Movie Stars who also perform Music

Subject: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: MK
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 05:19 PM

Not talking about singers who act (i.e.) Streisand, Kristofferson, Dolly Parton etc....but those who are known as movie stars who enjoying playing music in their spare time. (We don't need to talk about Keanu or William Shatner)....but more along the lines of people like Bruce Willis, Kevin Bacon, etc. Who else is out there doing it in their spare time, and, are they any good and what types of music do they enjoy playing?

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Matt_R
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 05:22 PM

Johnny Depp plays a mean electric slide guitar. He has played on Oasis' songs "Fade In-Out" and "Fade Away (WarChild Version)".

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Mark Clark
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 05:37 PM

Peter Coyote is a wonderful singer and guitar player. Folk, blues, country and, if I'm not mistaken, his own compositions as well.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: MK
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 05:43 PM

I believe Clint Eastwood plays jazz piano, and of course Dudley Moore is deadly. Others?

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Greyeyes
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 05:49 PM

Strictly speaking Dudley Moore is a musician who also acts in movies. He's a classically trained organist and pianist.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: MK
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 05:51 PM

Agreed Greyeyes, but in North America he was known more primarily as a comedic actor....who happened to play piano. Course in the UK, his reputation as a fine musician precedes anything else about him.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Greyeyes
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 05:57 PM

I wouldn't say it precedes everything. He's really best known in the UK for his comedy partnership on TV with Peter Cook. A really influential step in British comedy just before, and influencing, Monty Python. When you start to analyse him in depth, the man has more talent than is strictly fair for one man.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Cool Beans
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 06:14 PM

Mare Winningham has an album out and she's performing at the renowned Ann Arbor folk club the Ark on Dec. 2. Haven't heard her stuff so I can't comment critically. Jessica Harper isn't exactly a star but she's acted in a slew of movies and as a singer-songwriter has recorded some excellent children's music.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 06:34 PM

Catherine Zeta Jones started out in musicals and has helluva voice. Also Hugh Laurie plays a mean jazz piano.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 09:06 PM

Steve Martin is an excllent banjoist. Professional quality.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Clinton Hammond2
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 09:14 PM

What's wrong with Keanu? Pay no mind to his Hollywood crap and look at some of the really cool indy and European films he's done... His band may not be my cup of tea, but some who like that style say they're not bad...

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 09:36 PM

George Segal also plays banjo (Is he alive? haven't seen any work of his in awhile). Larry Fine of The Three Stooges played violin.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: MK
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 10:33 PM

Clinton, (IMHO) Keanu has about as much dimension as an actor, as a piece of particle board has of solid wood.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 11:19 PM

Woody Allen plays dixie jazz on clarinet - a turn of the century "Albert" fingering system, in fact.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: mkebenn
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 11:20 PM

Keith Carridine....Don't do me favors, let me watch you from a distance, 'cause when you're near I find it hard to keep my mind. And when your eyes throw light at mine .. MB

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: DonMeixner
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 11:37 PM

Eric Idle, singer songwriter, guitarist. Edward Woodward, singer, Betty Buckley, singer. Hamilton Camp, guiatrist, singer, actor, voice over artist. Harry Secombe, great voice and actor. Pretty big list.

Don

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: RWilhelm
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 11:57 PM

Watching "Cool Hand Luke" thirty years later I was really impressed by Dean Harry Stanton playing guitar and singing "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" and "Midnight Special."

Groucho Marx did some nice guitar playing in a short scene in "Horsefeathers."

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 02:16 AM

If you can't think of the name of a particular actor, but their face rings a bell, would that qualify them as a musician?

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 04:42 AM

Jack Lemmon also plays jazz piano
RtS

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Bagpuss
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 05:44 AM

I dont know if you would count Jane Horrocks as an actor who sings, or a singer who acts - so I dont know if she counts.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Trevor
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 06:03 AM

I seem to remember a couple of discs by Clint Eastwood in his 'Rawhide' days, and my mum used to go all peculiar (I didn't understand being 10 at the time) when she played the recording of Richard Chamberlain singing the theme to 'Dr Kildare' ('Three Stars Will Shine Tonight' I think)

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: LR Mole
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 09:26 AM

There's an old recording of "W.C. Fields lying by the pool, playing his guitar" on which the instrument is actually played by Les Paul.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 09:54 AM

Steven Segal was up Jamming blues on guitar at Toronto's famous Silver Dollar. Didn't hear if he was any good.

I heard, but can't confirm that Ralph Macchio was actually playing the classical guitar piece at the beginning of "Crossroads"

And of course Dan Akroyd played the harp in the Blues Brothers.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Grab
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 11:01 AM

Clint was also ("Paint your wagon") known to play guitar. How successfully, and whether he still does, I don't know.

No-one yet mentioned Michelle Pfeiffer "Making Whoopee"? shame on you! ;-)

Grab.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 11:13 AM

Reading through this thread, it's apparent that the quality of the musical offerings is not an issue. Therefore, I submit Eddie Murphy and Samantha Fox.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 11:18 AM

Helen Hunt played the piano in The Piano.

Sophocleese at-another-computer-because-they're-still-redoing-our-bathroom.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 11:28 AM

Andy Griffith played the Guitar on a number of his television shows.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 11:28 AM

Jimmy Stewart also enjoyed playing piano. He wasn't nearly as good as Jack Lemmon who is really quite fine.

The Marx Brothers.....Someone mentioned Groucho and he was a pretty fair guitarist which many didn't know although he did play a time or two in movies and on his show. He loved a great pianist and they were always the focal point of any party at his home, mainly though so Grouch could sing his favorites. He didn't care for the piano of brother Chico. All Marx movies included Chico "shootin the keys" and one of Harpo's fantastic pieces of work. Groucho hated the musical interludes and in a couple of the movies made asides to the audience while Chico played. Personally, I always loved to watch Chico play piano. He had that bit of childlike ornery joy on his face and I liked the fun style.

