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While best known as one half of superstar Las Vegas illusionist duo Penn & Teller, Penn Jillette harbors a wild secret rock ‘n’ roll past. Growing up in Greenfield, Massachusetts, Jillette’s musical awakening was sparked by television before evolving into a deep dive into avant-garde and punk scenes.

From The Monkees To The Mothers Of Invention

"I was indoctrinated by American corporations as part of an orchestrated plan to move us into rock ‘n’ roll," Jillette told an interviewer in 2014. Seeing The Monkees on television led him directly to Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Dylan. Once he secured a driver’s license, Jillette drove 100 miles to Boston to catch the Mothers of Invention, calling that 1973 tour one of the finest rock tours ever.

New York Punk And Playing Bass On Broadway

The arrival of punk rock offered another watershed moment. After missing an early chance to see the Sex Pistols due to a show conflict, Jillette immersed himself in the New York scene, forming friendships with the Ramones, becoming very good friends with Lou Reed, and going out with Debbie Harry for years. Harry later featured Jillette on her album Tattoo Of Blood and credited him in her 2019 autobiography with inventing an "orgasmatron" hot tub called the ‘Jill-Jet’.

Jillette’s musical pursuits eventually led him into noise and avant-garde circles via producer Kramer. Jillette described finishing up his show on Broadway, hopping in a limo, and heading downtown to CBGBs to play bass in punk bands alongside Half Japanese, Maureen Tucker, or Lou Reed. His underground rock credentials also extended to the studio, including a guest appearance spitting lyrics on industrial metal supergroup Pigface’s 2003 album track "The Horse You Rode In On."