Actors who sing and play folk music

Subject: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Lin
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 02:05 AM

I was wondering if you Mudcatters can put your thinking caps on to list actors & actresses who are famous and known for their acting careers FIRST, but have been known to perform & sing folk music sometimes (not pop or rock music ) but actors who have sang acoustic/folk music even though acting is their main career.

I can only think of a few at the moment:

Steve Martin: American actor for many, many years but does perform bluegrass music on occasion and is a good banjo player.

Mare Wigginham: American actress (not as well known) but did release an acoustic folk music CD some years ago. I think she only had one CD (which I own in my collection.) Nice voice too!

Yes, there are actors/actresses like Cher who was also famous as a singer but in her case, known more as a singer and not folk/acoustic music either.

So I am trying to think of people who are mostly known in their careers as an actor/actress first - but have sang folk music at some point either in a folk club or released a folk music album like Mare Wigginham mentioned above.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 02:34 AM

I'm thinking of Alan Arkin and Theo Bikel - but one could argue that certainly Bikel was a musician first and foremost.
Burl Ives did movies, but he was primarily a singer.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Keith Price
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 03:20 AM

Harry H Corbett ( steptoe and son british t.v ) sang Blow the man down on Ewan MacColl's 1956 Album The Singing Sailor and the late Geoffrey Hughes (binman Eddie Yates Coronation Street) loved Irish music and would join in sessions with his Bodhrán.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 03:21 AM

Wongerful Irish actor Brendon Gleeson (Cold Mountain, The Sergeant, and a host of excellent films (and a detective series) plays a mean fiddle
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 03:31 AM

Ewan MacColl of course...

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Sugwash
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 03:51 AM

Alex Norton, who starred in the later series of the UK cop show, Taggart and, also, as a merchant sea captain in Pirates of the Caribbean, 'Dead Man's Chest', is a fine singer of folk songs.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 04:28 AM

That actress' name is Mare Winningham.

Andy Griffith had such a long career that more recent audiences may have forgotten his musical roots.

The subject is more broad if you open it up to vocal performance in general, not just folk: there are people who sang and got away with it (Clint Eastwood, Leonard Nimoy, James Stewart) and others who acquitted themselves well (Audrey Hepburn, Deborah Kerr) who STILL got dubbed (usually by Marnie Nixon) because the studios wanted just a little something more.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Mo the caller
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 04:30 AM

Well was it 'Tom Forrest' in the Archers who always sang Jim the Carters Lad?

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 04:31 AM

Jeremy Irons turned up as a student at a fiddle class at the Willie Clancy Summer School a few years back.
Billy Connolly - as much an actor as comedian these days - of course started through the Scottish folk scene of the late 60s / early 70s.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: BobKnight
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 04:57 AM

Kathleen McInnes - not that well known outside the Gaelic community in Scotland, first broke through as an actor in the BBC Gaelic series, "Machar," but has the most wonderful singing voice and has released two CD's. Check her out on youtube.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Leadfingers
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 05:09 AM

Bob Arnold (Tom Forrest) was a 'Source Singer' and recorded on 78s under the auspices of EFDSS

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 05:25 AM

Speaking of The Archers, the actor who plays Jazzer, Ryan Kelly, who has been blind since birth, is a lovely singer who has given forth once or twice on the programme. Naturally, I didn't listen to it myself, but tend to pick up on the odd episode due to Mrs Steve's obsession... ;-)

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 05:26 AM

Who's that comedian feller, used to be a sidekick to Rik Mayall, now has a folk band?

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 05:26 AM

Autocorrect somehow turned don't into didn't.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 05:27 AM

Neil something? And the Scottish singer who used to be the eye candy for Bruce Forsyth?

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 05:29 AM

Re question above as to Ewan's 'day job': following extracts from his Wikipedia entry might give some guidance --
≈M≈

In 1946 members of Theatre Union and others formed Theatre Workshop and spent the next few years touring, mostly in the north of England. In 1945, Miller changed his name to Ewan MacColl (influenced by the Lallans movement in Scotland. In Theatre Union roles had been shared, but now, in Theatre Workshop, they were more formalised. Littlewood was the sole producer and MacColl the dramaturge, art director, and resident dramatist...
Many of MacColl's best-known songs were written for the theatre. For example, he wrote "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" very quickly at the request of Peggy Seeger, who needed it for use in a play she was appearing in...
MacColl had been a radio actor since 1933. By the late 1930s he was writing scripts as well. In 1957 producer Charles Parker asked MacColl to collaborate in the creation of a feature programme about the heroic death of train driver John Axon....

