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Rock the Vote: 20 Musicians Turned Politicians

January 6th 2012 11:00AM


Getty, Asylum, Getty

Although actors-turned-politicians like Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger get most of the attention, they're not the only entertainers to throw their hats into the political arena. Plenty of musicians have tried to bridge the gap between public performance and public service. Some have even succeeded.

The latest musician to attempt this is Youssou N'Dour. The Grammy-winning Senegalese singer -- best known to pop music fans as Neneh Cherry's duet partner on '7 Seconds' -- recently declared his plans to run for president in his country's upcoming election due to overwhelming demand from his supporters.

"For a long time, men and women have demonstrated their optimism, dreaming of a new Senegal. They have, in various ways, called for my candidacy... I listened, I heard," N'Dour said, promising to provide food, electricity, health and education for all.

In honour of N'Dour's candidacy, we've compiled a list of 20 other musicians who left the stage to run for office.




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