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.