How tall is Tony Levin?

[EricssonB]

Got into an argument with my friend about how tall Tony Levin is.

I'm 5'8" and think that he looks tall.
My friend is 5'10" and says that he looks average.

Is this a matter of perspective? Can't always tell by watching YouTube videos and there doesnt' seem to be that information on his Wiki.


Update: friend figures that Tony is 6'1".

"That's taller than me, therefore tall." Poll nullified?

 

[johnnynitro]

I met him years ago when he was playing with Peter Gabriel Im 6'4 And I remember not having to look down when I was talking to him. So he's gotta be fairly tall ! It was a long time ago !!

 

[EricssonB]

Sounds like you can say confidently that he is indeed tall.

Pretty sure that people just look taller when they wear full-length trench coats. I should get one.

 

[Yvon]

met him, i'm 6'1 he seemed a little bit taller then me. Maybe 6'2

 

[5StringBlues]

Met him on the ABWH tour. Right around 6'2.

 

[EricssonB]

Met him on the ABWH tour. Right around 6'2.

Yeah, that's pretty tall. Glad I voted that way.

 

[hover]

He's as tall as I and I am 6'2". Gave the man a high-five / back pat as they marched the crowd during Solsbury Hill. He was playing his NS upright, strapped, and the whole gang paused for a moment right by me and my Wife, as Tony's parents were sitting directly in front of me. It was truly awesome. I missed meeting him backstage be minutes. I saw him through the glass backstage. Bummed, I was, but that made up for it.

 

[winterburn69]

This isn't related to his height, but I absolutely love his tone on Double Fantasy. Does anyone know what kind of bass he used on that album?

 

[ransombass]

I saw that everyone said he was around 6'2" and to me that is tall, being only 5'8", so I went back to the top and voted tall. I know that's cheating, but I never get to be on the winning team.

 

[Sam Evans]

The funk fingers make him look taller.

 

[capnsandwich]

I'm 6'2" and he's close to me so I say average but a lot of people say I'm tall so YMMV.

 

[armywalaby]

Here's a photo...John Myung is a tall dude as well, and Mr. Levin seems to be taller than him. Link Removed

 

[Roscoe East]

Here's a photo...John Myung is a tall dude as well, and Mr. Levin seems to be taller than him. Link Removed

Plus, Tony is wearing trousers with a 34" inseam in that pic.

 

[Roscoe East]

I absolutely love his tone on Double Fantasy. Does anyone know what kind of bass he used on that album?

Not with 100% certainty, but I do know that by 1980 Tony was using a MusicMan Stingray for most of his work. (He was known to weild a Fender Precision during the 1970s, so I suppose it's possible he could've used that.)

I do distinctly remember reading an interview where he said he played bass on all the Lennon compositions on Double Fantasy, and Chapman Stick on all the Yoko Ono compositions on that album.

 

[stringtapper]

The couple of times we've met we were pretty much eye-to-eye and I'm 6'2".

 

[FretlessMainly]

I'm 6'2" and he's close to me so I say average but a lot of people say I'm tall so YMMV.

Just a comment, but this makes no sense (sorry, I work with data and do technical writing). Average height for a gender or any other demographic is based on all of the members of that population, not just one person or one person's perception or opinion of what constitutes "average" or "tall" or anything else. For you to suggest 6'2" is average just because you're 6'2" flies in the face of what the concept of average really means.

In that respect, the categories have no meaning, really. Average "x" is based on a statistical sample. Someone's opinion of whether someone of height x'y" is tall, average or short is irrelevant. The correct answer to the question can only be found through an evaluation of statistical data for heights of males in the US, or heights of male bass players in __________. Unless this is some kind of social experiment, in which case @#$% ^&*.

In any case, his height is nowhere near his level of talent and tastefulness.

 

[suddenlysane]

If we do the math on this.......wait, let me make sure my method is correct first....I'm 5'11" tall and weigh 223 lbs and play bass. If you take the height in inches divided by the weight and multiply by the width of my bass neck at the nut.....I come up with...thinking...I'm FAT. Yup, method is solid. What were we talking about again?

 

[hdracer]

He is tall.

Chart showing the average height of males and females in various world countries.

