Famous Joes of Classic Rock

March 27th is National Joe Day. Joe is most commonly short for Joseph, which comes from Hebrew Yosef, meaning “God will add” or “increase.” The name has been used for thousands of years, thanks to its biblical roots. “Joe” became slang for an everyday person: “Average Joe” or “Joe Schmo.” It’s basically the default name for a regular guy in American culture, but Joes are so much more... especially the Joes of classic rock.

Here are some of our favorite Joes.

A singer and songwriter, Joe Walsh has been a member of the James Gang, The Eagles, and had a very successful solo career. He is also one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Pete Townshend said in a Rolling Stone interview, "Joe Walsh is a fluid and intelligent player. There're not many like that around."

Our next famous classic rock Joe is Joe Elliot, the lead singer and a founding member of Def Leppard.  Joe first played live with Def Leppard at a spoon factory in front of six people.  They played five songs AND an encore.

Elliott has been the only constant member of Def Leppard; keeping the band’s sound and vision intact since day one. He pushed the band toward that polished, layered Hysteria sound that dominated the late ’80s.

This Joe was born a "John." Joe Strummer was born John Graham Mellor. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of one of my favorite bands, The Clash.  As the voice of the band, Strummer blended punk with reggae, ska, and politics. Joe made rebellion sound global. He famously busked on the streets even after fame, just to stay connected to real people.

Joe Perry's first set of strings were on a ukulele given to him by his uncle.  Perry’s guitar partnership with Steven Tyler helped define the sound of Aerosmith: pure American rock swagger. He once left the band in the early ’80s… and their massive comeback didn’t happen until he returned. The Toxic Twins may have had their ups and downs, but they're definitely better together.

Drummer Joey Kramer is one who is actually credited with creating the name "Aerosmith." He told UltimateClassicRock, “I was listening to an album at the time, by Harry Nilsson, called Aerial Ballet. We were listening to this record and I started really getting off on the lyrics. We started kicking around this word ‘aerial,’ and ‘aerial’ eventually came into ‘aero’ – I don’t know how that happened.”

Another one of our famous classic rock Joes that weren't born with the name, Jeffrey Hyman legally changed his name to Joey Ramone and he was the voice of punk rock.  Joey Ramone started out on drums before moving to lead vocals. No one's story is quite like The Ramones: multiple band members changed their last name to "Ramone." With leather jackets, long black hair, and shades, The Ramones blasted onto the New York scene at CBGB's... man, I would have loved to have been at one of those shows.

They exploded in the early ’90s with “Everything About You,” a sarcastic, singalong hit that poked fun at… well, everything. The name “Ugly Kid Joe” was a tongue-in-cheek jab at Pretty Boy Floyd, setting the tone for their irreverent style. No band memebers in Ugly Kid Joe actually have the name "Joe." The band was founded by Whitfield Crane & Klaus Eichstadt.

Joe Cocker was one of the best frontmen in the world of rock.  Incredibly expressive, his deep growling voice was instantly distinguished.  Some of Joe Cocker's biggest songs were covers, including "With A little Help From My Friends," "You Are So Beautiful," and "You Can Leave Your Hat On," but man, did he make them his own. Joe's career spanned more than four decades and 22 albums.

Best known for his time with Rainbow, Turner helped steer the band toward a more melodic, radio-friendly sound in the early ’80s. He later joined Deep Purple for the Slaves and Masters era; one of the band’s most debated but fascinating chapters.

Joe Satriani is a guitar god's god. His website lists him as "The world’s most commercially successful solo guitar performer, with six gold and platinum discs to his credit... and sales in excess of 10 million copies."

Early on, Joe Satriani was a guitar instructor.  His pupils included Steve Vai and Kirk Hammett. Currently, Joe tours with Sammy Hagar on the "Best of All Worlds" tour.

Billie Joe Armstrong Joe Jackson Joey Belladonna Joe Bonamassa Jo Caine Country Joe McDonald

JOE LOUIS: You can't be from Detroit and not know the name "Joe Louis."  The Brown Bomber is the inspiration behind The Fist.  How many great memories do you have from Joe Louis Arena?  Joe Loius was one of the greatest and most influential boxers EVER.

JOE NAMATH: Broadway Joe... I swear most Joes have or need nicknames to differentiate themselves from all the other Joes.  The star quarterback of The Jets, Joe Namath, threw for more than 4,000 yards in 1967 and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

JOE MANGANIELLO:  I think he's Italian. lol... Joe Manganiello is an actor (True Blood... Magic Mike) and a producer and director.  He's also married to Sophia Vergara

JOE PESCI: Is Joe Pesci funny? "I'm funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown?"  One of the most famous movie lines ever was delivered with perfection by Joe Pesci in Goodfellas.  Joe won an Oscar for his role as Tommy DeVito.

JOE DIMAGGIO: He set one of the most untouchable records in sports: a 56-game hitting streak in 1941 Nobody’s come close since. Nicknamed “The Yankee Clipper,” Joe played his entire career with the New York Yankees and became a symbol of cool, quiet greatness. His fame crossed into pop culture too. He’s name-checked in "Mrs. Robinson", proving Joe wasn’t just a ballplayer… he was an icon.