3 Legendary Rock Stars From the 1980s That Were Completely Self-Taught

Some of the biggest stars of the 1980s rock scene were entirely (or mostly) self-taught musicians. No that’s talent. Let’s look at a few examples of such talented self-made musicians you may not have known were self-taught.

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Prince

Not only was the pop-rock icon Prince self-taught, but he was also a bit of a musical prodigy. Born to a musical family, he was able to play the guitar, piano, drums, saxophone, and more at a young age. And when he did first see a music teacher, he was already fairly well self-taught, so the pair focused more on music theory and exploring contemporary songs for fun.

“He [Prince] was an easy student, he was so eager to learn and it came naturally to him,” said the teacher in question, Jimmy Hamilton. “He could play any instrument, but the song we worked on the most was ‘Stairway To Heaven’ on the piano… he loved that one!”

Eddie Van Halen

The band Van Halen was established in the 1970s, but their career really kicked off in the 1980s with No. 1 albums like 5150 (1986) and OU812 (1988). And at the heart of it all was Eddie Van Halen’s absolutely legendary shredding skills. Unless you’re quite the heavy metal fan, you may not have known that this legendary guitarist was wholly self-taught. He took piano lessons as a child but never learned to read music. He learned to play the guitar on his own through his teen years.

“I slightly know how to read for the guitar, because I know notes,” Van Halen once said in a 1978 interview. “But like if I see an A or an E, I don’t know which one it is in relation to the piano.”

David Bowie

David Bowie had a pretty healthy career in the 1970s, but he’s also known for his work in the 1980s, such as Let’s Dance (1983) and Tonight (1984). And believe it or not, the Starman himself was largely self-taught. He learned to play the guitar, saxophone, and keyboard on his own, as well as a number of other instruments. He was an art school dropout, one without any formal musical training, who managed to compose some of the most complex and beautiful chord progressions of the 20th century. I have to admit, Bowie is a pretty surprising entry on this list of self-taught 1980s rock stars.

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