20 Musicians Who Have Appeared in ‘American Horror Story’

Season: 1, Murder House
Character: Vivien Harmon

Britton starred opposite Dylan McDermott as Vivien, who becomes pregnant with twins after they move into the Murder House to rebuild their marriage after his infidelity. But is it his baby (or babies) — or is it Rubber Man’s?

Though Britton is best known for her acting — she even nabbed a Primetime Emmy nod for her portrayal of Vivien — the star also has multiple entries on Billboard‘s charts from her five seasons on 2010s ABC country melodrama Nashville, landing duets with co-stars Charles Esten (“No One Will Ever Love You”) and Hayden Panettierre (“Wrong Song”) on the Hot Country Songs chart.

Season: 2, Asylum
Character: Leo Morrison

The Maroon 5 frontman had a three-episode arc, playing newlywed Leo, who went to an old, abandoned asylum named Briarcliff Manor with his wife as part of their honeymoon. Spoiler alert: It did not end well for the lovebirds.

Season: 3, Coven; 8, Apocalypse
Character: Herself

The celebrated singer-songwriter appeared as herself — a musical muse for Lily Rabe’s Misty Day — in two episodes; Nicks even performed Fleetwood Mac’s “Seven Wonders” in an episode of the same title. The musician returned in season eight to sing the band’s hit “Gypsy” for Misty.

Watch Nicks’ interview with Billboard about her role on AHS: Coven.

Seasons: 3, Coven; 6, Roanoke; 9, 1984
Characters: Quentin Fleming (season three), Cricket Marlowe/Ashley Gilbert (season six), Courtney (season nine)

The late actor — who was also a Billboard charting artist, with his Gospel-themed 2021 set Company’s Comin’ peaking at No. 13 on Top Christian Albums — played multiple roles in three seasons of the horror anthology. In his first guest starring role on AHS, Jordan portrayed a warlock who was part of Coven‘s Council of Witchcraft. He returned for Roanoke as psychic Cricket, who meets a grisly end — but also shows up toward the end of the season to portray a ghost hunter named Ashley Gilbert.

In his third and final season on the show, Jordan played Courtney, the personal assistant of Leslie Grossman’s Margaret. Unluckily for Courtney, his boss tasks him with dismembering and discarding the bodies of the murdered members of ’80s synth-pop hitmakers Kajagoogoo.

Seasons: 3, Coven; 11, NYC
Characters: Joan Ramsey (season three), Kathy Pizzaz (season 11)

In Coven, two-time Grammy winner and Broadway star LuPone portrays the super religious Joan, who rises from the dead not thanks to God, but witchcraft, and goes on to kill her son after he learns she killed his father. In season 11, the star of stage and screen plays Kathy, a performer who owns of a bathhouse and tarot shop in 1980s NYC, during the height of the AIDS pandemic.

Seasons: 3, Coven; 4, Freak Show; 7, Cult; 8, Apocalypse; 9, 1984; 12, Delicate
Characters: Madison Montgomery (seasons three and eight), Maggie Esmerelda (season four), Serena Belinda (season seven), Brooke Thompson (season nine), Anna Victoria Alcott (season 12)

Roberts may best be known as an actress, but thanks to her starring role in Nickelodeon’s teen sitcom Unfabulous, she’s also a Billboard charting artist, with the show’s 2005 soundtrack — featuring her singing — peaking at No. 17 on the Soundtracks tally and No. 10 on the Kid Albums list. Since her Nick days, she’s become a staple of Murphy and Falchuk’s horror anthology series, starring in six seasons to date.

Seasons: 3, Coven; 4, Freak Show; 5, Hotel; 7, Cult
Characters: Alicia Spencer (season three), Rita Gayheart (season four), Hazel Evers (season five), Sally Keffler (season seven)

Like Roberts, the Oscar-nominated actress may be best known for her on-screen abilities, but Winningham has musical chops as well, and has released several albums — though she has yet to make her debut on the Billboard charts. In the world of AHS, she has played characters ranging from Rubber Man’s mom to a hotel laundress.

Season: 4, Freak Show
Character: Chester Creb

The star of Broadway stage and screen — who peaked at No. 26 on the Hot 100 in 2010 thanks to his feature on the Glee Cast’s cover of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” — appeared on the series for two episodes. He portrayed a magician named Chester who, before joining the Freak Show, killed his wife and her lover in a jealous rage, and later sawed his assistant in half.

