When one hears the name ‘Johnny Depp’, what immediately comes to mind are the many roles this actor has portrayed. From Captain Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series to “Edward Scissorhands,” Depp has masterfully played multiple iconic roles. However, a very little-known fact about Johnny Depp is that his true passion lies with music.
On Monday, Oct. 20, Depp announced his new music label, IN.2 Records, in association with a UK Company called Cadiz Music. The purpose of this label is to be a place for a diverse range of creations that contain original artist singles to film soundtracks. Those wondering, ‘since when did Johnny Depp become a musician,” will be surprised to learn that Johnny Depp’s original career goal as a teenager was to be in a successful band.
Depp dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to pursue his music career with a band he joined called “The Kids”. The band started off in Florida in 1980, eventually moving to Los Angeles in 1983. However, it disbanded in 1984 with one of the reasons being Depp’s up-and-coming acting career.
After seeing potential in young Depp, Nicholas Cage encouraged him to pursue an acting career as a way to pay the bills. With Cage’s advice and connections, Depp scored a role in “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” and his acting career took off after its release in 1984.
Though Depp’s acting career grew, he never forgot where his true passion lay and continued to go back to music again and again. In 1986, he joined “Rock City Angels” where he played guitar for six months, and his biggest accomplishment was co-writing “Mary.” In 1993, Depp cofounded the band, “P”, with Bill Carter, Gibby Haynes, and Sal Jenco, only to end up disbanding in 1995. Depp, however, didn’t stop creating and playing music. He collaborated with other artists, such as Oasis in 1997, playing guitar, and then contributed to Iggy Pop’s album “Hollywood Affair.”
In the 2000’s he continued with his music while working with his now ex-partner of 14 years, French singer Vanessa Paradis. He helped co-write songs, worked on vocals, and played guitar. He also did a cover of Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” with Marilyn Manson and a cover of John Lennon’s “Isolation” with Jeff Beck. Depp also contributed on guitar for movie soundtracks, including “Chocolat” (2000) and “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” (2003).
In 2012, Depp co-founded a group called “Hollywood Vampires” with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. The name of this group came from a 1970s drinking club, and the band plays in tribute to the musicians who were originally a part of the club and who died from excesses. The musicians they honor include John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and Keith Moon. Depp is still an active member of the band today, and they have released an album as recent as 2023, called “Live In Rio”.
Johnny Depp will always be known for the many roles he has played, but now his true passion for music will be taking center stage while IN.2 Records are starting up. This will help bring Depp’s music career into the spotlight, letting him be known as not only a talented actor, but a musician as well.
