Random Childhood Homes Of Famous Musicians (16 items)

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  (#9) Ray Charles

  • Dec. at 74 (1930-2004)

  Ray Charles Robinson was born in Albany, GA. His family moved to Greenville when he was a young infant, and he lived in this house until he began attending the School for Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, FL, at the age of 7. At the school, he learned to read and play music, and to write and arrange it in Braille. His mother passed when he was 15.

  The house was small and rustic, with no electricity or plumbing. The Robinson family would pump well water by hand, and they used a wood-burning stove. The house decayed over the years, and was slated for demolition in 2006 - until Elesta Pritchett, the mayor of Greenville and Charles’ childhood friend, campaigned to buy and repair the historic landmark.

  The house was restored and became open to the public in 2009. In front of the house, there is a commemorative plaque celebrating Ray Charles’ memory. Pritchett provides personal tours by appointment.
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  (#15) Bono

  • 58

  Bono, born Paul David Hewson, is a Dublin native. While Bono’s home has been a popular tourist destination for U2 fans over the course of his career, it became the source of international intrigue when “Cedarwood Road” from Songs of Innocence was forcibly planted on every iPhone in 2014.

  Bono describes the home as a regular three-bedroom house in an "lower middle class" neighborhood. His mother passed when he was young, so Bono grew up with his father and brother in a "macho" environment.

  Bono's long standing issues with his father and the neighborhood were major sources of inspiration for his music, as reflected in the lyrics of “Cedarwood Road”:

  It was a war zone in my teens

  I’m still standing on that street

  Still need an enemy

  The worst ones I can’t see

  You can, you can

  The neighbors were confused by the “war zone” designation. Local native Vera Murphy says, “We’re at the entrance to the estate and we see a lot, but I never saw a war zone, hand on heart.”
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  (#5) Kendrick Lamar

  • 31

  Kendrick Lamar’s music is deeply rooted in his hometown of Compton, CA. When he accepted the key to the city in 2016, Lamar said, “Everything that I do is a reflection of how I felt when I was younger.”

  In search of stability and a fresh start, Lamar's parents moved to California from Chicago in 1984. Three years later, Kendrick was born. His emotional connection to Compton is reportedly bittersweet. He has fond memories of riding bikes, house parties, and many close friendships that he still maintains despite his fame. However, he witnessed multiple slayings throughout his childhood, and the LA Riots were some of his first conscious memories.

  The ranch-style three-bedroom home was available for rent in 2016, utilizing its cultural history as a major selling point. Lamar and his family still live in the Los Angeles area.
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  (#8) The Notorious B.I.G.

  • Dec. at 25 (1972-1997)

  Christopher Wallace, the arbiter of the original East coast hip-hop style, grew up in Brooklyn, NY. His alleged "one-room shack" was actually more of a three-bedroom apartment, though the neighborhood is hardly recognizable from the Clinton Hill of Biggie's youth.

  Wallace's mother, Voletta, worked two jobs to send him to private school. Though he showed promise in his English class, he often skipped school and began selling drugs at the age of 12, leading to legal troubles that followed him throughout his life.

  In 2013, Wallace's childhood home hit the competitive New York market. Valued at hundreds of thousands more than its worth during his life, it sold for $825,000.
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  (#13) Taylor Swift

  • 29

  Taylor Swift grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Wyomissing, PA. She began to make music at a young age, performing in local talent competitions and even singing the Star-Spangled Banner at a Philadelphia 76ers game when she was 11 years old.

  Her family had a musical background - her grandmother was a professional opera singer. In the hopes of Taylor establishing a country music career, the Swift family moved from Pennsylvania to Nashville, TN, when she was a teenager.

  The Pennsylvania home was last sold in 2013, and Century 21 Gold Agent Lisa Tiger’s pitch was careful to make sure potential buyers knew the home’s musical history:

  A Grand 3 story Classical revival home has been painstakingly restored and was home to Taylor Swift, who lived here for 10 yrs before moving to Nashville to become a star!…The formal DR leads to a bright Study with FP (Taylor played her guitar here)…
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  (#2) Freddie Mercury

  • Dec. at 45 (1946-1991)

  Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara, spent many of his childhood years in Zanzibar . However, the validity of the house claiming to be the "Freddie Mercury's Zanzibar Home" is unconfirmed, even by its current owners.

  When Mercury was a teenager, his family emigrated to Feltham, a suburb west of London. Even as a teenager, Mercury was flamboyant and expressive. He regaled the neighborhood with his loud guitar practice, immaculately designed outfits, and what would soon become his inimitable vocal abilities. Mercury met his future Queen bandmates while living in this home.

  The people of Feltham still remember young Freddie Mercury with great fondness. Though the Bulsara family no longer resides in the home, it was awarded an English Heritage blue plaque in 2016.

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