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,John Flynn
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 05:47 AM

Bernard Wrigley, who acted in Coronation Street and "Brassed Off"
John in Perth WA

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Mr Red
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 05:55 AM

Tim van Eyken

Bernard Wrigley also acted in Emmerdale as the crazy rocket inventor. He tells the story that he was asked to play a part for Coronation St and they asked what he had done only to realise he had played a C&W singer about 18 months before in the Rovers Return.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: JP2
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 06:08 AM

Kevin Whately,a.k.a.Lewis and lots more.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Kampervan
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 06:50 AM

Ade Edmondson was Rik Mayalls sidekick and Isla St Clair was perhaps the one that Richard was trying to recall.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 07:50 AM

Well done K-van!

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 08:05 AM

Murray Head (Sunday Bloody Sunday and more) used to often turn up on BBC folk music programmes in the middle sixties.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Lew Becker
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 08:26 AM

Oscar Isaac, who starred in the movie "Inside Llewyn Davis" has done a lot of music, but not folk. The interesting thing is that in the movie he plays a folk singer of the 60's and sings very well.

Martin O'Malley is a U.S. politician - a sub-species of actors. He is a former Governor of Maryland and a Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency (but with little chance). He plays banjo and guitar and sings. There are bits and pieces of him performing on Youtube. My impression is that his stuff is mostly recently written pub music.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Effsee
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 08:46 AM

The late Tam White, Scots bluesman.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 08:48 AM

Lee Marvin?

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 09:44 AM

Hugh Laurie of course quite fancies himself as a bluesman.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,SqueezeMe
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 09:46 AM

John Tams should rate a mention, though probably better known as a folk singer who acts...

And speaking of Sharpe (which I wasn't) I've heard that Daragh O'Malley can turn a song or two.

Well-known Australian actor Jack Thompson, also known as a fine reciter of Australian bush ballads, is/was a pretty decent harmonica player.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: mg
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 09:53 AM

Meryl streep, russell crowe

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 09:59 AM

Talking of John Tams -- he sang an excellent Pretty Flowers (Abroad for pleasure...) the night I went to the National Theatre's Lark Rise all those years ago. The singers on duty any night varied -- sometimes it was Martin Carthy singing something else. The night I was there, I think Alison McMorland sang too, tho sometimes it was Shirley Collins.

≈M≈

Drift -- I hated the production all-in-all, tho some purported to like it, as it was a "promenade production", always IMO a real breaker of Coleridge's 'suspension of disbelief'. Glad promenade productions seem to have gone out of their brief vogue. They always reminded me of Jane Austen's Mr Knightley in Emma, on surprises: 'Surprises are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable.' Just substitute 'promenades' for 'surprises'

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Bogle Clencher
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 09:59 AM

The late Kenneth (Rambling Sid Rumpo) Williams

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 10:23 AM

And of course we have a separate thread on Poldark, but both the current Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) and the late Angharad Rees sang very competently on their respective soundtracks.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 10:25 AM

Going back to a very ancient thread which I was reading earlier today, a recording of American actor Wally Cox here singing/yodelling "There's a Tavern in the Town" has to be heard to be believed.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 10:34 AM

Also Bill Shatner, ok most of it isn't folk but he has done Dylan covers.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 10:36 AM

Oh dear, the blue clicky didn't work. Sorry.

Trying again... here

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 10:41 AM

Pete Ivatts (Heartbeat, Last of the Summer Wine etc.)is a regular at our Tuesday night session. He writes his own stuff and also covers the likes of Don Mclean and Paul Simon.

R

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Sir Roger de Beverley
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 10:44 AM

That was me sans cookie

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST, ^*^
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 10:50 AM

That Wally Cox link goes nowhere. Here he is on YouTube.

Bill Shatner emotes. ;-)

There are a few episodes of the American dramatic mystery comedy Bones in which the cast is called upon to sing. Eric Millegan was a surprise with a great voice (and has since turned to musical theater). Emily Deschanel has a lovely voice, apparently untrained, and John Francis Daley apparently has a band. The rest of them got by in the singing scenes.

