Musicians who act, and actors who play/sing

[JazzPadd]

After reading through, I added Paris Blues and Lucky to my list of films to see soon. Thank you!

[jameslovestal]

After reading through, I added Paris Blues and Lucky to my list of films to see soon. Thank you!

Note that in Paris Blues the guitarist is a heroin addict but he does get in a solid solo channeling Jimmy Raney who made a splash in Paris a few years before the film was made.

[sgosnell]

A brief performance of a song I've liked ever since I first heard it. Paul Newman won't exactly wow you with his vocal chops, but a strong performance nevertheless.

[joelf]

Miles Davis played a pimp in Miami Vice and a musician named Billy Cross in a film (Dingo?)...

[John A.]

John Lurie
David Johansen
John Lennon
Kris Kristofferson
Courtney Love
Steve Allen
Paul Robeson
Jimmy Cliff
Levin Helm
Will Smith


Oh, and Sting didn't start as an actor. He was a musician first.

[Doctor Jeff]

[Doctor Jeff]

As far as musicians acting, I would have to say that Kris Kristofferson is one of my favorites. A natural actor. Bowie had a singular charisma that made every role he ever played riveting. Sinatra was a natural too, IMO.

Elvis had a lot of charisma that came across on screen, though I wouldn’t say Olivier was in any danger of being dethroned.

Steve van Zandt does one thing and does it well. Can’t imagine The Sopranos without him. (Same with music too…he does Jersey rock better than Bruce these days…)

Diana Ross was good in her movies—Mahogany, etc. Jennifer Hudson. Barbra Streisand. Courtney Love was excellent in Larry Flynn—another natural. Cher may be the best musician/actress who has spent much time in front of the camera, though Lady Gaga may give her a run for the money.

[Gabor]

Rebecca Pidgeon, wonderful clear singing, not over styled, and of course not post manipulated (Telarc)

Record to start : Retrospective
Movie to start : Heist (with Gene Hackman)

[Woody Sound]

When I tell innocent fibs or jokes my wife tells me I would have been great in theatre.

[Litterick]

Mick Jagger in Performance
Ringo Starr in The Magic Christian
Ray Davies in The Long Distance Piano Player
Mark E. Smith in 24 Hour Party People

[Peter C]

Queen Latifah
Barbra Streisand
Bette Midler
Fred Astaire
Most opera singers

[Strbender]

The Who - Tommy
David Johansen/New York Dolls/Buster Poindexter - Many movies
Jonny Depp - Don't know how good he is as a musician
Andy Griffith - Actually attended college for music

[Gilpy]

Kevin Costner, singer. I know a couple of guys that have been in his band for quite a while.

[PaulD]

Joe Pesci goes by Joe Doggs when he sings

[joelf]

There was a recent version of Sweeney Todd that had the actors onstage serve as a sort of stripped-down orchestra. They spoke their lines and played instruments.

IIRC Johnny Depp and possibly Patti Lupone starred in this...

[Ukena]

Joe Pesci goes by Joe Doggs when he sings

I guess that's better than going by Joe Fishes...

[Ukena]

In most training-to-be-professional acting curricula in the US, Canada, and the UK, studying actors are encouraged (or required) to study singing. In my professional acting career (which included some Broadway musicals), I was surprised at the number of actors I met who yearned to be in a musical. Of course, they didn't want to be in the chorus – they wanted to sing a solo onstage. I had a friend who would reply, if asked if he could sing, "I can sing well enough for a lead, but not for the chorus."

Of course, the cinema has a large number of actors who never studied acting; but those who did, and those who spent some time on the stage, often continued to take classes in dancing or singing even after graduating from one college program or another. Many continued to study acting, as well; the Actors' Studio, of which Tom Waits is a long-time member, is one place where many successful actors continue to work on their craft.

In my youth, I had occasion to play in orchestras and sing in choirs. It seemed to me that the conductors almost always referred to the chorus as "singers" and the orchestra members as "musicians." That is a not-unusual distinction between instrumentalists and singers; the bias might be forgiven if one realizes that it would be very hard to find a professional oboist or violinist who did not have years of study behind them, whereas there are very many successful singers with little to no training at all. Even Ezio Pinza claimed to never have had a voice lesson.

So I'm not at all surprised to learn of actors who can sing. But I find it interesting to learn of actors who invested the time to learn to play an instrument, or who started out playing an instrument.

