Beyond Leah Remini: 25 Musicians Associated with Scientology

25 Musicians Who Are (Or Were) Scientologists

Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard was born (well, at least on earth) 107 years ago on March 13, 1911. The late sci-fi author turned religious leader has numerous celebrity followers, and with Leah Remini's Emmy award-winning FX TV show "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath" drudging up new allegations against the church, its leaders and the celebrity members associated with it, Billboard compiled a list of 25 musicians who are confirmed Scientologists, have been associated with the Church of Scientology or are allegedly associated.

This gallery was originally published in December 2015 and has since been continually updated.

Beck

The 2015 Grammy album of the year winner was born into Scientology. In a 2012 interview with Vulture the musician (born Bek David Campbell) said, "It's just something that I've been around. People in my family do it. I've read books, and I've learned about it."

Chick Corea

Jazz fusion legend Chick Corea is a longtime Scientologist, thanking founder L. Ron Hubbard in the notes to many of his later albums. In 1982, Corea contributed to Space Jazz: The Soundtrack of the Book Battlefield Earth, the companion album to Hubbard's 1982 book Battlefield Earth.

Isaac Hayes

Soul and funk legend Isaac Hayes was a longtime Scientologist, which allegedly got him into a hot spot when South Park mercilessly mocked Scientology in a 2005 episode. Not long after, Hayes  — who died in 2008 — was released from his contract with South Park, where he voiced the character "Chef."

Courtney Love

In the liner notes of her 2004 album America's Sweetheart, Courtney Love thanked Scientology and Kirstie Alley. Love is the widow of Kurt Cobain, who died by suicide 10 years earlier in 1994.

Doug E. Fresh

Hip-hop's alpha beatboxer, Doug E. Fresh (born Douglas E. Davis), is a member of the Church of Scientology. His "La Di Da Di" track is one of the most-referenced in rap history.

Julia Migenes

Operatic mezzo-soprano Julia Migenes — famous for her role in the original Fiddler on the Roof — has been associated with the Church of Scientology.

Lisa Marie Presley

Elvis Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, was associated with Scientology for years. She eventually severed ties, telling USA Today, "They were taking my soul, my money, my everything.” Lisa Marie's mom (and Elvis' widow) Priscilla, is still associated with Scientology.

Edgar Winter

American blues-rock multi-instrumentalist Edgar Winter is a member of the Church of Scientology. Aside from his own hits like "Free Ride," he worked on Mission Earth, a 1986 album of words and music by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. 

Nancy Cartwright

She's not technically a musician, but Nancy Cartwright — the voice of Bart Simpson — nevertheless scored a radio hit in 1990 with the Michael Jackson-written song "Do the Bartman." Cartwright joined Scientology around the time The Simpsons made its series debut.

Mark Isham

Composer Mark Isham — who plays the trumpet and the synthesizer – has scored dozens of films from the '80s to present day, from the Oscar-winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) to the best picture Oscar winner Crash (2004). He's also a Scientologist.

John Travolta

What list of musically inclined Scientologists could be complete without John Travolta? From Grease to Hairspray, he probably has the best pipes in the whole organization.

Jada Pinkett Smith

This is controversial considering actress and former metal rockstress (and, yes, wife to Will) Jada Pinkett Smith vehemently denied allegations that she practiced Scientology Sept. 19. Pinkett Smith, as part of a larger Twitter thread, tweeted, "I have studied Dianetics, and appreciate the merits of Study Tech.. but I am not a Scientologist."

Juliette Lewis

Actress and Church of Scientology member Juliette Lewis (Natural Born Killers, What's Eating Gilbert Grape) fronted garage rock band Juliette and the Licks from 2003 to 2009. The group released three albums before breaking up. 

L. Ron Hubbard

Yep, the founder of the Church of Scientology was also a musician. In addition to writing the sci-fi book Battlefield Earth, he composed the score for an accompanying soundtrack to the book, featuring contributions from Chick Corea. In the '70s he founded a group called The Apollo Stars which performed concerts that promoted Scientology.

