7. PRINCE
Even the man in purple has a patent to call his own. In 1992 Prince got the thumbs-up for a design patent for a “portable keyboard instrument.” Yup, it’s a keytar. This one’s a curvy purple design with two pitchfork-type spikes on the end. In other words, it’s something that could only have come out of Prince’s noggin.
8. PENN JILLETTE
In 1999 everyone’s favorite funnyman illusionist received a patent for a “hydro-therapeutic stimulator.” What exactly does that mean? According to the application, it’s “a spa of a type including a tub for holding water and a user, in particular, a female user.” The spa’s jets are strategically located to make the experience a bit more, ah, enjoyable for female bathers.
9. PAULA ABDUL
Most mic stands are flat-bottomed and meant to stay in one position on the stage, which requires a performer to be close to the microphone in order to be heard—or to drag the heavy mic stand along the stage. That just didn’t work for Paula Abdul, who in 2009 patented her own mic stand, a “dynamic microphone support apparatus.” Her device has a concave base filled with cement and a cover on the base that “is positioned over the base and covers the compartment such that weight of a user positioned on the base cover applied in a direction causes the base to tilt with respect to the surface in the direction; and a rod member.” The resulting invention looks like a cross between a workout apparatus, a mic stand, and a death trap, but because the base is weighted, the singer can stand on top and move around without fear of falling over.
