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Kenny G Invented the Frappuccino? Plus 11 More Audacious Invention Claims by Musicians

by Sam Greenspan
last updated March 22, 2018 · originally written March 3, 2015

Kenny G says he told Starbucks to make the Frappuccino. Much like Paul McCartney invented the photobomb, Prince invented the keytar, Lil Wayne invented bling and more.

Earlier this year, Kenny G was promoting his latest album, Brazilian Nights, which is no doubt about how the only thing smoother than a Brazilian wax is Kenny G’s jazz.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Kenny G discussed his early investment in Starbucks — then took it even further and claimed HE was responsible for the Frappuccino.

Quoting G:

Well, at the beginning, Starbucks didn’t have anything but coffee, and there was another company, Coffee Bean, that had something called blended. It was a sweet drink, and people were lined up around the block.

And I would always call Howard [Schultz, Starbucks CEO] and say, ‘Howard, there’s this thing that they do there that’s like a milkshake or whatever.’ And so I think that part of the reason that they did Frappuccino was people like me giving them that kind of feedback. So I like to think I was partially responsible for that.

And Starbucks… didn’t totally shoot that down. A spokesperson said, “He did provide feedback on the creation of [the] Frappuccino.”

I went on a hunt to find more wild invention claims and credit grabs from singers and musicians. Once I had eight or so, I had to flashback to my past and find a full 11…

1 | Paul McCartney claims he invented the selfie

He made the claim on the old Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, based off this old photo…

2 | Paul McCartney also claims he invented the photobomb

He made the claim in the same interview, based off this photo…

In both cases, the claims were tongue-in-cheek — although you kind of get the feeling he’s not 100 percent joking.

3 | Marilyn Manson claims he invented the term “grunge”

Before he was a singer, he was a music journalist and says he coined the term during a review of Nirvana’s first album.

4 | Ike Turner claims he invented the strobe light

He did not.

5 | Steve Miller claims he invented the words “epismetology” and “pompatus.”

Most people believe he actually based both words off the lyrics from a song called The Letter from a ’50s doo-wop group called The Medallions. I’m skeptical, personally; white musicians don’t have any history of ripping things off from black musicians.

6 | Iggy Azelea claims she invented on-stage twerking

Ibid.

7 | Ma Rainey claims she invented the name “blues.”

8 | Prince claims he invented a better keytar

He doesn’t take credit for the original keytar, but holds an actual U.S. patent for a better keytar. I love that his patent was issued in 1992. Way to strike while the iron was hot on that keytar trend, Prince.

9 | Thomas Dolby claims he invented ringtones

He’s behind the technology that made the old polyphonic ringtones. (I’ve covered him before and, yeah, I believe him.)

10 | Lil Wayne claims he invented bling

The term, not the geologic process from which carbon is compressed and heated deep within the Earth to produce diamonds.

11 | Trey Songz claims he invented sex

Chicken/egg.

—

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Filed Under: Food & Drink, Music Tagged With: Coffee, Inventions, Starbucks

About Sam Greenspan

Sam is a Midwest-born classically-trained journalist, now living and working in Los Angeles as a writer, author and entrepreneur. So basically, just a whole steaming jambalaya of stereotypes.

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