Of course, many actors have been able to entertain us with song while hardly being able to carry a tune. Rex Harrison sprechstimmed his way through My Fair Lady. But for me there are few to rival Dame Judy Dench:

[Doctor Jeff]

Joe Pesci goes by Joe Doggs when he sings

Nice song—he sings better than Joey, who’s actually not too bad himself. Joe actually was a barber as a young man and was in several bands, including Joey Dee and the Starlighters, who had a hit with Peppermint Twist. He was a partner and good friend with Frank Vincent (actor in numerous mob movies and the Sopranos), which led to him doing musical theater and acting in films. He was spotted by Scorsese in a low-budget movie, and the rest is history.

He went by the name Joe Ritchie in his early recordings from the ‘60’s.

He is also a big music lover, and befriended the great singer Jimmy Scott in the latter’s later years. He was a big booster for Jimmy, and as I recall bankrolled or produced some of his later recordings and the documentary about Jimmy.

[Doctor Jeff]

In most training-to-be-professional acting curricula in the US, Canada, and the UK, studying actors are encouraged (or required) to study singing. In my professional acting career (which included some Broadway musicals), I was surprised at the number of actors I met who yearned to be in a musical. Of course, they didn't want to be in the chorus – they wanted to sing a solo onstage. I had a friend who would reply, if asked if he could sing, "I can sing well enough for a lead, but not for the chorus."

Of course, the cinema has a large number of actors who never studied acting; but those who did, and those who spent some time on the stage, often continued to take classes in dancing or singing even after graduating from one college program or another. Many continued to study acting, as well; the Actors' Studio, of which Tom Waits is a long-time member, is one place where many successful actors continue to work on their craft.

In my youth, I had occasion to play in orchestras and sing in choirs. It seemed to me that the conductors almost always referred to the chorus as "singers" and the orchestra members as "musicians." That is a not-unusual distinction between instrumentalists and singers; the bias might be forgiven if one realizes that it would be very hard to find a professional oboist or violinist who did not have years of study behind them, whereas there are very many successful singers with little to no training at all. Even Ezio Pinza claimed to never have had a voice lesson.

So I'm not at all surprised to learn of actors who can sing. But I find it interesting to learn of actors who invested the time to learn to play an instrument, or who started out playing an instrument.

Of course, many actors have been able to entertain us with song while hardly being able to carry a tune. Rex Harrison sprechstimmed his way through My Fair Lady. But for me there are few to rival Dame Judy Dench:

Nice song. I love that woman! Q!

Many actors on both sides of the ocean start out in musical theater, and many famous Broadway stars can sure act…Patti Lupone, Julie Andrews, Angela Lansbury, Hugh Jackman, Nathan Lane, Mandy Patinkin, Alan Cumming…the list goes on and on.

Some people have a great natural singing voice, which probably would be OK for occasional appearances on the stage, but probably not enough for singing demanding music on a regular basis without training. (What do I know—I couldn’t sing my way out of a paper bag LOL.) As far as being a decent rock or jazz performer, that is more than just a “nice voice”. A few people have what it takes, most don’t.

Same with acting…some people are natural performers, but most train and work hard to make it look effortless.

My impression is that most young people these days trying to make it as a professional singer or actor or dancer or musician (outside the rock and country realm anyway) pursue concentrated study at college or studios. And there’s probably a lot of crossover between the disciplines.

[joelf]

Singing his ass off...

[joelf]

Singing his ass off...

You can hear Jimmy Scott's influence...

[EarlBrother]

Lucky great movie with Harry Dean Stanton and David Lynch.Saw this by mistake last year and totally enjoyed!!!

[EarlBrother]

Wonder where Elvis Presley would have been or done had he stayed with music and focused on that.Recent attention revealed a passionate performer.Due to the new movie.Can the guy playing him sing?Anyway dead horse haha my wonder that is.

[Woody Sound]

Not really a dramatic actor, but Lester Holt is a bass player.

Lester Holt Bass - Google Search

[Doctor Jeff]

Wonder where Elvis Presley would have been or done had he stayed with music and focused on that.Recent attention revealed a passionate performer.Due to the new movie.Can the guy playing him sing?Anyway dead horse haha my wonder that is.

If you read Peter Guralnick's excellent 2-part bio, you'll realize that Presley and his bandmates were on fire '54-58, but his military time in Germany really changed his focus. His mother, with whom he was unusually close, died in '58. When he came back from the military, as I recall, he deferred a lot more to his manager "Col." Tom Parker, and put more effort into overproduced recordings and his lightweight movies. He didn't tour much in the early 60's either.

I think it was the loss of his original tight group with Fontana, Black and especially Moore that did him in creatively. A singer need someone to guide the ship. If it's not a bandmate or 2, it will end up being a manager whose main interest is wringing more $$$ out of his cash cow.