Athlete Musician (Last of two parts)

MADONNA — she thrilled the crowd with her hits “Like A Virgin” and “Papa Don’t Preach”. Her real name is Madonna Louise Veronica Giccone. Madonna a good baseball player starred in the movie “A League of their Own”

PAULA ABDUL- Choreographer and pop star was a former cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers.

M.C HAMMER- real name Stan Kirk Burrel used to be a batboy for his hometown Oakland, California Athletics .  The player  called Little Hammer because he resembled  Hank Aaron, who was called the Hammer.

CONWAY TWITTY- Country music star  was all set   to sign  a contract   to play  with the  Philadelphia Philies when he was drafted in the army.

COLE PORTER- songwriter of many Broadway show tunes and hits of Frank Sinatra like “Night and Day” also wrote a Yale football rally song called “Bulldog, Bulldog”

GENE AUTRY- after years  as a singing  movie and radio cowboy, Gene Autry traded his saddle for a baseball team, the Los Angeles Angels.

SHERYL CROW- Country singer Sheryl Crow won a medal in the 75 meter low hurdles and was a member of the PEP Club.  National Honor Society and FFA Organization.  Crow dated Tour De France champ Lance Armstrong in 2003, but split in 2006.

JOHN MC ENROE- Played guitar in the Johnny Smith Band. He learned to play the instrument from Eddie Van Halen and Eric Clapton.

OSCAR DELA HOYA- The former world boxing champion was a Grammy-nominated singer for his Eponymous 2000 C.D.

BILLY JOEL- was the teenage amateur boxer in New York City.  He won his first 22 bouts and even competed in the State Golden Gloves tournament.  Joel gave up the sports after breaking his nose on his 24th bout.  His best hit was “Just The Way You Are”.

KENNY ROGERS- Was a true tennis ace and played the game at a professional level for 10 years. He has played with Wimbledon champions.

WILT CHAMBERLAIN- was a radio DJ at the University of Kansas in the mid-50’s. Wilt scored 100 points in a game in 1962.

CHRIS WEBBER- his rap album “2Much Drama” was as a hit while also producing two tracks for NAS.  Webber was one of the NBA’s  Greatest Centers of All-Time.

CLIFF RICHARD- In the 1980s tennis became one of Cliff’s great all consuming passion.   He was often spotted at Grand Slam events and became a close friend of Wimbledon semi-finalist, Sue Barker, at that point, ranked number 16th in the world.  In 1991, he established the Cliff Richard Tennis Foundation.  Also in 1991, he watched a women’s competition in Nottingham with Princess Diana.  In 1996, he performed impromptu in the Royal Box of Wimbledon, singing acapella, renditions of Summer Holiday and Living Doll.

MICK JAGGER- of the Rolling Stones never played cricket  or soccer  as most British kids do.  He was the captain of his basketball team in high school.  He once bit  his tongue after being elbowed  in a game  that probably  inspired the logo of the Stones, a sticking tongue.