Johnny Depp won’t use fame to sell records

Actor Johnny Depp says he’s sickened by actors who launch music careers on the back of movie success.

He recently played with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry on his festive four-track EP Joe Perry’s Merry Christmas, appeared in a behind-the-scenes jam session with Paul MacCartney and has previously hooked up on stage with best friend Marilyn Manson.

But he insists while he’s happy to contribute to friends’ records, he would never form a band to release his own music.

He said at a press conference for his latest film Mortdecai: “That whole idea for me is a sickening thing – it’s always just made me sick.

“I’ve been very lucky to play on friends’ records and it’s still going. Music is still part of my life but you won’t be hearing The Johnny Depp Band. That won’t ever exist.”

He continues: “The kind of luxury now is, anybody with a certain amount of of success, if you have a kind of musical being, you can go out and start a band and capitalise on your work in other areas.

“But I hate the idea of, ‘Come see me play the guitar because you’ve seen me in 12 movies.’ It shouldn’t be that way. You want the people who are listening to the music to only be interested in the music.”

Earlier this month, Metal Hammer looked at previous collaborations between actors and artists, including Orson Welles’ contribution to Manowar’s back catalogue.

Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.