There is a scene in the film Love, Actually in which Hugh Grant is called upon to sing a carol to small children. I haven't followed his career much but later learned he has done some singing. His bodyguard "Gavin" (Colin Coull) joins in with a lovely deep voice - this fellow is mostly a film editor, has only had a couple of acting roles.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 10:58 AM

Emily Deschanel's sister Zooey is quite a serious musician, her wikipedia page features a picture of her performing at the Newport Folk Festival.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: olddude
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 11:08 AM

Steve Martin, one heck of a banjo player

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: PHJim
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 12:09 PM

William Sadler plays bluegrass and folk mandolin and guitar.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Blandiver (Astray)
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 12:28 PM

Matt Berry is a respected actor, comedian and equally respected for his unique brand of folk-tinged dark proggy-pop.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: erosconpollo
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 12:44 PM

Ronny Cox fits the description. And he managed to combine the two sides of his career in 'Deliverance.'

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: PHJim
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 12:52 PM

How about Flash Point's Amy Jo Johnson?

Amy Jo sings Julia Roberts

Or how about Julia Roberts singing Townes Van Zandt's If I Needed You in the movie Stepmom?

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: PHJim
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 01:38 PM

I almost forgot Woody Harrelson. Bad Jokes

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 01:45 PM

if you can count Kiddies TV presenters..... Toni Arthur

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: PHJim
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 02:03 PM

erosconpollo, Although Ronnie Cox does sig and play guitar, he didn't do either in the movie Deliverance. The guitar was played by Steve Mandell and Ronnie just finger-synched the guitar part.
Here's Ronnie actually playing: Ronnie Cox

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Gealt
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 02:33 PM

From: GUEST,SqueezeMe
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 09:46 AM
And speaking of Sharpe (which I wasn't) I've heard that Daragh O'Malley can turn a song or two.

His mother was the girl whose "dark hair would weave a snare that I might one day rue" in Patrick Kavanagh's love song On Raglan Road.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 02:38 PM

Expanding on what mg said above, Meryl Streep did a good job in the Prairie Home Companion movie. Lily Tomlin and Lindsay Lohan (!) also sang in the movie.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 03:07 PM

I backed up Dominic Brunt {Paddy from Emmerdale} on guitar while he played a mean mandolin, at an Irish session near Hebden Bridge.
I had a long chat with Dave Peacock {Chas and Dave} about Folk songs gigs and his banjo playing, {not to mention Gypsy Wagon painting} and I made a valiant attempt to convert Ronnie Wood to one of my CD's.
He liked the Faithful Horse song, and finally when Mally was in the Gypsy council and David Essex was involved, he knew a few songs from his family.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Cool Beans
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 03:40 PM

Jeff Daniels is a fine guitarist, singer and songwriter. He's recorded CDs and has performed at New York's Birdland.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 04:12 PM

Bert Lloyd in Moby Dick and his son in law was Benny in Crossroads.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 04:28 PM

Tim Grimm now mostly does singing on the folk circuit he was a regular on one legal series Reasonable Doubts. He also was Harrison Ford's buddy in Clear and Present Danger who gets killed in the early part of the movie. Like Ron Cox, he's a very good songwriter.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Andiliqueur
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 04:36 PM

The late Tony Capstick? Last of the Summer Wine and All Creatures Great and Small.He used to make me laugh so loud "She's ready, best take her home" and the next minute I'd be weeping at one of his ballads.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 05:22 PM

Not sure about Bert in Moby Dick, Steve. He was the shantyman, so they just shoved him in a costume & an eyepatch and told him to sing Blood Red Roses. Actor? Hmmmmm---

In the book, BTW, the shanty favoured by the crew seems to be Haul Away For Rosie: despite the Quaker owners' attempts at 'singing a dismal stave of psalmody to cheer the hands at the windlass', the latter 'roared forth some sort of a chorus about the girls in Booble Alley, with hearty good will'.

≈M≈

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Ebor Fiddler
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 05:35 PM

I remember Nadia Catouse (Sp?) both as a fine singer of folk and folk-oriented songs and as an actress in a nursing series - I think it was "Angels".

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 16 Sep 15 - 07:12 PM

Liam Clancy, Tommy Makem and Tom Clancy.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 17 Sep 15 - 03:19 AM

Both Ronnie Drew and Luke Kelly of The Dubliners acted before the band became famous.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Mr Red
Date: 17 Sep 15 - 04:09 AM

Trevor Harrison plays Eddie Grundy in the Archers and gigs in a C&W ish style Wiki on Archers/Grundy

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 17 Sep 15 - 06:53 AM

Packie Manus Byrne played Dr Carmody in Ken Loach's film, Black Jack...

