Actors who sing and play folk music

16 Sep 15 - 02:05 AM (#3737577)
Subject: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Lin

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 02:34 AM (#3737580)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Joe Offer

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 03:20 AM (#3737587)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Keith Price

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 03:21 AM (#3737588)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Jim Carroll

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

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16 Sep 15 - 03:31 AM (#3737592)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: MGM·Lion

Ewan MacColl of course...

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16 Sep 15 - 03:51 AM (#3737596)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Sugwash

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 04:28 AM (#3737601)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 04:30 AM (#3737602)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Mo the caller

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

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16 Sep 15 - 04:31 AM (#3737603)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,kenny

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 04:57 AM (#3737606)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: BobKnight

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 05:09 AM (#3737609)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Leadfingers

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

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16 Sep 15 - 05:25 AM (#3737615)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Steve Shaw

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... ;-)

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16 Sep 15 - 05:26 AM (#3737616)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Richard Bridge

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

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16 Sep 15 - 05:26 AM (#3737617)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Steve Shaw

Autocorrect somehow turned don't into didn't.

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16 Sep 15 - 05:27 AM (#3737618)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Richard Bridge

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

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16 Sep 15 - 05:47 AM (#3737630)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,John Flynn

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

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16 Sep 15 - 05:55 AM (#3737631)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Mr Red

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 06:08 AM (#3737635)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: JP2

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

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16 Sep 15 - 06:50 AM (#3737643)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Kampervan

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

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16 Sep 15 - 07:50 AM (#3737648)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Richard Bridge

Well done K-van!

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16 Sep 15 - 08:05 AM (#3737652)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Dave Sutherland

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

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16 Sep 15 - 08:26 AM (#3737663)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Lew Becker

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 08:46 AM (#3737664)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Effsee

The late Tam White, Scots bluesman.

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16 Sep 15 - 08:48 AM (#3737666)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Dave

Lee Marvin?

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16 Sep 15 - 09:44 AM (#3737678)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Dave

Hugh Laurie of course quite fancies himself as a bluesman.

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16 Sep 15 - 09:46 AM (#3737679)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,SqueezeMe

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 09:53 AM (#3737682)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: mg

Meryl streep, russell crowe

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16 Sep 15 - 09:59 AM (#3737684)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Bogle Clencher

The late Kenneth (Rambling Sid Rumpo) Williams

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16 Sep 15 - 10:23 AM (#3737690)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Dave

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 10:25 AM (#3737692)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 10:34 AM (#3737693)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Dave

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

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16 Sep 15 - 10:36 AM (#3737694)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST

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

Trying again... here

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16 Sep 15 - 10:41 AM (#3737695)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST

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

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16 Sep 15 - 10:44 AM (#3737696)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Sir Roger de Beverley

That was me sans cookie

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16 Sep 15 - 10:50 AM (#3737700)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST, ^*^

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 10:58 AM (#3737703)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Dave

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

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16 Sep 15 - 11:08 AM (#3737706)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: olddude

Steve Martin, one heck of a banjo player

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16 Sep 15 - 12:09 PM (#3737715)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: PHJim

William Sadler plays bluegrass and folk mandolin and guitar.

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16 Sep 15 - 12:28 PM (#3737724)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Blandiver (Astray)

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

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16 Sep 15 - 12:44 PM (#3737730)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: erosconpollo

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

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16 Sep 15 - 12:52 PM (#3737733)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: PHJim

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?

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16 Sep 15 - 01:38 PM (#3737740)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: PHJim

I almost forgot Woody Harrelson. Bad Jokes

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16 Sep 15 - 01:45 PM (#3737742)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker

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

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16 Sep 15 - 02:03 PM (#3737750)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: PHJim

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

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16 Sep 15 - 02:33 PM (#3737759)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Gealt

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 02:38 PM (#3737761)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Joe Offer

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-

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16 Sep 15 - 03:07 PM (#3737771)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Nick Dow

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 03:40 PM (#3737777)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Cool Beans

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

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16 Sep 15 - 04:12 PM (#3737781)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Steve Gardham

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

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16 Sep 15 - 04:28 PM (#3737784)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Phil Cooper

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 04:36 PM (#3737786)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Andiliqueur

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.

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16 Sep 15 - 05:22 PM (#3737795)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: MGM·Lion

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≈

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16 Sep 15 - 05:35 PM (#3737798)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Ebor Fiddler

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".

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16 Sep 15 - 07:12 PM (#3737816)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Seamus Kennedy

Liam Clancy, Tommy Makem and Tom Clancy.

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17 Sep 15 - 03:19 AM (#3737867)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Dave Hanson

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

Dave H

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17 Sep 15 - 04:09 AM (#3737875)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Mr Red

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

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17 Sep 15 - 06:53 AM (#3737907)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Herga Kitty

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

Kitty

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17 Sep 15 - 01:38 PM (#3737960)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Rob Hunt

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

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17 Sep 15 - 02:16 PM (#3737971)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Rob Hunt

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

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17 Sep 15 - 02:27 PM (#3737973)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: dick greenhaus

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

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17 Sep 15 - 04:42 PM (#3737990)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST

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.

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17 Sep 15 - 05:12 PM (#3737997)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: The Sandman

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

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17 Sep 15 - 06:02 PM (#3738006)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: brashley46

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.)

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17 Sep 15 - 08:56 PM (#3738047)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage

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.

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18 Sep 15 - 03:56 AM (#3738103)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: MGM·Lion

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

≈M≈

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18 Sep 15 - 07:27 AM (#3738146)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Brimbacombe

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.

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22 Sep 15 - 11:02 PM (#3739204)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage

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.

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14 Dec 19 - 12:27 PM (#4023735)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage

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.

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14 Dec 19 - 12:41 PM (#4023738)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,HiLo

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 ?

