I vaguely remember reading a scholarly article arguing that there's a link between height and raw intelligence as well as artistic talent. To put it simply, short people generaly seem to be blessed with more intelligence and artistic talent, while taller people, not so much.

Honestly, this knowledge makes me feel a bit awkard to be the tallest person in the room (more often than not).

[img:$uid]http://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/cc/96/ea/cc96eaf4d3ba1eda4298a65daca7254a.jpg[/img:$uid]

Now, let's look at some of great artists who are short but make it up with their enormous talents.

Picasso

Prince

Glenn Danzig

Lady Gaga

Bruno Mars

Paul Simon

Jamie Cullum

Dio

Keith Emerson

Martin Scorsese

Billy Joel

Thom Yorke

Roman Polanski

Lou Reed

Angus Young

Bob Dylan

Bob Marley

Beck

Bono

Eddie Veder

Iggy Pop

Axl Rose

Tony Bennett

Phil Collins

Roger Daltrey

Fats Domino

Sammy Davis Jr.

Trent Reznor

D'Angelo

Now compare that list to this list of some of the tall musicians. You'll be scratching your head often figuring out who they are (except guys like Thurstoon, Krist, Mick, Albert King, etc), and needless to say that they don't stack up against the "Short" list above.

1. Arjen Lucassen (6’8″, 2.03cm)
2. Pete Steele (6’8″, 2.03cm)
3. Krist Novoselic (6’7″, 2.01cm)
4. Oliver Riedel (6’7″, 2.01cm)
5. Long John Baldry (6’7″, 2.01cm)
6. Jim Root (6’6″, 1.98cm)
7. Adrian Vandenberg (6’6″, 1.98cm)
8. Thurston Moore (6’6″, 1.98cm)

9. Mick Fleetwood (6’6″, 1.97cm)

10. Blake Shelton (6’5″, 1.96cm)
11. Danny Carey (6’5″, 1.96cm)
12. Evil Jared Hasselhoff (6’5″, 1.96cm)

13. Ed O’Brien (6’5″, 1.96cm)

14. Tom Scholz (6’5″, 1.96cm)
15. Win Butler (6’5″, 1.96cm)
16. Albert King (6’4″, 1.93cm) Blues great
17. Alan Jackson (6’4″, 1.93cm) Country star
18. Ronnie Dunn (6’4″, 1.93cm) Brooks & Dunn
19. Peter Garrett (6’4″, 1.93cm) Midnight Oil
20. Josh Homme (6’4″, 1.93cm) QOTSA
21. Ric Ocasek (6’4″, 1.93cm) The Cars
22. Tony Hadley (6’4, 1.93cm) Spandau Ballet
23. Paul Gilbert (6’4, 1.93cm) Mr Big/Racer X
24. Blackie Lawless (6’4″, 1.93cm) WASP singer/guitar
25. Buckethead (6’4, 1.92cm) Guitar maniac

[Edited 4/12/15 0:57am]

most great artists were/are of average height - 170-180 cm

I am short (167 cm) and an artist, but unfortunately it doesn't make me great!

It's because tall peoples' heads are closer to the sun.

I just asked this same question the other day.

***They feel they have more to prove, so they often do..

Their genetics have a potential for more height but often artists are "nurtured" poorly and don't reach full height. It can be the inspiration for some great work though.

nuttynutmeg said:

I vaguely remember reading a scholarly article arguing that there's a link between height and raw intelligence as well as artistic talent. To put it simply, short people generaly seem to be blessed with more intelligence and artistic talent, while taller people, not so much.

Honestly, this knowledge makes me feel a bit awkard to be the tallest person in the room (more often than not).

Now, let's look at some of great artists who are short but make it up with their enormous talents.

Trent Reznor

D'Angelo

Interesting. I had no ideal that Trent Reznor was only 5'7 inches tall, and D'angelo only 5'6. I always assumed that Trent was a big guy. He looks imposing. Trippy.

It probably has more 2 do with chosen fields.

It is more likely that a tall person will choose fields that tall people are sucessful in.

Ex. a friend of mine was 6-9 as a freshmen in high school. He really couldn't play that well but u can't teach height. He almost literally forced into the sport because of his height. He went on 2 play division I NCAA ball and played in the pros oversees for about 10 years. He made some serious money and is still very much connected 2 sports.

I know several other "tall" folks who willingly choose sports because they knew they could succeed at it................and did.

JoeyC said:

nuttynutmeg said:

I vaguely remember reading a scholarly article arguing that there's a link between height and raw intelligence as well as artistic talent. To put it simply, short people generaly seem to be blessed with more intelligence and artistic talent, while taller people, not so much.

Honestly, this knowledge makes me feel a bit awkard to be the tallest person in the room (more often than not).

Now, let's look at some of great artists who are short but make it up with their enormous talents.

Trent Reznor

D'Angelo

Interesting. I had no ideal that Trent Reznor was only 5'7 inches tall, and D'angelo only 5'6. I always assumed that Trent was a big guy. He looks imposing. Trippy.

[img:$uid]http://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/cc/96/ea/cc96eaf4d3ba1eda4298a65daca7254a.jpg[/img:$uid]

That's D and Brian McKnight.

Trent was scrawny until he gave up drugs, alcohol and buffed up.

[img:$uid]http://www.mtv.com/news/photos/l/lolla_retrospective_020306/1.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://www.soundtoys.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/tumblr_mql7zz2Zgr1s78f3no1_500.jpg[/img:$uid]

Graycap23 said:

It probably has more 2 do with chosen fields.