Kitty

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Rob Hunt
Date: 17 Sep 15 - 01:38 PM

Kenneth williams, a brilliant comedy actor who was in all the carry on films used to sing really funny folk songs.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Rob Hunt
Date: 17 Sep 15 - 02:16 PM

Just remembered, Kenneth Williams recorde under the name of Ranmlin` Sid Rumpo.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 17 Sep 15 - 02:27 PM

Looking back a bit, don't forget Theo Bikel. or Paul Robeson.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Sep 15 - 04:42 PM

Tim Robbins is an actor who you may remember in the movie "Bob Roberts", a hilarious film with Robbins playing of all things a rightwing folk singer running for President. In real life, Robbins and his band The Rogues Gallery have made a recording and toured, and I heard them perform at the Winnipeg Folk Festival a few years ago. Nothing astounding, but certainly competent.

-- David W.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: The Sandman
Date: 17 Sep 15 - 05:12 PM

geoof higginbotham , joe stead. or are they singers who have also done some axcting, then there is tim laycock

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: brashley46
Date: 17 Sep 15 - 06:02 PM

Fess Parker, who played both Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone on US television decades ago, had a fine singing voice and did one song ("Farewell to the Mountains") on the penultimate episode of the Davy Crockett Disney series, accompanying himself creditably on the mountain dulcimer. (The MD he played was a trifle late in style for the period, ca. 1835-36, but not overly anachronistic.)

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Sep 15 - 08:56 PM

Once you start prowling the pages of IMDb you see so many actors who mostly act but occasionally sing. The list (in no particular order) could get very long. Cynthia Rhodes, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach, Dick Van Dyke, Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Jimmy Dean (who was probably more a singer who acted), Reba MacIntire, Dolly Parton, etc etc.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 18 Sep 15 - 03:56 AM

Frank Sinatra was brilliant in both particulars IMO. Not that he sang folk == but the thread has moved on to general vocalism, innit?

≈M≈

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Brimbacombe
Date: 18 Sep 15 - 07:27 AM

Hoyt Axton is a good example. A country/folk singer whose acting in later years was certainly passable. Being the dad in Gremlins was probably his most memorable role. Though this probably makes him a singer who acted.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Sep 15 - 11:02 PM

I was totally surprised at hearing Patricia Routledge sing, during her Hetty Wainthropp Investigates series. She portrayed such an awful voice for Hyacinth Bucket on Keeping Up Appearances that she was bound to have the control to manage that. And demonstrate a lovely voice when the occasion arose. I don't remember what it was now, something of a choral nature, I think. In checking IMDb I see she was active with choir in church, and she has been on stage a lot - but this doesn't tell me if any of those plays were musical.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Dec 19 - 12:27 PM

Since this thread was last opened there are more actors who sing (in general, not just folk) who may have turned up on your radar.

Over the last few years I caught up with all of the episodes of Bones (US TV mystery/dramady program) and realized that the Deschanel sisters have lovely voices. Zooey performed with a band She and Him, but both sisters grew up singing informally, apparently.

Emily, a short clip and Zooey with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. And a bonus, James Corden with Zooey in an Endless Love spoof.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 14 Dec 19 - 12:41 PM

Steve Martin, Banjo Player...Jim Nabors. Is that the same Murray Head who was in the Broadway Musical "Chess" and who had a hit with a song from that play; One Night in Bankok ?

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 14 Dec 19 - 01:32 PM

I thought Murray Head was
the original Judas
in Jesus Christ Superstar?

which role, by the way,
is a heck of a role,
more rewarding than that of the titular character.


And it's his brother who turns out to be
the professor in Buffy The Vampire Slayer,
which is deep in the North American psyche --

seems the brother, Anthony Head, is also a respectably good singer.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 14 Dec 19 - 01:54 PM

Right you are Keb, he was in both "Chess" and JC Superstar. I think that "Chess" was a much better musical, but it did not do well at the Box office. I believe it was written by the two blokes from ABBA.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,GuestTF
Date: 14 Dec 19 - 02:47 PM

Jim Carter from Downton is a bit of a folkie non?

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 14 Dec 19 - 04:52 PM

Pierce Brosnan of James Bond fame was and maybe still is a folk singer... Here is one of his. The Parting Glass.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 14 Dec 19 - 04:54 PM

On the top right of the page in the link... he can also be heard singing On the Banks of the Roses.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Jack Campin
Date: 14 Dec 19 - 05:12 PM

I didn't notice a mention of Peter O'Toole. Small but significant contribution to folk.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Sol
Date: 14 Dec 19 - 05:57 PM

Re. Richard Bridge's comment at 5:27. The Scottish singer he refers to is probably Isla St Clair. If it is, she was Larry Grayson's "eye candy" (RB's words), not Bruce Forsyth's
Isla was well known as folk singer long before her Generation Game fame.

