Arnold Schwarzenegger is known for many things, but his musical history isn't one of them. The bodybuilding legend recently detailed his journey from listening to rock and roll on a transistor radio in Austria to falling in love with Johnny Cash in America.

Depending on how you know him, Schwarzenegger has been seen as a seven-time Mr. Olympia, a Hollywood star, and a politician. But very few know the journey of the music lover side of the legendary bodybuilder, who has gone from Austria to America.

Schwarzenegger himself revealed that side during his appearance on a podcast on Theo Von's YouTube channel on June 5, 2025.

On the podcast, when the host started talking about his city, Tennessee, Schwarzenegger instantly showed his musical knowledge by saying, “It's known for its country music, right?”

Later, when asked about the music he used to listen to growing up, he said, “Growing up was kind of rock and roll in the 50s.” Diving more into his childhood, The Austrian Oak said:

“There was a program that was called Hit Parade…. We didn't have a television. Um, so we just had the radio at home. I had then bought. I was like 15, and I just bought my first transistor radio…. But then that I always took down to the lake where I grew up, that we were sitting around the boys from a village and we were listening to this hit parade.

It was from 7:00 to 8 at night on Wednesdays. And there was like Little Richard and Chuck Berry and all of those guys that were, you know, big in the 50s and 60s.”

Though his public persona is all about strength, fitness, and workouts even at 78, he admits that he still listens to old country music.

Then he gained popularity and won several bodybuilding shows in Europe before coming to America, where he became aware of Western music.

When discussing attending a musical concert, Schwarzenegger revealed that, due to financial restraints, he was unable to attend any concerts in Austria. But in America, the situation was different.

He said, “When I came over here, I uh then became aware of the country western songs, especially Johnny Cash hit in a television show, a weekly television show, and uh was great great music, and so I fell in love with that. And then friends of mine here in America then took me to concerts.”

That was the time when he not only started attending Western country music concerts but also jazz concerts and said, “And so then that's when I started really getting into it. But I mean, I loved the music.”

His love for music is not only limited to listening to songs but has also expanded to debut as a musician with the song "Pump It Up." Schwarzenegger collaborated with Andreas Gabalier, an Austrian singer, and released his first song in 2019.

So, for Schwarzenegger, the appreciation of music may have increased as his career progressed, but his connection to music started in his childhood.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a Musical Family

While speaking about the music he used to listen to in his country, the Austrian Oak also revealed that his father was a musician himself.

He said, “My father himself was a musician. He played six instruments.” According to Schwarzenegger, his father used to play, “All kinds of like a flean trumpet (flugelhorn), saxophone, clarinet, all of the stuff like that.”

Apart from country music, he became familiar with traditional music during his childhood thanks to his father.

He said his father mostly played very traditional music “because he was the conductor of the Gendarmerie music, which is the police, the country police…. he played in that shandarie music.”

So, Schwarzenegger’s journey shows that his interests go beyond bodybuilding; he also has a passion for music rooted in his childhood.

Follow Bodybuilding Bros for more

Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil