Politics and music aren’t that different. Musicians often use their work to talk about important issues, raise awareness for causes they care about, or speak out against unfairness in the world.
There are also leaders who were formerly musicians…
For example, US President Harry S. Truman (1945–53) thought of becoming a professional pianist for a short time. UK Prime Minister Edward Heath (1970–74) sung in the Oxford Bach Choir, played the piano, and even led the London Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall in 1971.
Did you know that Helmut Schmidt, who was Chancellor of West Germany from 1974 until 1982, was also a pianist? If you like that kind of thing, you can even hear him play Mozart’s Concerto for Three Pianos at Abbey Road studios.
There are also a lot of videos of Bill Clinton playing the saxophone. He was on TV in 1992 for a short time, just a few months before he became the 42nd president of the United States.
Tony Blair, a vocalist and guitarist who was a heartthrob at the time, was the lead singer and guitarist for the 1970s rock band Ugly Rumours. They are said to have played six shows before deciding they were too bad to keep going.
Oh, the things that could have happened… and things that could have been avoided.
Sanae Takaichi, who became Japan’s first female Prime Minister yesterday, is another figure that can be added to that very short list.
On October 21, 2025, lawmakers cheer as Sanae Takaichi is chosen as Japan’s new prime minister. Photo by AP
The 64-year-old leader is a conservative and is likely to take Japan even farther to the right. She likes Margaret Thatcher, who was the first woman to be Prime Minister of the UK. Takaichi is sometimes called the “Iron Lady.”
But “Heavy Metal Lady” might be a better name…
In fact, before she got into politics, she was in a heavy metal band and was a pretty good drummer in college. And if the reports are true, she still plays an electronic drum kit to help her deal with stress. She said not so long ago that she plays after her spouse goes to bed.
Takaichi seems to really like British hard rock and heavy metal bands. He has said that Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Deep Purple are among of his favorites.
There is no video of Takaichi playing the drums, for obvious reasons. However, earlier this month, a video of her musical skills made it online. It depicts Takaichi singing the hit song “Rusty Nail” by the Japanese rock band X Japan on a karaoke performance in 2016.
On October 4, Sanae Takaichi won the election to lead the Liberal Democratic Party. Emperor Naruhito has now officially made her the Prime Minister at the Imperial Palace.
About the Author