Re. a later post on Tim Grimm. I totally agree, he is an excellent singer/songwriter as well as an actor.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: RTim
Date: 14 Dec 19 - 07:23 PM

Ewan Maccoll was known as an Actor well before he became a Folk Singer - but I fear adding him to the list will upset some people on Mudcat......

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 15 Dec 19 - 07:29 AM

Isla St Clair is a genuine traditional singer.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 15 Dec 19 - 06:07 PM

Andy Irvine was a successful actor as a child. He played Raymond opposite Laurence Harvey in Room at the Top and, although his main scene was cut from the final release, he appears briefly in the film, handing a bottle of champagne to Harvey during a wedding scene.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: The Sandman
Date: 17 Dec 19 - 06:18 PM

the actor who played lewis in inspector morse.Before turning to professional acting,Kevin Whately began his working life as a folk singer, and still plays the guitar, performing for charity concerts

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Dec 19 - 06:52 PM

That's interesting about Whately! I read the remarks about Pierce Brosnan above and listened to the link; I saw him in Mama Mia and thought he sounded awful. That example (The Parting Glass) posted above is fine alone, but he just didn't have that something extra that that worked with the rest of the actors who were singing in their roles.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Ballyholme
Date: 17 Dec 19 - 06:53 PM

I believe the late Roy Harris (aka Burl of this parish) also did a bit of acting.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 17 Dec 19 - 08:42 PM

Harry Belafonte - Actor-vocalist, doesn't play an instrument.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Dec 19 - 08:51 PM

I was impressed by James Mason's skill on piano and organ. As a kid I remember my mother explaining how people who couldn't really play the piano were filmed so you saw their shoulders or maybe arms moving, but didn't see their hands on the keyboard. I was thrilled to realize, when watching 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, that not only did you see Mason playing the organ, you had a real good look at it and knew he was playing those chords. I remember he also played piano in Georgie Girl.

And it occurs to me that Stephanie Zimbalist, who was popular in the 1980s-1990s on Remington Steel TV series in one of the later episode sat down to play Chopin on a piano she was give. As granddaughter of the great violinist, I'd be really disappointed if she didn't play an instrument.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Dec 19 - 02:55 AM

The late Tony Capstick turned to acting after a long career in folk music, he was pretty good at both, RIP Tony.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 18 Dec 19 - 03:00 AM

That was me above, no idea how I got logged out !

Dave H

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: John C. Bunnell
Date: 19 Dec 19 - 09:42 AM

I've been waiting for someone to mention the talented performers of the mock-documentary movie A Mighty Wind

In particular, consider Jane Lynch, who's followed up the movie with additional musical work (see particularly a Christmas-themed project from a couple of years ago, including a lively version of "Up On The Housetop" and a very nice duet on an original Christmas song with none other than Dick Van Dyke). Lynch is best known, though, for her star turn on the TV series Glee.

Also worth mentioning from Wind is Annette O'Toole, who co-wrote wrote three of the film's songs and has occasionally done cabaret-style gigs with her husband, Michael McKean. Her acting credits run several screens' worth on Wikipedia; nowadays she is likely best remembered for her turn as Martha Kent, Superman's adoptive mother, on Smallville.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: gillymor
Date: 19 Dec 19 - 10:11 AM

Ed Helms of the U.S version of The Office is a banjoist, guitarist and singer who plays bluegrass and other stuff with his trio.
Alan Arkin was a guitar- playing singer with the Tarriers back in the 50's. Someone no doubt mentioned this already.
Jeff Daniels is a pretty good hand at fingerpicking country blues.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,jude
Date: 22 Dec 19 - 04:48 AM

Paul bradley, currently in Holby City and formerly in 'Stenders, plays in the hKippers.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Dec 19 - 04:51 AM

nick dow?

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Jude
Date: 22 Dec 19 - 04:58 AM

Julia Roberts sang on her former husband, Lyle Lovett's album just before they split (learnt on recent praised country music doc series.)

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 22 Dec 19 - 06:24 AM

To change the parameters briefly, in my days in Kent (late 70s) I used to play with some friends in the bar of the lovely old Smarden Bell pub.
Audience at times included Kate Bush and Jeff Beck, but despite many requests, neither would give us a song

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,SC
Date: 22 Dec 19 - 09:16 AM

John C. Reily (Walk Hard, Step Brothers, Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule) played on this cover of "When The Worlds on Fire"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZe_Ye2F5Hk

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Deckman
Date: 22 Dec 19 - 01:16 PM

Walt Robertson

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 23 Dec 19 - 05:54 AM

Ronnie Cox is very good at both, remember ' Deliverence ' ?

