A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music.

Most bandleaders are also performers with their own band. The bandleader role is dependent on a variety of skills, not just musicianship. A bandleader needs to be a music director and performer. Often the bands are named after their bandleaders. Some older bands have continued operating under their bandleaders' names long after the death of the original bandleader.

Noted American bandleaders and their instruments [edit]

• Count Basie - piano
• Terence Blanchard - trumpet
• Will Bradley - trombone
• Les Brown - saxophone
• James Brown - singer
• Dave Brubeck - piano
• Cab Calloway - singer
• Dave Clark - drums
• Herbert L. Clarke - cornet
• George Clinton - keyboard, vocals
• John Coltrane - saxophone
• Ray Conniff
• Miles Davis - trumpet
• Jimmy Dorsey - saxophone
• Tommy Dorsey - trombone
• Duke Ellington - piano
• Edwin Franko Goldman
• Buddy Guy - guitar, singer
• Benny Goodman - clarinet
• Lionel Hampton - vibraphone, percussion
• Bill Haley - guitar, singer
• Albert Austin Harding
• Emmylou Harris - guitar, singer
• Isaac Hayes - singer
• Jimi Hendrix - guitar, singer
• Woody Herman - clarinet
• Buddy Holly - guitar, singer
• Elmore James - guitar, singer
• BB King - guitar, singer
• Jimmie Lunceford - saxophone
• Pat Metheny - guitar
• Glenn Miller - trombone
• Charles Mingus - bass
• Rickey Minor - bass
• Dave Mustaine - guitar, singer
• Mike Ness - guitar, singer-songwriter
• Buck Owens - guitar
• Jimmy Palao - Violin, Cornet
• Gloria Parker - Marimba
• George Paxton - tenor saxophone
• Tom Petty - singer, guitar
• Mike Portnoy - drums
• Arthur Pryor - trombone
• Buddy Rich - drum kit
• Little Richard - piano, singer
• B.A. Rolfe - trumpet
• Jon Schaffer - guitar, vocals
• Doc Severinsen - trumpet
• Paul Shaffer - keyboards
• Artie Shaw - clarinet
• Lew Soloff - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
• John Philip Sousa - wind instruments
• Bruce Springsteen - guitar, singer
• Lew Tabackin - tenor saxophone, flute
• Derek Trucks - guitar
• Ernest Tubb - singer-songwriter
• Tommy Tucker - piano
• Ike Turner - guitar, piano
• Muddy Waters - guitar, singer
• Max Weinberg - drums
• Lawrence Welk - accordion
• Barry White - singer
• Maurice White - percussion
• Paul Whiteman - violin
• Anna Mae Winburn - singer
• Frank Zappa - guitar, singer
• Jerry Garcia - guitar, singer
• Axl Rose - singer, piano

British bandleaders [edit]

• Bert Ambrose
• Ian Anderson - flute, guitar, singer
• Gary Barlow - singer
• Jeff Beck - guitar
• Ian Gillan - singer
• Acker Bilk - clarinet
• John Barry
• Ritchie Blackmore - guitar
• David Bowie - saxophone, guitar, singer
• Gerald Bright - (Geraldo)
• Elvis Costello - guitar, singer
• Billy Cotton
• Stewart Copeland - drummer
• David Coverdale - singer
• Alex Harvey - singer
• Ted Heath - trombone
• Julian Miles "Jools" Holland - piano
• Spike Hughes
• Steve Harris - bass guitar
• Jack Hylton
• Yusuf Islam - guitar, singer
• Max Jaffa - violin
• Elton John - piano, singer
• Cab Kaye - drums, guitar, piano, singer
• Mark Knopfler - guitar, singer
• Geoff Love
• Joe Loss
• Humphrey Lyttelton - trumpet
• Chris Martin - Piano, Singer, Guitar
• John McLaughlin (musician) - guitar
• Michael Nyman - piano
• Simon Park
• Jimmy Page - guitar
• Jack Payne
• Johnny Pearson
• Rod Stewart - singer
• Les Reed
• Thom Yorke
• Ozzy Osbourne

Italian bandleaders [edit]

• Alex Staropoli - keyboard
• Pippo Barzizza
• Renato Carosone - piano
• Gorni Kramer
• Luca Turilli - electric guitar
• Olaf Thorsen - electric guitar
• Mantovani

Swedish bandleaders [edit]

• Yngwie J. Malmsteen - guitar
• Helmut Jederknüller - drums
• Mikael Åkerfeldt - guitar, singer

Dutch bandleaders [edit]

• Mark Jansen - electric guitar, death growls
• Michiel Borstlap
• Michiel Braam
• Willem Breuker - trumpet
• Pim Jacobs
• Erik van der Luijt
• Rogier van Otterloo
• André Rieu - violin

German bandleaders [edit]

• Peter Herbolzheimer
• Bert Kaempfert
• Uli Jon Roth - guitar
• Michael Schenker - guitar
• James Last - double bass
• Max Raabe - singer
• Muhammed Suiçmez - guitarist, vocalist
• Tobias Sammet - vocalist, bass
• Rudolf Schenker - guitar
• Michael Weikath - guitar

French bandleaders [edit]

• Raymond Lefevre
• Paul Mauriat
• Franck Pourcel

Belgian bandleaders [edit]

• Francis Bay

Argentine bandleaders [edit]

• Waldo de los Rios
• Ricardo Iorio

Japanese bandleaders [edit]

• Tak Matsumoto - guitar
• Keisuke Kuwata - guitar, multi-instrumentalist
• Toshiko Akiyoshi - piano
• Michiro Endo - vocals
• Yoshiki - drums, piano
• J - bass
• Tetsuya - bass
• Sakura - drums
• Tetsu Takano - vocals, guitar
• Kaoru - guitar
• Syu - guitar
• Ringo Shiina - vocals, piano, guitar

Australian bandleaders [edit]

• Stuart Lang - cornet
• Mark "Slim" Roberts - cornet, trumpet

See also [edit]

• Bandmaster