Country Average male height Average female height

Argentina 174.46 cm (5 ft 8.6 in) 161.03 cm (5 ft 3.4 in)
Australia 178.4 cm (5' 10.2") 163.9 cm (5' 4.5")
Bahrain 165.1 cm (5' 5") 154.7 cm (5' 1")
Belgium 176.6 cm (5' 9.5") 163.3 cm (5' 4.3")
Brazil 169.0 cm (5' 6.5") 158.0 cm (5' 2.2")
Cameroon 170.6 cm (5' 7.2") 161.3 cm (5' 3.5")
Canada 174 cm (5' 8.5") 161.0 cm (5' 3.4")
China (PRC) 164.8 cm (5' 4.9") 154.5 cm (5' 0.8")
China 169.4 cm (5' 6.7") 158.6 cm (5' 2.5")
Colombia 170.64 cm (5' 7.2") 158.65 cm (5' 2.4")
Cote d'Ivoire 170.1 cm (5' 7") 159.1 cm (5' 2.7")
Czech Republic 180.3 cm (5' 11") 167.3 cm (5' 6.0")
Denmark 180.6 cm (5' 11.1")
Dinaric Alps 185.6 cm (6' 1.0") 171.0 cm (5' 7.2")
Estonia 179.1 cm (5' 10.5")
Finland 178.2 cm (5' 10") 164.7 cm (5' 4.7")
France 174.1 cm (5' 8.5") 161.9 cm (5' 3.7")
Ghana 169.46 cm (5' 6.7") 158.53 cm (5' 2.4")
Gambia 168.0 cm (5' 6.1") 157.8 cm (5' 2.2")
Germany 178.1 cm (5' 10") 165 cm (5' 4.9")
Guatemala (Maya people) 157.5 cm (5' 2") 142.2 cm (4' 6")
Hong Kong 170 cm (5' 7") 158.8 cm (5' 2.6")
Hungary, Debrecen 179.14 cm (5' 10.4") 165.84 cm (5' 5.2")
Iceland 181.7 cm (5' 11.5") 167.6 cm (5' 6")
India 165.3 cm (5' 5") 165.3 cm (5' 5")
Indonesia 158.0 cm (5' 2.2") 147.0 cm (4' 10.0")
Indonesia, East Bali 162.4 cm (5' 3.9") 151.3 cm (4' 11.5")
Iran 174.24 cm (5' 8.6") 160.0 cm (5' 3")
Iraq 165.4 cm (5' 5.1") 155.8 cm (5' 1.3")
Israel 175.6 cm (5' 9.2") 162.7 cm (5' 4.1")
Italy - Middle & North 176.9 cm (5' 9.7") 163.2 cm (5' 4.2")
Italy - South 174.2 cm (5' 8.0") 160.8 cm (5' 3.3")
Japan 171.2 cm (5' 7.4") 158.8 cm (5' 2.6")
Korea, South 175.26 cm (5' 9") 162.56 cm (5' 4")
Lithuania 176.3 cm (5' 9.4")
Malaysia 164.7 cm (5' 4.8") 153.3 cm (5' 0.4")
Malta 169 cm (5' 6.5") 159 cm (5' 2.6")
Malawi 166 cm (5' 5.3") 155 cm (5' 1.1")
Mali 171.3 cm (5' 7.4") 160.4 cm (5' 3.2")
Mexico, State of Morelos 167 cm (5' 5.7") 155 cm (5' 1.1")
Netherlands 184.8 cm (6' 0.8") 168.7 cm (5' 6.4")
New Zealand 177.0 cm (5' 9.7") 165.0 cm (5' 5")
Nigeria 163.8 cm (5' 4.5") 157.8 cm (5' 2.1")
Norway 179.9 cm (5' 10.8") 167.2 cm (5' 5.9")
Philippines 163.5 cm (5' 4.4") 151.8 cm (4' 11.8")
Portugal 172.8 cm (5' 8")
Singapore 170.6 cm (5' 7.2") 160 cm (5' 3")
South Africa 169.0 cm (5' 6.5") 159.0 cm (5' 2.5")
Spain 170 cm (5' 7") 161 cm (5' 3.3")
Sweden 180 cm (5' 10.9") 166.9 cm (5' 5.7")
Switzerland 175.5 cm (5' 9") 164.0 cm (5' 3.8")
Taiwan 171.45 cm (5' 7.5") 159.68 cm (5' 2.75")
Thailand 167.5 cm (5' 5.9") 157.3 cm (5' 1.9")
Turkey 173.74 cm (5' 8.4") 161.4 cm (5' 3.5")
United Kingdom 176.8 cm (5' 9.6") 163.7 cm (5' 4.4")
U.S. 178.2 cm (5' 10.2") 164.1 cm (5' 4.6")
Vietnam 167 cm 156 cm

 

[EricssonB]

He is tall.

Chart showing the average height of males and females in various world countries.