Dave H

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 23 Dec 19 - 07:48 AM

Jeff Bridges. He played and sang some of the material in the film "Crazy Heart", for which he won an Academy Award for best actor. He has released two albums, played on "Austin City Limits", and recorded with some notables, including Judy Collins.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Dec 19 - 04:22 PM

*
A footnote about an actor people thought could sing, but apparently couldn't. I looked up the actor/dancer Cyd Charisse the other day and found this: At age 70, she made a disastrous Broadway debut as a replacement in the long-running "Grand Hotel." She couldn't sing and had been dubbed in all her movies.

The odd thing is, SHE knew she couldn't sing, so what was she thinking?

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 26 Dec 19 - 05:07 PM

Judy Collins herself played several roles as an actress.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Joe MacGillivray
Date: 27 Dec 19 - 06:14 AM

Will Ferrell is a very well known comedic actor who also sings and plays guitar. He shows it in some of his films. (Old School: Dust In The Wind; Stranger Than Fiction: Whole Wide World; Winter Passing: I Can't Tell You Why; Stepbrothers: He sings an Opera song in that one). Dust In The Wind being more of a Modern Folk-Rock song.

His buddy Vince Vaughan, I'm not sure if he plays folk, but he plays Country for sure. He was on stage with Dwight Yoakum, his favourite singer.

Clint Eastwood plays Jazz and Country and Folky sounding music as well.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Joe MacGillivray
Date: 27 Dec 19 - 06:16 AM

Scottish Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes is also known for a career in acting.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Joe MacGillivray
Date: 27 Dec 19 - 06:23 AM

I tried to hold my tongue on this one as it isn't Folk. Craig Ferguson known as an actor was an accomplished musician before he established his career. He played in a Punk band called Stagg. I've heard him sing a song on his show though, that sounded kind of Folk-Punk fusion like. Some of the lyrics were folky with the pipes in the background.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: gillymor
Date: 27 Dec 19 - 06:25 AM

Don't forget Will Ferrell's facility on cow bell.

As I recall Eddie Albert used to play folk songs on an arch top Gibson and his son, Edward, played Kottkesque 12 string.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 27 Dec 19 - 10:42 AM

Actor-songster: Cy Grant.

Songster-actors: Levon Helm & Tom Waits.

Maya Angelou.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 29 Dec 19 - 11:10 AM

I see that Sol has given the correct info re Isla St Clair: she has indeed come full circle, starting as a folk singer before she became a TV personality alongside Larry Grayson: we have had her as a guest at our local Folk Club on a couple of occasions in the last 10 years.

Don't think anyone has mentioned Barbara Dickson? Started as a folk singer, but then had a very successful career in acting/musical theatre, including winning two Olivier Awards, but is now back doing brilliant folk concerts. Another full circle!

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Jon Dudley
Date: 29 Dec 19 - 01:09 PM

The late and much-loved Frank Warner appeared and sang in a 1957 movie called 'The Run of the Arrow' with, I believe, Rod Steiger..

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 29 Dec 19 - 03:43 PM

On TV this afternoon; Columbo episode, Swan Song. The killer was Johnny Cash!

Just one more thing...it features a singing Johnny Cash and footage from one of his concerts.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Hagman
Date: 30 Dec 19 - 02:01 AM

Keith Carradine did his own singing in the Altman "Nashville" movie.

Mary Kay Place comes to mind.

I think also that boy Dylan was in a few movies and plays?

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: sciencegeek
Date: 30 Dec 19 - 07:11 AM

I remember seeing Wally Cox performing his song way back when, we always enjoyed him on TV

Buddy Ebsen started in vaudeville and even sang and danced on his TV show...

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,jude
Date: 30 Dec 19 - 08:53 AM

Kiefer Sutherland too.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Mark Ross
Date: 30 Dec 19 - 10:52 AM

I was in the hospital over the holiday, and with nothing to do but watch TV, I caught a few old movies, who just happened to have some actors I worked with as coffehouse performers in The Village back in the '60's
Dominic Chianese, used to to MC at Gerde's, was in The Godfather II.
Art Shields, who played Blind Lemon Jefferson in the film Leadbelly, was in Die Hard 2.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Dec 19 - 11:05 PM

That sounds like a pleasant look back, Mark!

