Famous musicians who were also engineers

[schmitt trigger]

I am only aware of two:
Queen’s John Deacon, and Boston’s Tom Scholz.

Anyone else?

[jh15]

Frank Zappa

[NiHaoMike]

Fran Blanche, although she's famous for being the founder of Frantone, a company that made guitar effect gadgets.

[tomato]

I think one of the guys from Styx had an engineering degree.  (I wasn't a fan, so I don't know any of their names.)

Zappa only attended college for a semester or two, so not an engineer.

[xaxaxa]

Linus Walleij, a linux kernel developer, composer of the famous song <<rock turns to water>> that has been used in hundreds of YTPMVs

[BradC]

Don Walker

[Kjelt]

Leonardo da Vinci

[LapTop006]

There's a few well known scientists too.

Queen's Dr. Brian May is an astrophysicist
The Offspring's Dr. Dexter Holland is a molecular biologist.

[BradC]

Queen's Dr. Brian May is an astrophysicist

Indeed, I had him autograph my guitar and we had an interesting conversation about the stars. Apparently it made a refreshing change from people constantly asking him about Freddie

[larrybl]

Not really famous (yet) but I have been following his build of the Marble Machine X. He has some serious CAD design skills. He posts a youtube every Wednesday. https://www.reddit.com/r/MarbleMachineX/

[jaromir]

Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin - other than being famous composer, he was also well known organic chemist, being among first to describe nucleophylic substitution and inventing aldol reaction.

When I was 15 or so, I was central repair hub for two dozens of musical groups, mostly in rock, punk or metal genres, taking care of their guitars/amplifiers/stomp boxes. In almost every group, there at least one member who was - or later became - electrical or mechanic engineer. None of those groups are known outside local circles, though, so I wouldn't call them famous. But anyway, there is a lot of EEs among musicians and a lot of musicians among EEs.

[SiliconWizard]

Although not quite a musician, Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean  ) actually has an engineering degree.

[Bassman59]

I am only aware of two:
Queen’s John Deacon, and Boston’s Tom Scholz.

Anyone else?

He's not an engineer, but rather a scientist, but anyway Milo Aukerman of the Descendents (note spelling!) has a PhD in biochemistry and has worked as a researcher and an instructor.

I saw them last week. They're a bunch old guys (like myself), they still bring it! Kids today should pay attention.

[Vtile]

Queen's Dr. Brian May is an astrophysicist

Indeed, I had him autograph my guitar and we had an interesting conversation about the stars. Apparently it made a refreshing change from people constantly asking him about Freddie

So which who you were talking then? Punnn...

[kosine]

Also not an engineer, but particle physicist and TV presenter Brian Cox was keyboard player in D:Ream back in the 90s. Their "Things Can Only Get Better" was a number 1 hit and became Tony Blair's Labour party election anthem a few years later.

[MT]

Bob Moog was EE could play the piano.  Bruce Dickinson singer in Iron maiden is pilot with 747 licence etc . Don Buchla was a composer and EE.

[coppercone2]

Although not quite a musician, Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean  ) actually has an engineering degree.

no wonder I find his spy movie so fucking funny 

[bsdphk]

Does Brian May, who finished his astrophysics PhD after Queen ended, count ?

[EHT]

King Tubby 

[rdl]

Freddie Mercury died over 25 years ago, but Queen as a band is still functioning.

Does Brian May, who finished his astrophysics PhD after Queen ended, count ?

[ArthurDent]

Not exactly a musician but an amazing inventor responsible for spread-spectrum technology that makes modern communications possible, and most people have never heard of what she did.  Hedy Lamarr

https://www.marketplace.org/2017/11/21/tech/inventor-changed-our-world-and-also-happened-be-famous-hollywood-star

[NiHaoMike]

Not exactly a musician but an amazing inventor responsible for spread-spectrum technology that makes modern communications possible, and most people have never heard of what she did.  Hedy Lamarr

https://www.marketplace.org/2017/11/21/tech/inventor-changed-our-world-and-also-happened-be-famous-hollywood-star

She's often seen as a "goddess" at Qualcomm, because a very large percentage of the wireless technology used in their products depend on her invention!

And if we're going to bend the rules, Jeri Ellsworth would also qualify - she's famous but mostly for things other than music.

[SiliconWizard]

Although not quite a musician, Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean  ) actually has an engineering degree.

no wonder I find his spy movie so fucking funny 

That may also explain why he fiddles with electricity in many of his scenarios.
I really love his work. It's utterly funny and deliciously absurd, typical of the british humour. 

[boB]

I  don't know if he is an "engineer" but Joe Walsh from the James Gang and the Eagles is an active ham radio guy.

[NiHaoMike]

Then there's MsMadLemon, although I'm not sure if she's famous enough to qualify.
https://soundcloud.com/msmad-lemon/