Country Average male height Average female height

Argentina 174.46 cm (5 ft 8.6 in) 161.03 cm (5 ft 3.4 in)
Australia 178.4 cm (5' 10.2") 163.9 cm (5' 4.5")
Bahrain 165.1 cm (5' 5") 154.7 cm (5' 1")
Belgium 176.6 cm (5' 9.5") 163.3 cm (5' 4.3")
Brazil 169.0 cm (5' 6.5") 158.0 cm (5' 2.2")
Cameroon 170.6 cm (5' 7.2") 161.3 cm (5' 3.5")
Canada 174 cm (5' 8.5") 161.0 cm (5' 3.4")
China (PRC) 164.8 cm (5' 4.9") 154.5 cm (5' 0.8")
China 169.4 cm (5' 6.7") 158.6 cm (5' 2.5")
Colombia 170.64 cm (5' 7.2") 158.65 cm (5' 2.4")
Cote d'Ivoire 170.1 cm (5' 7") 159.1 cm (5' 2.7")
Czech Republic 180.3 cm (5' 11") 167.3 cm (5' 6.0")
Denmark 180.6 cm (5' 11.1")
Dinaric Alps 185.6 cm (6' 1.0") 171.0 cm (5' 7.2")
Estonia 179.1 cm (5' 10.5")
Finland 178.2 cm (5' 10") 164.7 cm (5' 4.7")
France 174.1 cm (5' 8.5") 161.9 cm (5' 3.7")
Ghana 169.46 cm (5' 6.7") 158.53 cm (5' 2.4")
Gambia 168.0 cm (5' 6.1") 157.8 cm (5' 2.2")
Germany 178.1 cm (5' 10") 165 cm (5' 4.9")
Guatemala (Maya people) 157.5 cm (5' 2") 142.2 cm (4' 6")
Hong Kong 170 cm (5' 7") 158.8 cm (5' 2.6")
Hungary, Debrecen 179.14 cm (5' 10.4") 165.84 cm (5' 5.2")
Iceland 181.7 cm (5' 11.5") 167.6 cm (5' 6")
India 165.3 cm (5' 5") 165.3 cm (5' 5")
Indonesia 158.0 cm (5' 2.2") 147.0 cm (4' 10.0")
Indonesia, East Bali 162.4 cm (5' 3.9") 151.3 cm (4' 11.5")
Iran 174.24 cm (5' 8.6") 160.0 cm (5' 3")
Iraq 165.4 cm (5' 5.1") 155.8 cm (5' 1.3")
Israel 175.6 cm (5' 9.2") 162.7 cm (5' 4.1")
Italy - Middle & North 176.9 cm (5' 9.7") 163.2 cm (5' 4.2")
Italy - South 174.2 cm (5' 8.0") 160.8 cm (5' 3.3")
Japan 171.2 cm (5' 7.4") 158.8 cm (5' 2.6")
Korea, South 175.26 cm (5' 9") 162.56 cm (5' 4")
Lithuania 176.3 cm (5' 9.4")
Malaysia 164.7 cm (5' 4.8") 153.3 cm (5' 0.4")
Malta 169 cm (5' 6.5") 159 cm (5' 2.6")
Malawi 166 cm (5' 5.3") 155 cm (5' 1.1")
Mali 171.3 cm (5' 7.4") 160.4 cm (5' 3.2")
Mexico, State of Morelos 167 cm (5' 5.7") 155 cm (5' 1.1")
Netherlands 184.8 cm (6' 0.8") 168.7 cm (5' 6.4")
New Zealand 177.0 cm (5' 9.7") 165.0 cm (5' 5")
Nigeria 163.8 cm (5' 4.5") 157.8 cm (5' 2.1")
Norway 179.9 cm (5' 10.8") 167.2 cm (5' 5.9")
Philippines 163.5 cm (5' 4.4") 151.8 cm (4' 11.8")
Portugal 172.8 cm (5' 8")
Singapore 170.6 cm (5' 7.2") 160 cm (5' 3")
South Africa 169.0 cm (5' 6.5") 159.0 cm (5' 2.5")
Spain 170 cm (5' 7") 161 cm (5' 3.3")
Sweden 180 cm (5' 10.9") 166.9 cm (5' 5.7")
Switzerland 175.5 cm (5' 9") 164.0 cm (5' 3.8")
Taiwan 171.45 cm (5' 7.5") 159.68 cm (5' 2.75")
Thailand 167.5 cm (5' 5.9") 157.3 cm (5' 1.9")
Turkey 173.74 cm (5' 8.4") 161.4 cm (5' 3.5")
United Kingdom 176.8 cm (5' 9.6") 163.7 cm (5' 4.4")
U.S. 178.2 cm (5' 10.2") 164.1 cm (5' 4.6")
Vietnam 167 cm 156 cm

So what you're saying is that he would be a very tall woman? He'd be a gargantuan Filipino woman!

 

[burk48237]

Here's a photo...John Myung is a tall dude as well, and Mr. Levin seems to be taller than him. Link Removed

I've seen John a couple of times at NAMM and photographed him with Vic. As I recall he wasn't any taller than me (5"8"). I had a long talk with Tony at the last NAMM (he played on a EP for a female artist I've done some work with ) I'd put him at about 6'2" (above average but short for the NBA).