Tom Constanten

Tom Constanten played keyboards with the Grateful Dead form 1968-1970, a period which found him involved in Scientology. He would eventually end his relationship with the church.

Leonard Cohen

To be clear, the late Leonard Cohen was not a practicing Scientologist. But, as noted in this New Yorker profile from Oct. 2016 (Cohen passed in November), "Since his days davening next to his uncles in his grandfather’s synagogue, Cohen has been a spiritual seeker. 'Anything, Roman Catholicism, Buddhism, LSD, I’m for anything that works,' he once said. In the late sixties, when he was living in New York, he studied briefly at a Scientology center and emerged with a certificate that declared him 'Grade IV Release.'"

Sonny Bono

The late Sonny Bono, who died in 1998, of iconic duo Sonny & Cher was a confirmed Scientologist for a time in his life. It was reported in 1999 via Bono's widow, former U.S. Representative Mary Bono, that her late ex-husband attempted to leave the church in 1991 but "they made it very difficult for him. Extremely difficult. I was resentful of that. I did not like the fact that he said, ‘Hey, I’m done with it. I’m not a Scientologist.’ … And they were saying, ‘Hey, you can’t do that.’"

Danny Masterson

So, Danny Masterson is and will forever be first and foremost remembered as Steven Hyde in That '70s Show, but he also has dabbled in music on the side under the name DJ Mom Jeans. Masterson grew up in Scientology and took a deep dive into his "religious philosophy" with Paper Magazine in Feb. 2015. Among the things he disclosed, ""Everything basically in Scientology is like, 'Here's a problem; OK cool, here's something you can study that will help you find the solution to that problem.' There's nothing more to it."

Michael Peña

Michael Peña, like Masterson, is primarily an actor known for his roles in NYPD Blue, Crash, The Martian and a recent remake of CHIPS. Peña was also a drummer in an alt-rock band named Nico Vega. In Oct. 2016, Peña told The Guardian that Scientology (he joined in 2000) program Study Tech "made me a better actor because I felt like it helped my understanding of scripts.”

Frank Stallone

Frank Stallone is the younger brother of iconic actor Sylvester Stallone. In 1986, Frank collaborated with fellow Scientologist John Travolta and actor Leif Garrett to make album The Road to Freedom, which was a musical version of the word founded by L. Ron Hubbard. The album was sponsored by the church and went gold.

Van Morrison

The Irish singer-songwriter has been subject of Scientology rumors. Founder L. Ron Hubbard received special thanks in the liner notes of Van Morrison's 1983 album Inarticulate Speech of the Heart. However, Van Morrison denied those allegations, saying, "There have been many lies put out about me and this finally states my position. I have never joined any organization, nor plan to."

Jeff Conaway

Jeff Conaway co-starred alongside confirmed Scientologist John Travolta in Grease. In fact, Conaway told Inside Edition in 2008 that Travolta was who introduced him to Scientology. In that same interview, he said in relation to what helped him get sober from drugs, "I’ve been doing Scientology…my doctor was like, Holy cow, he says whatever you’ve been doing keep doing it because it’s really working.” Conaway passed in 2011. 

Brandy

It has been claimed that in footage from Leah Remini's controversial documentary, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, singer Brandy is spotted at a fundraiser. There have been many unconfirmed rumors for years that Brandy turned to Scientology following a car crash in 2006, and that she adamantly denied any involvement with the church.

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman is most recently in the headlines for her acclaimed portrayal in HBO limited series Big Little Lies. She is now married to country star Keith Urban, but before that, she was engulfed in Scientology with then-husband Tom Cruise, whom she divorced (along with the church) in 2001. Also in 2001 was Kidman's musical role in Moulin Rouge! 

Chaka Khan

The following appeared in a 2007 piece run by The Telegraph: "It seems to have been religion that helped Khan recover from her addictions. But the man from the record label tells me she doesn't want to discuss her beliefs. She mentions Scientology, but denies being a Scientologist."