Season: 4, Freak Show
Character: Dora Brown

The Godmother of Soul had a four-episode arc in which she portrayed maid Dora, who worked for psycho rich boy Dandy (Finn Wittrock). Like many AHS characters, Dora also met an unfortunate fate.

Season: 4, Freak Show
Character: Ima “Barbara” Wiggles

Before the singer-actress — who signed her first recording contract with UMG Nashville in 2020 — made it big as one of the stars of NBC’s acclaimed drama This Is Us, she portrayed Barbara (a.k.a. Ima Wiggles, a.k.a. the carnival’s obese lady) on AHS: Freak Show for five episodes.

Season: 5, Hotel
Character: The Countess

The 13-time Grammy winner starred in the fifth season of AHS, portraying a brokenhearted aspiring actress named Elizabeth who is transformed into a vampire by her lovers, a married couple who faked their deaths after becoming bloodsuckers. The Countess eventually comes to own the Hotel Cortez, where she kills some people (of course), but also raises vampire children.

The role earned Gaga a Golden Globe in 2016 for best performance by an actress in a limited series or movie made for TV.

Season: 5, Hotel
Character: Justin

The former Glee star — who reached No. 89 on Billboard‘s Top Album Sales chart with his set A Very Darren Chrissmas in 2021 — had a brief, two-episode arc in which he portrayed a photographer named Justin, who (along with his girlfriend) headed to the Cortez for a stay. Hotel manager Iris (Kathy Bates) is less than impressed by the influencer couple, and serves them cat food when they order room service, before helping them … ahem … check out early.

Seasons: 5, Hotel; 6, Roanoke; 7, Cult; 8, Apocalypse
Characters: Will Drake (season five), Sydney James (season six), Rudy Vincent (season seven), John Henry Moore (season eight)

The actor-singer — who earned a 2015 Grammy nod for his work on the West Side Story musical theater album — has had a wide range of roles on the FX horror series, from The Countess’ (Lady Gaga) lover in Hotel to a warlock who meets a fiery ending in Apocalypse.

Season: 7, Cult
Character: Pastor Charles

The Australian-American rock star — who earned both a Hot 100 No. 1 and a best rock vocal performance Grammy for the pop-rock classic “Jessie’s Girl” — appeared in the episode titled “Our Winter of Discontent” as a super-conservative “man of God” who tortured those he considered to be sinners.

Season: 8, Apocalypse
Character: Behold Chablis

The Billboard-charting artist and Grammy-winning singer-actor portrayed the sassy warlock who taught at the Hawthorne School for Exceptional Young Men and is tasked with investigating a powerful young warlock’s origins at the Murder House from season one. (Behold later becomes a victim of that dangerous young warlock.)

Seasons: 8, Apocalypse; 11, NYC
Characters: Hannah (season eight), Fran (season 11)

Bernhard may be best known for her acting and comedy, but the star has also released numerous albums and appeared on various Billboard charts, including a No. 13 peak on Dance Club Songs with her Sylvester cover “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” and No. 40 on Heatseekers Albums with her Excuses for Bad Behavior LP. Her time on AHS kicked off with a one-episode cameo in Apocalypse, in which she play a priestess in a Satanic church. In season 11, she starred as Fran, a writer for the New York Native who believes that a new virus killing gay men is a biological weapon from the government.

Season: 9, 1984
Character: Trevor Kirchner

The former Glee star — whose 2011 self-titled album peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 — played Camp Redwood’s activities director Trevor, who had a colorful professional history, and eventually became one of the camp’s ghosts.

Season: 9, 1984
Character: Richard Ramirez

The musician-actor — who is half of the alternative/electro-pop duo Rebel and a Basketcase with actress Evan Rachel Wood — had a juicy role in season nine: Richard Ramirez, the ’80s serial killer and rapist dubbed the Night Stalker, who murdered at least 13 people during his spree.

Seasons: 10, Double Feature; 11, NYC
Characters: Troy Lord (season 10), Theo Graves (season 11)

The Broadway star — who earned a best musical theater Grammy nomination for his work on Once on This Island — first portrayed Troy, a college student who unwillingly becomes part of the government’s horrific program breeding alien-human hybrids. In season 11, Powell played photographer Theo Graves, boyfriend of rich art curator Sam (Zachary Quinto).

Season: 12, Delicate
Character: Nicolette

The Pose singer-actress, who is working on a pop/R&B album, made her AHS debut in part one of season 12. She portrayed Nicolette, a single mother who manages the Hamptons house Anna Victoria (Emma Roberts) and husband Dex (Matt Czuchry) are staying at.