15 Native American Artists in Rock + Metal

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Testament's Chuck Billy
Testament’s booming vocalist Chuck Billy is a proud descendent of the Pomo Native American tribe and even spent much of his youth on the Hopeland Indian Reservation north of San Francisco. Billy has long placed his cultural heritage in Testament’s music with songs such as “Trail of Tears,” “Allegiance” and “Native Blood.”

Grand Funk Railroad's Mark Farner
“We’re an American Band” has native roots, as Grand Funk Railroad lead guitarist Mark Farner comes from Cherokee ancestry. Throughout his career, Farner has been honored by various tribes for his contributions to art and culture.

Falling in Reverse's Ronnie Radke
Falling In Reverse frontman Ronnie Radke is part Blackfoot Native American. The Blackfoot tribe is comprised of three different groups who had settled in what is modern day Alberta, Canada and the state of Montana.

Anthrax's Joey Belladonna
Along with his Italian heritage, Anthrax singer Joey Belladonna is Native American on his mother’s side, living as a descendant of the Iroquois tribe. Belladonna famously sung on the Anthrax track “Indians” from their landmark Among the Living album.

Jimmy Carl Black
Jimmy Carl Black was a powerhouse Cheyenne drummer for Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. Black’s career spanned 50 years, also manning the kit for Geronimo Black and Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band. On the Mothers of Invention’s third studio album, he famously ad-libbed the line, "Hi boys and girls, I'm Jimmy Carl Black and I'm the Indian of the group."

Blackfoot
Native American rock band Blackfoot experienced major success in the late 1970s, with their third album Strikes going platinum. The band was founded by musicians with Cheyenne, Cherokee and Lakota Sioux, but as of today, no original members remain in Blackfoot. Founding members Rickey Medlocke and Greg T. Walker even joined Lynyrd Skynyrd for a short time.

Jimi Hendrix
The greatest guitarist of all time often spoke about his grandmother, who was a member of the Cherokee tribe. Jimi Hendrix often paid tribute to his African and Cherokee heritage through the clothing he wore onstage, some items of which have been displayed at the Smithsonian. Hendrix also wrote using his Native influence on tracks like “I Don’t Live Today,” “May This Be Love” and “Little Wing.”

Jesse Ed Davis
A descendant of various Native tribes, Jesse Ed Davis experienced an incredible career before his death at age 43. Along with Taj Mahal, Davis was a session and live musician for icons like John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris and many others.

Willy DeVille
Willy DeVille came from Pequot roots on his mother’s side. He enjoyed a long career with Mink DeVille and as a solo artist, while collaborating with Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Van Morrison, Los Lobos and more.

Gary Duncan
Helping define the iconic ‘60s rock sound in San Francisco, Gary Duncan made his name as the guitarist and vocalist for Quicksilver Messenger Service. Duncan shared in various interviews that his birth father was half Cherokee and his mother was full blood Skidi Pawnee.

The Ventures' Nokie Edwards
One of the most criminally underrated guitarists of all time, Nole Floyd ‘Nokie’ Edwards played lead guitar for the Ventures. Edwards was a descendant of the Cherokee tribe, playing guitar professionally for 60 years and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before his death in 2018.

The Band's Robbie Robertson
Guitarist Robbie Robertson was a member of the iconic early rock group The Band. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee comes from Cayuga and Mohawk roots, often traveling to the Six Nations Reserve to visit family while growing up. The Band earned multiple gold and platinum certifications from the RIAA and embarked on a legendary collaborative partnership with Bob Dylan.

Link Wray
Link Wray was a Shawnee guitarist who became popular in the late ‘50s for the track “Rumble.” The song helped popularize the “power chord,” paving the way for generations of rock, punk and metal acts to come. For his incredible contributions to rock and roll, he’s often named as one of the most important guitarists in history.

Nechochwen
Black/folk metal band Nechochwen originated from West Virginia in the mid-2000s, using the group’s native heritage to inspire songs of history, traditions and nature. With three full-length albums released, the group also use Native American instrumentation, inspired by the culture of the Eastern Woodland Indians.

BIIPIIGWAN
Biipiigwan utilize inspiration for crushing metal from Anishinaabe culture, which sprawls from Canada through to the United States. Using the Ojibwe language for their music, Biipiigwan formed in 2008, releasing their sole full-length album, Something for Everyone; Nothing for Anyone, in 2013.



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