No kidding: 12 comedians with serious music skills

Steve Martin can seriously shred on the banjo

Steve Martin might crack a joke or two when he hits the road this spring, but the focus of his tour is squarely on something he takes very seriously: bluegrass banjo. Martin has played banjo as part of his comedy act since the '70s, but his skill on the instrument is no joke: He won a Grammy in 2002 for collaborating with bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs on a remake of Scruggs' "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," and a second Grammy earlier this year for his first bluegrass album, "The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo," which features guest appearances by the likes of Vince Gill and Dolly Parton.

Martin is hardly the first funnyman to excel at a musical instrument—or to use that skill for more than just comedic effect. Here are 11 other comedians whose musical prowess is no laughing matter.—Andy Hermann, Metromix

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