This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.
The music school at Florida State is the third-largest higher education program in the nation. With that being said, it’s no surprise that some very big names in music have come out of FSU. The following musicians span across all different genres and decades, going back over fifty years.
- Sam Beam, more widely known as Iron & Wine, graduated from FSU’s film school with a Master of Fine Arts degree. Iron & Wine is a singer-songwriter with five studio albums currently released, as well as multiple EPs. Iron & Wine is currently on the line-up for many of the music festivals happening this year, including Shaky Knees festival in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Ryan Key is best known for being the singer in the band Yellowcard. Along with being the lead singer for the band, Key is also the rhythm guitarist. Yellowcard is best known for their hit song “Ocean Avenue.”
- Rita Coolidge is a signer-songwriter who has won two Grammy music awards for her work. She is a part of over thirty released albums and has had a number of international chart-topping singles. While at FSU, Coolidge was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. Rita Coolidge was also one of the first VH1 hosts during the station’s early days.
- Derek Miller attended FSU before meeting Alexis Krauss, the other half of Sleigh Bells. Sleigh Bells is an aggressive pop duo that just released their third studio album in October. Derek Miller is the lead guitar player in the band, and is responsible for creating hardcore guitar riffs. Sleigh Bells’ music has recently been featured on the soundtracks of popular films such as Kick Ass 2 and The Bling Ring. Sleigh Bells are also a part of the festival circuit this year, including one of the largest festivals in the country, Coachella.
- Jake Owen is a country singer from Vero Beach, Florida. Owen has put out four full-length albums, and won the Breakthrough Artist Award of the Year at the American Country Music Awards in 2012. Singles on Owen’s albums have reached the top of the country music charts. Owen has opened for big country music acts such as Brad Paisley and Jason Aldean on their headlining tours.
- Ellen Taaffe Zwilich graduated from FSU in 1960. She was the first woman composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for music. Zwilich is a composer who was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. Her work is known for its large-scale pieces that utilize a wide variety of instruments.
- Jim Morrison is arguably the most recognizable musician to come out of Florida State, and the artist you probably already knew attended FSU. Morrison was the singer and songwriter of The Doors. While at FSU, he was arrested for pulling a prank at a football game. He is also known for being part of the 27 Club. 27 Club is the group of musicians who have all died at the age of 27, hence the name. Other noteworthy members of the club are Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Jim Hendrix.