During 1994 The Daily Mirror published a photo of Michael Jackson wearing a scoutmaster uniform while hanging out with five Boy Scouts (or so they appeared to be). Boy Scouts of American quickly released a statement clarifying that the pop star was not affiliated with the group, probably because the first allegations of sexual abuse against Jackson had been filed during 1993.
Music Times decided to spin this old new story in a happier direction however: The highest title possible for a member of the Boy Scouts is the Eagle Scout. A fair amount of celebrities have earned the title and even a few musicians. We've rounded up the well-known musical performers who know every knot in the book.
Ozzie Nelson (1920)
Ozzie Nelson received his Eagle Scout rank in 1920 at the young age of 14, only eight years after the original award had been given out. It doesn't seem that the onetime bandleader and star of the show Ozzie and Harriet followed all tenets of the Boy Scout oath however...just the "duty to self" part. History has gone to document that the Nelson not seen on television was an overbearing father who prevented his children from going to college as part of his plan to keep them in show business.
John Tesh (1968)
John Tesh seems to pack the well-rounded set of skills that Boy Scouts are always stereotyped as having. The pianist has won six Emmys for his television themes, including the "Roundball Rock" that all NBA fans can recognize (and if they can't, Nelly jacked it for his "Heart of A Champion" single). When he's not making millions of writing music, he's winning Associated Press awards for his investigative journalism and hosting a nationally syndicated radio show for adult contemporary music.
Dave Moody (1978)
One of the Boy Scouts three parts to the Boy Scout oath is "duty to God and country" and it seems that Dave Moody has put emphasis on this one based on his career in Christian Music. He's been nominated for 18 GMA Dove Awards for his work (the fact that he's considered a country musician completes the "and country" part). He's done a decent amount of work "for people" as well if you count his gig with The Moody Brothers at Disneyland Paris where he played for an estimated 50 million visitors.
Stephen Said (1985)
We're not sure what songwriter Stephen Said did for his final Eagle project but we're pretty sure it was trumped by what he did with his time 26 years later: He founded difrent (sic), an organization that works with social change organizations to match musicians up with channels for supporting initiatives to meet the goals set forth in their music. The plan launched as part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals program. "Duty to people" indeed.
Daniel Reynolds (2005)
The lead singer of Imagine Dragons is another Eagle Scout that takes the affiliation with God seriously: Reynolds is a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints and he undertook a two year mission in Nebraska accordingly. If you think that stands for the opposite of everything rock 'n' roll bands like Imagine Dragons should stand for, just remember that as a resident of Las Vegas he had to do all your typical Boy Scout marching and camping in one of the hottest climates in the United States so he's probably not a wuss.
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