It is more likely that a tall person will choose fields that tall people are sucessful in.

Ex. a friend of mine was 6-9 as a freshmen in high school. He really couldn't play that well but u can't teach height. He almost literally forced into the sport because of his height. He went on 2 play division I NCAA ball and played in the pros oversees for about 10 years. He made some serious money and is still very much connected 2 sports.

I know several other "tall" folks who willingly choose sports because they knew they could succeed at it................and did.

Yeah, if Prince was much taller, he probably would've been a pro baller since he's really loves basketball.

But again, I realized that there's very few tall musicians whose music command respect. When I think of tall musicians, people like Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift come to mind.

It's because the electrical impulses from the brain can travel to the fingers more quickly when your arms are real short.

Correlation does not imply causation.

Because big things come in small packages, obviously. But reading that D'Angelo is 5'6 is giving my brain an exceptionally hard time comprehending it. He always seemed like an imposing, intimidating presence that stood at 6'4 (probably because of the Voodoo era), and certainly NOT somebody you could rebound off of after a failed lay-up, you know?

I seriously doubt that height has anything whatsoever to do with raw intelligence or artistic talent. Furthermore, I would only consider perhaps eight of those listed to be above average. The others are notable but not particularly great.

I would imagine that it has more to do with social/emotional motivation. Tall people generally don't have to put forth as much effort to be noticed whereas short people likely get used to having to do more to get attention/approval from an early age.

For example, its sort of like the difference between the guy at the law firm who has an Ivy League education or family connections vs the one who went to community college who is motivated to compete harder to prove himself.

Growing up I recall the short kids were almost always more agressive and competitive than the tall ones but there wasn't much difference in intellect or creativity between the two.




Anyhoo, these are some notable tall artists.....

Yolanda Adams 6'1

Macy Gray 6'

Mariah Carey 5'9

Sigourney Weaver 6'

Garth Brooks 6'

Snoop 6'5

Cher 5'9

Adele 5'9

Albert King 6'4

Taylor Swift 5'10

Trace Adkins 6'6

Uma Thurman 6'

I think that because, even though the media tries to force the 'tall guys are sexy and so common, beards are great, etc' image, a majority of men worldwide are not tall, especially by American standards.

babynoz said:

I seriously doubt that height has anything whatsoever to do with raw intelligence or artistic talent. Furthermore, I would only consider perhaps eight of those listed to be above average. The others are notable but not particularly great.

I would imagine that it has more to do with social/emotional motivation. Tall people generally don't have to put forth as much effort to be noticed whereas short people likely get used to having to do more to get attention/approval from an early age.

For example, its sort of like the difference between the guy at the law firm who has an Ivy League education or family connections vs the one who went to community college who is motivated to compete harder to prove himself.

Growing up I recall the short kids were almost always more agressive and competitive than the tall ones but there wasn't much difference in intellect or creativity between the two.




Anyhoo, these are some notable tall artists.....

Yolanda Adams 6'1

Macy Gray 6'

Mariah Carey 5'9

Sigourney Weaver 6'

Garth Brooks 6'

Snoop 6'5

Cher 5'9

Adele 5'9

Albert King 6'4

Taylor Swift 5'10

Trace Adkins 6'6

Uma Thurman 6'

Plausible theory, but I have to say that the people in your "tall" list above don't stack up well against the "short" list. Macy Gray? C'mon now...

kygermo said:

Because big things come in small packages, obviously. But reading that D'Angelo is 5'6 is giving my brain an exceptionally hard time comprehending it. He always seemed like an imposing, intimidating presence that stood at 6'4 (probably because of the Voodoo era), and certainly NOT somebody you could rebound off of after a failed lay-up, you know?

Well, if you see that pic of him with Brian McKnight (scroll up), now you know.

Brian McKnight is above average height, 6'2, I think.

It's funny, cause I believe that both of D's brothers, Rodney and Luther, are taller than he is. D is the baby of the family-there is some serious age difference between him and his brothers.

Re D being intimidating, Common told of a story in his book that during the making of Voodoo, D once came in the studio covered in blood, cause he knocked out some guy who tried to test him. I don't think it was obvious how short D was back in the day because he was leaner, which makes you look longer, but now you can tell. D has a stocky build and he has gotten wider as he has gotten older. Oddly enough, his brothers don't have that build, either.

nuttynutmeg said:

babynoz said:

I seriously doubt that height has anything whatsoever to do with raw intelligence or artistic talent. Furthermore, I would only consider perhaps eight of those listed to be above average. The others are notable but not particularly great.

I would imagine that it has more to do with social/emotional motivation. Tall people generally don't have to put forth as much effort to be noticed whereas short people likely get used to having to do more to get attention/approval from an early age.

For example, its sort of like the difference between the guy at the law firm who has an Ivy League education or family connections vs the one who went to community college who is motivated to compete harder to prove himself.

Growing up I recall the short kids were almost always more agressive and competitive than the tall ones but there wasn't much difference in intellect or creativity between the two.




Anyhoo, these are some notable tall artists.....

Yolanda Adams 6'1

Macy Gray 6'

Mariah Carey 5'9

Sigourney Weaver 6'

Garth Brooks 6'

Snoop 6'5

Cher 5'9

Adele 5'9

Albert King 6'4

Taylor Swift 5'10

Trace Adkins 6'6

Uma Thurman 6'

Plausible theory, but I have to say that the people in your "tall" list above don't stack up well against the "short" list. Macy Gray? C'mon now...

I hear ya but I think that only eight names on your list are particularly outstanding by your description (raw intelligence/great talent). The rest are notable but that's about it.