My Fair Lady is on television this evening, and I did a little poking around, curious about Jeremy Brett. Apparently they dubbed him in that film, but there were many other performances where he did his own singing. (Audrey Hepburn was dismayed to be dubbed by Marni Nixon, that is a famous story by now. She did do her own singing in Funny Face.)

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Dec 19 - 03:11 AM

Breandan Gleeson plays the fiddle

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: nigelgatherer
Date: 31 Dec 19 - 03:25 AM

Roddy McMillan, remembered for roles such as Para Handy in The Vital Spark, was also a singer and, if memory serves, a songwriter. I want to say he wrote "The Govan Billiard Hall" but I'll need to go up to the attic to rummage through my old vinyl to confirm this.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: The Sandman
Date: 31 Dec 19 - 05:41 AM

JEREMY IRONS

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jan 20 - 02:31 PM

Amy Adams has a lovely singing voice, that she occasionally is called upon to use in films. This was in a silly trifle called Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 01 Jan 20 - 02:44 PM

Zooey Deschanel sings and plays

For the day that's in it : What are you doing this New Year's Eve , not her most 'folky' attempt, perhaps

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Nick
Date: 02 Jan 20 - 05:16 AM

For something less traditional, David Hemmings made an LP back in the 1960s with "Baroque folk" songs and folk rock in the style of the Byrds (and backed by some of the Byrds).

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Daniel Kelly
Date: 02 Jan 20 - 10:16 AM

Ewan MacGregor has sung in a few movies, but the one I'm thinking of is his rendition of Lass of Aughrim in the film Nora, about the life of James Joyce.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Guest, Robert E
Date: 03 Jan 20 - 09:20 AM

Kris Kristofferson, Jeff Bridges and Jeff Daniels each certainly can perform with an acoustic guitar.

Christian Bale did a very good version of "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" in the film "I'm Not There" wherein he also performed a Dylan gospel song with chorus. It makes me wonder if he's also the artist listed as John Doe on the soundtrack to that film who does a solid version of "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine". But then that crosses the line, as it's not acoustic?

And what about simply voice & piano? In that case I would include Tom Waits, one of my favorite artists of any variety.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jan 20 - 01:16 PM

There is a lot of crossover in this thread, artists who are generally first considered actors who, surprisingly or not, can sing, and songers/composers who occasionally act. And then some. Tom Waits is in the category of singer/songwriter who occasionally acts. At IMDb his longest category is under Soundtrack, though I did see some acting credits down the page. It looks like his acting parts are small roles, incidental to his performances or soundtrack work. (Nothing wrong with suggesting him, I just never thought of him as an actor, but this little discovery has been interesting.)

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 03 Jan 20 - 04:17 PM

John Lurie.

SRS: IMO it went off the rails at William Shatner. Tom Waits has been hyphenated for a long while now. Discography runs 1973-2011; filmography 1978-2019.

Singer or actor behind the prosopon and is the audience really all that different?

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 03 Jan 20 - 05:52 PM

From: Hagman Date: 30 Dec 19 - 02:01 AM; Keith Carradine did his own singing in the Altman "Nashville" movie.

His half-brother David Carradine played Woody Guthrie in the 1976 film Bound for Glory, loosely adapted from Woody Guthrie's 1943 partly fictionalized autobiography. As Guthrie, he sings and plays guitar and harmonica. David encouraged Keith to pursue an acting career, paid for his acting and vocal lessons, and helped him get an agent.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Neil D
Date: 04 Jan 20 - 09:46 PM

Has anyone mentioned Paul Robeson? Known equally as actor and singer. I know he is primarily known as a concert artist, but early in his career, during the Harlem Renaissance, he was more identified with African-American folk songs and spirituals. A true Renaissance Man (no pun), he is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and played in the NFL while earning a law degree at Columbia. In today's world of multi-million dollar athletic contracts, he may have never pursued a career in music and film.

SRS said of Tom Waits: It looks like his acting parts are small roles, incidental to his performances or soundtrack work. An exception to this is the wonderful Jim Jarmusch film "Down By Law" in which he is featured in nearly every scene. By coincidence, the very next post cites John Lurie who co-starred in the film. Both artists also contributed to the soundtrack.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Deckman
Date: 06 Jan 20 - 02:24 AM

Hamilton (Bob) Camp of Bob Gibson and Bob Camp fame. I know that Hamilton performed as an actor on several of the famous T.V. series of "M.A.S.H." CHEERS, BOB (DECKMAN) NELSON

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 06 Jan 20 - 07:00 AM

John Tams has had a successful career in the theatre in parallel with his singing career, often combining the two. At the National Theatre he worked as actor and musical director/composer on over 30 productions, including The Mysteries and Lark Rise to Candleford, many of which transferred to the West End or toured.