Harpo was a world class harpist. He simply loved the instrument. As children, only Chico had lessons, and of course he was the one who could have cared less. Not much of Chico's style came from lessons. Harpo also played piano extremely well although very little film record of his playing exists. Luckily we do have a lot of his harp work.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 11:39 AM

'Spaw,

How did I know you'd be a Marx Brothers fan too?

Yeah, it was a treat to watch Chico, he sure played well and made it fun.

And of course the Spinal Tap lads all played their own instruments.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Peter T.
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 12:07 PM

I for one am extremely glad that Helen Hunt did not play the piano or anything else in The Piano.

Peter O'Toole is in Toronto at the moment, and is singing with a band. No one has had enough nerve to go and ask him about Carrickfergus, though.

Frank Sinatra could sing a little....

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: GUEST,sophocleese
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 12:19 PM

Thanks Peter T. I just ran up here again to correct my earlier goof. Holly Hunter played the piano in The Piano without causing any tornadoes. OOPS!

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 12:36 PM

In a folky vane, Peter Sellars plays Ukelele and sings, with Steeleye Span on "Oh You New York Girls, Can't you Dance the Polka" can't remember what albumn it's on. JohnB.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 12:42 PM

HEY PETER T!!!! Have you ever noticed that Peter O'Toole has a double phallic name?

.......Thinking of Groucho, who used that line as a postscript to a letter he wrote to Dick Cavett.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Wesley S
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 12:53 PM

I remember seeing Kirk Douglas in 20,000 Leagues under the sea and whatever turtle/charango kind of thing he was playing I could tell those were real chords. Also in Breakfast at Tiffenys , Audry Hepburn was playing real chords on her guitar when she was sitting on the fire escape. I don't know how much either one of them played other than that.

And what the heck is the name of the guy that stars on Third Rock From the Sun? He was in The World According to Garp. I've seen him play some pretty mean banjo a couple of times.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: MK
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 03:43 PM

John Lithgow

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: RWilhelm
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 04:03 PM

Bruce Willis likes to think of himself as a blues harp player. Martin Mull was a very clever singer/songwriter before becoming a mediocre Hollywood hack.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: okthen
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 06:07 PM

James Woods was HOT when he played with Zappa, I think he then went into acting, so does this count?

He also has an IQ of 163, like greyeyes said some people have too much talent

cheers

bill

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 06:49 PM

At the risk of inducing thread drift, does anyone else get as annoyed as I do when someone in the movies pretends to play an instrument but obviously doesn't have a clue what to do with his or her hands? I notice this most with psuedo guitar players (since that's what I play), but it happens with all kinds of instruments. And I'm always amazed that the fakery isn't instantly apparent to everyone. Am I alone in this?

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: The Shambles
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 06:52 PM

Can someone tell me that Meryl Streep can play something?

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Pixie
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 07:20 PM

John Lithgow plays a good banjo (also guitar?)and has a great time entertaining children....does this count?

And yes, George Segal is alive and well, and starring on the sitcom "Just Shoot Me"....

Glenn Close and Meryl Streep can certainly carry a tune...

I hear Russell Crowe has a band, but I cannot attest to the quality.....

....and Lisa Hartmann Black (formerly of some kind of Falconcrest, or something) can sing and writes, so I guess she plays something....(no jokes about how happy that would make Clint Black, please)......

Pixie

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: RWilhelm
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 07:27 PM

I almost forgot. Sam Shepard played drums in one incarnation of the Holy Modal Rounders.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 09:23 PM

Hey Whistle Stop........We have talked about that a few times in the past and its really a riot. Since you mentioned it, let me give you a bit of the reverse...sorta'.

The other night I was watching an old episode of "Columbo" with Johnny Cash playing (of all things) a Country singer. He has the black Martin and has a scene where he sits and fingerpicks a bit as Peter Falk makes a phone call. Now we all know that JC ain't much of a player and this one was obvious as hell that he wasn't finger pickin' at all. I don't think he even can. I don't know where this one falls in the thread though..??..??.....

Let's see............Country legend who doesn't play too well as an actor playing a country legend who can, but real country legend/pseudo actor can't fake it either.............uh,...I'm lost.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Ana
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 01:56 AM

Russell Crowe (the gladiator chap) was a muso long before he thought of acting - apparently has a rock CD due out soon. Ana

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Magpie
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 05:28 AM

Meryl Streep gave me a chill when she sang Amazing Grace in Silkwood. She also did some singing in another film, only I can't remember the title, but Shirley McLaine (spelling?) was also in it.

Magpie

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 08:01 AM

And Sissy Spacek did her own singing in "Coal Miner's Daughter". Did a credible job of it too, in my opinion.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 08:07 AM

I thought Spacek was excellent in the sound she got.....She sounded exactly like Loretta Lynn both talking and singing. Also, Bev DeAngelo did her own singing in that movie as Patsy Cline and did a pretty decent job too.....I mean, who can really sound like Patsy Cline?

And, BTW, Whoopi Goldberg does play Hammered Dulcimer. Don't know how well, but she does play.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 08:38 AM

And then there's Amy Irving, who was the singing voice of Jessica Rabbit in "Who Shot Roger Rabbit?" (the old blues tune "Why Don't You Do Right?"). Also a pretty impressive performance, in my opinion. Don't know if she performs music otherwise, but that one performance was worth noting.

Subject: RE: Movie Stars who also perform Music
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 09:12 AM

Amy Irving also did her own singing in the classic Willie Movie "Honeysuckle Rose" and did a very good job as I recall. I believe that Dyan Cannon also did a song or two in it.