Musicians & vocalists

 

"I had dyslexia. I managed to get an English GCSE after I stayed on for extra study, but at that time they didn't realise what dyslexia was. I was just treated as a lazy child" - Blaze Bayley, Maidenfans
"At school I didn’t do very well cause I have a thing called Dyslexia, which now people seem to understand, it’s a kind of simple brain dysfunction and it means you can’t spell properly and you don’t remember things in the same way as a regular person. And when I was at school it was very controversial and people thought of it as laziness most teachers didn’t understand dyslexia. So instead of getting extra help in learning how to spell and writing they just used to keep me in at play time because they thought I was lazy so I was punished for having Dyslexia. And really that kind of set the whole theme of being at school because I was never was able to catch up. I just lied my way through school to get away with not doing homework. And it wasn’t until the last two years of school where they took me to a psychologist, a professional psychologist where they did an accurate diagnosis but of course by then it was too late so I left school really without a proper education" - Blaze Bayley, Metalshockfinland
  • Beethoven
  • Harry Belafonte
  • Cher
"I never read in school. I got really bad grades--D's and F's and C's in some classes, and A's and B's in other classes. In the second week of the 11th grade, I just quit. When I was in school, it was really difficult. Almost everything I learned, I had to learn by listening. My report cards always said that I was not living up to my potential."- Cher
  • Kurt Cobain: Songwriter and lead singer, guitarist of the rock band Mirvana and art painter.
  • Noel Gallagher: Song writer and member of the band Oasis.

Noel's school life was problematic at best. While he was plainly a bright young man, he battled with a minor case of dyslexia, which, topped with
the poor quality of Manchester's schools, was a dangerous combination.

"School didn't really hold anything for me," he explained later. "I knew from a very early age what I wanted to be, I wanted to be a musician." - Noel Gallagher

"What I was bad at was spelling. Still am. Anything over six letters and that's me gone." - Noel Gallagher
Q: "Maybe you're dyslexic?"
A: "I am actually. Sometimes I give lyrics to Liam and the two key words of the sentence will be missing. When I gave him Don't Look Back In Anger, he's singing, "But don't back in anger, not today." I'm saying,"It's 'Don't look back in anger'." He's saying, "Well, that's not what's fucking written 'ere, chief." - Noel Gallagher. Interview Q Magazine feb 1996
  • Jewel
  • Nigel Kennedy: Violinist
  • John Lennon
  • Brad Little
  • Mozart
  • Richard Schock

"You asked me what Kurt gave me, he gave me a very special gift. He made me feel good about myself when I looked in the Mirror; he taught me it was ok to be who I really was, and that I owed no one an explanation, for what and who I was. That's one Hell of a gift."- Richard Schock, November 2007, "His story"

  • Bob Wier
  • Toyah Willcox: ex-pop star

"I am dyslexic and have to have special help with spelling and elocution. I didn't pass a single GCE. I think anyone can do anything if there is a will and enough self-esteem." - Toyah Willcox