He played Rifleman Daniel Hagman in the TV series Sharpe, for which he was script associate, co-writing the score. He provided original music for The Grapes of Wrath at Chichester Festival Theatre. Back at the National Theatre, he was Songmaker for WarHorse, which has played to 8 million people in 11 countries around the world. He was nominated for an Olivier Award for the Best Sound along with his fellow team members Chris Shutt and Adrian Sutton.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: rich-joy
Date: 07 Jan 20 - 12:54 AM

Johnny Flynn : Singer/Songwriter + band lead Singer + Actor in "The Detectorists" / "Vanity Fair / "Stardust" / and many more.

R-J

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 07 Jan 20 - 03:06 AM

In 2018, in her play Feral, performance artist Sonya Moorhead acted out her search for singer Anne Briggs. The show finished with an impressive performance of Anne Briggs songs by Sonya Moorhead and the Greyhounds, issued on CD too.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 07 Jan 20 - 03:18 AM

In 2019, Scottish folk singer Bryony Purdue played Mary Macarthur and fellow folk singer Rowan Godel played chainmaker Bird in the drama Rouse, Ye Women! a play about the 1910 strike by women chainmakers in Cradley Heath. Songs written by John Kirkpatrick.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 07 Jan 20 - 04:11 AM

From: MGM·Lion Date: 16 Sep 15 - 09:59 AM Talking of John Tams -- he sang an excellent Pretty Flowers (Abroad for pleasure...) the night I went to the National Theatre's Lark Rise all those years ago. The singers on duty any night varied -- sometimes it was Martin Carthy singing something else. The night I was there, I think Alison McMorland sang too, tho sometimes it was Shirley Collins.

Singers in the National Theatre’s promenade production of Tony Harrison’s Mysteries trilogy included Linda Thompson and Maggie Holland plus the Home Service.

John Tams was cast in the National Theatre's production of The Good Hope. Chris Coe was the choreographer who also danced and sang. Linda Thompson was a dancer. Musicians Graeme Taylor, Keith Thompson and Alan Dunn had parts too.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 07 Jan 20 - 04:27 AM

I saw a bit of The Sound of Music again over Christmas, and was impressed to notice that Julie Andrews was actually playing the correct guitar chords during one song, rather than pretending to, as actors often do. However, anyone who trains in say musical theatre is expected to be competent as a singer, dancer, musician as well as an actor, so I’m not sure we should be that impressed or surprised with actors who can also perform musically, or am I missing the point here? Similarly, those working in opera and ballet, have to do a lot more than just act.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Jan 20 - 10:27 AM

I assume singers have learned an instrument to accompany themselves; it shouldn't be unusual that they can look the part even if their playing is dubbed. Those musical performances are recorded over even if the performer does their own singing; who knows what happens in the studio with the accompaniment.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 07 Jan 20 - 04:53 PM

David Thomas Jones (1945 – 2012)
David Robert Jones (1947 – 2016)

SRS: Those musical performances are recorded over even if the performer does their own singing; who knows what happens in the studio with the accompaniment.

RE: Levon Helm:
Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz "...is hailed as one of the greatest documentary concert films ever made... In 2019, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant...

...according to musical director John Simon, during post-production the live recording was altered to clean up "playing mistakes, out-of tune singing, bad horn-balance in the remote truck. Only Levon’s part was retained in its entirety." [wiki]

Hollywood unions and the taxman classify the Band & Staple Singers' performance of The Weight as acting. They are not portraying their 'authentic' selves. They, and the director, are 'recreating' a live stage act... that never actually happened... on a pro sound stage.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 10 Jan 20 - 03:20 PM

John Gallagher, Jr. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gallagher_Jr.
whose parents, John Sr. and June, are very fine folk singers indeed, is also a double-threat.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Michael
Date: 10 Jan 20 - 04:16 PM

I don't think anybody has mentioned Tony Capstick who I first encountered singing in folk clubs in North Derbyshire in the late 60's/early 70's. Probably his best known acting role was a policeman in 'The Last of the Summer Wine'.

Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: gillymor
Date: 11 Jan 20 - 05:04 AM

Then you have The Folksmen, Guest,Shearer and McKean from A Mighty Wind who also did a turn as Metal Rockers in This is Spinal Tap.