Flatt & Scruggs on “The Beverly Hillbillies” (1963)
Country / bluegrass legends Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs were always welcomed at the Clampett mansion in Beverly Hills. What’s more, in one episode Miss Jane – long-suffering secretary to Commerce Bank of Beverly Hills president Milburn Drysdale – not only is portrayed as a bluegrass fan but also plugs the duo’s then-latest album on the TV comedy. Nowadays you have to buy product placement like that, but back in the ’60s that kind of free plug often came in exchange for an artist’s appearance. Nevertheless, when it came to Granny’s “viddles,” Flatt & Scruggs were always happy to sing for their supper.

 

Mel Torme on “Sliders” (1996)
Jazz / pop vocalist Mel Torme played himself on several TV shows, from “The Lucy Show” to “Night Court” to “Seinfeld.” But perhaps the Velvet Fog’s oddest appearance was on the fantasy /science fiction program “Sliders.”

Each week on “Sliders,” the program’s regular characters would travel to alternate dimensions – parallel universes that were always somewhat different from the dimension we call home. Sometimes the differences were subtle, such as an America where the face on a dollar bill was different, while other times the differences in the dimension-of-the-week were quite obvious – space aliens, dinosaurs and totalitarian governments.

And where does Mel fit into all of this? In one episode, the inter-dimensional travelers find themselves in a universe where Mel Torme isn’t a jazz crooner but a country star. However, Torme’s appearance didn’t exactly come about due to a clever twist in the script. The singer’s son – Tracy Torme – was one of the show’s creators / producers.

 

Mick Jagger on “Knights Of Prosperity” (2007)
Lasting only one season, “Knights of Prosperity” was about a group of blue-collar workers who decide to rob from the rich and give to themselves. Their first (and only target)? Mick Jagger.

The plan for the program was to focus on ripping off one celebrity each season, and the group targeted the Mickster simply because they figured he had so much money he wouldn’t miss a few million. Hmmm… maybe they picked the wrong Rolling Stone. If anybody in the band might overlook a few mil, it’s probably Keith.

 

Bob Dylan on “Dharma & Greg” (1999)
One of the more unusual TV venues for Bob Dylan was his appearance on the TV sitcom “Dharma & Greg.” In an episode called “Play Lady Play,” neo-flower child Dharma agrees to play drums in a friend’s band. And Bob? Well …

 

Just about everybody, on “The Simpsons”
Aerosmith, The Who, Sting, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, James Taylor – the list of music stars appearing as cameo voices on “The Simpsons” is almost endless. Even Paul, George and Ringo have taken their turns appearing as chinless characters in Springfield, USA.

Did we miss someone? Of course we did. What are your favorite TV moments of music stars playing themselves?