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14 Dec 19 - 01:32 PM (#4023748)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,keberoxu

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.

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14 Dec 19 - 01:54 PM (#4023753)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,HiLo

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.

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14 Dec 19 - 02:47 PM (#4023761)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,GuestTF

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

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14 Dec 19 - 04:52 PM (#4023795)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Georgiansilver

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

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14 Dec 19 - 04:54 PM (#4023796)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Georgiansilver

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

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14 Dec 19 - 05:12 PM (#4023798)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Jack Campin

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

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14 Dec 19 - 05:57 PM (#4023808)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Sol

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.

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14 Dec 19 - 07:23 PM (#4023820)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: RTim

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

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15 Dec 19 - 07:29 AM (#4023840)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Dave Hanson

Isla St Clair is a genuine traditional singer.

Dave H

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15 Dec 19 - 06:07 PM (#4023964)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp

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.

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17 Dec 19 - 06:18 PM (#4024288)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: The Sandman

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

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17 Dec 19 - 06:52 PM (#4024294)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage

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.

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17 Dec 19 - 06:53 PM (#4024295)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Ballyholme

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

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17 Dec 19 - 08:42 PM (#4024317)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch

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

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17 Dec 19 - 08:51 PM (#4024320)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage

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.

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18 Dec 19 - 02:55 AM (#4024334)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST

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

Dave H

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18 Dec 19 - 03:00 AM (#4024335)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Dave Hanson

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

Dave H

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19 Dec 19 - 09:42 AM (#4024587)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: John C. Bunnell

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.

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19 Dec 19 - 10:11 AM (#4024594)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: gillymor

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.

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22 Dec 19 - 04:48 AM (#4024811)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,jude

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

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22 Dec 19 - 04:51 AM (#4024813)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: The Sandman

nick dow?

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22 Dec 19 - 04:58 AM (#4024816)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Jude

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

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22 Dec 19 - 06:24 AM (#4024836)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge

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

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22 Dec 19 - 09:16 AM (#4024877)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,SC

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

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22 Dec 19 - 01:16 PM (#4024914)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Deckman

Walt Robertson

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23 Dec 19 - 05:54 AM (#4024952)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Dave Hanson

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

Dave H

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23 Dec 19 - 07:48 AM (#4024962)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Bee-dubya-ell

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.

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26 Dec 19 - 04:22 PM (#4025004)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage

*
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?

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26 Dec 19 - 05:07 PM (#4025010)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp

Judy Collins herself played several roles as an actress.

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27 Dec 19 - 06:14 AM (#4025078)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Joe MacGillivray

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.

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27 Dec 19 - 06:16 AM (#4025079)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Joe MacGillivray

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

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27 Dec 19 - 06:23 AM (#4025082)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Joe MacGillivray

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.

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27 Dec 19 - 06:25 AM (#4025083)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: gillymor

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.

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27 Dec 19 - 10:42 AM (#4025096)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch

Actor-songster: Cy Grant.

Songster-actors: Levon Helm & Tom Waits.

Maya Angelou.

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29 Dec 19 - 11:10 AM (#4025347)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Tattie Bogle

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!

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29 Dec 19 - 01:09 PM (#4025359)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Jon Dudley

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..

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29 Dec 19 - 03:43 PM (#4025377)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp

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.

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30 Dec 19 - 02:01 AM (#4025401)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Hagman

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?

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30 Dec 19 - 07:11 AM (#4025438)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: sciencegeek

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...

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30 Dec 19 - 08:53 AM (#4025463)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,jude

Kiefer Sutherland too.

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30 Dec 19 - 10:52 AM (#4025486)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Mark Ross

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.

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30 Dec 19 - 11:05 PM (#4025590)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage

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.)

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31 Dec 19 - 03:11 AM (#4025598)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST

Breandan Gleeson plays the fiddle

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31 Dec 19 - 03:25 AM (#4025599)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: nigelgatherer

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.

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31 Dec 19 - 05:41 AM (#4025613)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: The Sandman

JEREMY IRONS

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01 Jan 20 - 02:31 PM (#4025779)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage

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.

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01 Jan 20 - 02:44 PM (#4025781)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Peter Laban

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

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02 Jan 20 - 05:16 AM (#4025873)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Nick

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).

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02 Jan 20 - 10:16 AM (#4025940)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Daniel Kelly

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.

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03 Jan 20 - 09:20 AM (#4026118)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Guest, Robert E

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.

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03 Jan 20 - 01:16 PM (#4026160)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage

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.)

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03 Jan 20 - 04:17 PM (#4026203)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch

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?

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03 Jan 20 - 05:52 PM (#4026214)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp

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.

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04 Jan 20 - 09:46 PM (#4026371)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Neil D

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.

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06 Jan 20 - 02:24 AM (#4026470)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Deckman

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

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06 Jan 20 - 07:00 AM (#4026507)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp

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.

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07 Jan 20 - 12:54 AM (#4026674)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: rich-joy

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

R-J

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07 Jan 20 - 03:06 AM (#4026678)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp

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.

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07 Jan 20 - 03:18 AM (#4026679)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp

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.

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07 Jan 20 - 04:11 AM (#4026685)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,henryp

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.

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07 Jan 20 - 04:27 AM (#4026692)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Jerry

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.

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07 Jan 20 - 10:27 AM (#4026783)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Stilly River Sage

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.

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07 Jan 20 - 04:53 PM (#4026876)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch

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.

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10 Jan 20 - 03:20 PM (#4027548)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Seamus Kennedy

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.

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10 Jan 20 - 04:16 PM (#4027555)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: Michael

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'.

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11 Jan 20 - 05:04 AM (#4027617)
Subject: RE: Actors who sing and play folk music
From: gillymor

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.

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