrow’s father was a distinguished physician and researcher while her brother was a neurologist. Young Lisa Kudrow wanted to be on the same road as her family so she got a bachelor of arts, majoring in biology from Vassar College. She then worked on her father’s research team, which earned her credits. Just what was she researching, you ask? Turns out the Kudrow gang was focused on headaches.
Ken Jeong is a Doctor of Medicine
Ken Jeong may be noted as a comedian who never fails to make us laugh, but did you know that he is actually a medical doctor? He is best known for his roles as Ben Chang on the sitcom Community and as Leslie Chow in The Hangover film series, where he is immortalized as the man who jumped out of a trunk in his birthday suit. So who would ever think that this actor got an M.D. from the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, in 1995?
He finished his internal medicine residency in New Orleans while starting his stand-up comedy career at the same time. He is a licensed physician but is no longer practicing medicine. Jeong chose to focus on his acting career and is currently one of the panelists of the American reality singing competition television series, The Masked Singer.