Actors who sing and play folk music

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.

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: 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: 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: 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,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: 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,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 - 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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,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: 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,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: 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: 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: The Sandman
Date: 31 Dec 19 - 05:41 AM

JEREMY IRONS

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: GUEST
Date: 31 Dec 19 - 03:11 AM

Breandan Gleeson plays the fiddle

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: 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: GUEST,jude
Date: 30 Dec 19 - 08:53 AM

Kiefer Sutherland too.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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,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: 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: 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: 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 - 06:14 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Deckman
Date: 22 Dec 19 - 01:16 PM

Walt Robertson

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: 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,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: 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 - 04:48 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: 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: 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: Dave Hanson
Date: 18 Dec 19 - 03:00 AM

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

Dave H