Savage Distortion

Johnny Depp is cool.. He was also a musician first (" The Kids")
 

You're lucky you specified "Americans", otherwise the absence of Keith's name would have be casue to turn in your badge.
 

Wot, no Britney!
She's so totally cool and stuff
I surrender!
 

I did actually consider Mr. Depp, he has many coolness traits: the Viper Club, he's performed with Flea, Gibby, and he let John Frusciante play when John should have been in a hospital, BUT, he is an actor, that's not very cool, and he lives in France - absolutely not cool unless you are Rolling Stone, and then you're not American, unless you are the current Bass Player, who is very cool, but mostly because he's black.

The rules are very clear people, jeez!

Britney is on the fast track to coolness, I give her another ten years - hey it is Coolest LIVING American, vacancies will pop up, sadly.
 

Howard Stern!
By far, my favorite
 

I totally agree: Joan Jett would be my #1.
 

Ace Frehley?
 

I love Stern, but he is definately NOT cool.
 

You don’t have to be a musician to be cool, what about George Carlin. Hugh Hefner might not be so cool now, but I think he invented it. Do Canadians count as Americans?
 

You don't have to be a musician to be cool, but it certainly helps. Or at the very least it helps with the chicks!

Great list - I agree with you on Lou Reed having his own list of coolness.

I think one of the coolest non musicians is a guy who's books I've started to read and I totally enjoy his tv show - Anthony Bourdain. That dude is COOL - he has to play guitar!
 

Ace, hmmmm, a definate omission, gotta think on that - who gets bumped.

You certainly don't have to be a musician to be cool, but musicians are cooler, so they crowd the top of the list.

Bourdain is certainly cool, and probably the coolest food dude.
 

LES PAUL!

still alive and I'm sure a couple people on the list owe him a great deal of gratitude.
 

But how cool is Les, his contributions are cool, but is he?
 

I got to meet the man and see him play at a private poolside performance. I'd say the guy's pretty fucking cool.

I'd say Stevie Ray Vaughn and his band Double trouble are pretty cool.
 

barack obama is cool but probably won't be president, at least this cycle.

ben and jerry are both cool even after they stopped making ice cream.

and you know that john irving is cool.

and like musicians, most comedians are really cool. i assume you saw the aristocrats. gilbert gottfried's use of comedy to make everyone laugh in the wake of 9/11 was pretty damn cool.
 

Politicians are NOT cool, ever.

Ben and Jerry? - Jolly hippies, yes, cool, no.

Stevie Ray is dead, dude - see catagory title.

Gilbert.......Hmmmmm, gotta think on that....