It’s a fascinating question: What is the connection of music and musicians to personal character and values? And why have there been so many great American musicians who were also great Freemason musicians? Let’s take a moment to shine the concert spotlight on this intriguing and rarely explored topic.
The Musician / Mason Connection
Psychologists have long noted that musicians often have common personal values. These often include (1.) A “People First Approach,” which prioritizes the value of serving people over profits; (2.) Love of Truth and Freedom, which empowers musicians to express their true selves and embrace democracy; and (3.) Valuing Relationships and Community, which leads musicians to consider their relationships with others as essential and which leads them to favor friendly and mutually-supportive environments.
Great American Freemason Musicians
When you consider the personal values mentioned above, you begin to see quite clearly why so many of America’s greatest and most beloved musicians have been Freemasons. Just like musicians generally, Freemasons ardently embrace Brotherly Love, Tolerance, Charity, and Truth. So it’s no wonder that music and Freemasonry are core to the lives of artists such as …
Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong
(1901 – 1971)
Louis was a member of Montgomery Lodge No.18 PHA in New York City. Known for his personal kindness and big, warm smile, he affirmed his Freemason values, in part, by founding and funding the Louis Armstrong Foundation. The foundation’s core mission is to support musicians, jazz education, performances, and programming. Like a true Mason, Louis said of his charitable work, “I want to give back some of the goodness I received.”
Brad Paisley
(Born 1972)
A member of Hiram Lodge No. 7 in Franklin, Tennessee, Brad, along with his actress-wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley, founded The Store, whose motto is “Uniting for a Hunger-Free Community.” Offering “traditional food aid and more,” The Store’s compassionate mission is to offer comprehensive solutions to hunger and poverty throughout Middle Tennessee.
Nat King Cole
(1919 – 1965)
Nat used his enormous popularity with black and white audiences alike by actively embracing the Masonic value of Brotherhood in the form of the Civil Rights movement. A member of his local NAACP branch, he was one of the noteworthy celebrities who participated in the 1963 March on Washington, at which Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Nat was a member of Thomas Waller Lodge No. 49 PHA in Los Angeles, California.
Tom DeLonge (Blink 182)
(Born 1975)
A member of Widow’s Sons Lodge No. 17 PHA in Kansas City, Missouri, Tom is a founding member of one of the world’s most famous “pop-punk” bands, Blink 182. Tom’s charitable work with his band has included donating generous percentages of concert-tour proceeds to cancer research and performing shows that helped raise funds for those impacted by natural disasters.
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