Singers/Musicians Who Have Been Portrayed On Screen

**billy farmer** · 24-01-12 02:44 PM

I thought i would start a new Thread to see how many Singers and Musicians Brit Movie Members can think of that have been portrayed in films and TV programmes, my favourite Singer Elvis Presley has been played by many different Actors in lots of films and TV programmes, the members of my favourite group The Beatles have also been played by many different Actors in lots of films and TV programmes, another one of my favourite Singers Buddy Holly was played by Gary Busey in The Buddy Holly Story (1978), Buddy Holly has also been played by many other different Actors in film and on TV, The Big Bopper was played by Gailard Sartain in The Buddy Holly Story (1978) and also by Stephen Lee in La Bamba (1987), Ritchie Valens was played by Gilbert Melgar in The Buddy Holly Story (1978) and also by Lou Diamond Phillips in La Bamba (1987), Eddie Cochran was played by Jerry Zaremba in The Buddy Holly Story (1978) and also by Brian Setzer in La Bamba (1987), The Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens and Eddie Cochran have also been played by several other Actors in film and on TV, James Stewart played the famous Bandleader Glenn Miller in The Glenn Miller Story (1954), i am sure Brit Movie Members can think of many more Singers and Musicians who have been portrayed in films and TV programmes, below is a YouTube Video featuring the trailer for The Buddy Holly Story (1978) which starred Gary Busey as Buddy Holly.

**agutterfan** · 24-01-12 03:42 PM

The band Joy Division have been fictionally portrayed twice, in 24 Hour Party People and Control. There is also a film documentary called Joy Division.

**716Jones** · 24-01-12 04:47 PM

Hank Williams was played by George Hamilton in 'Your Cheating Heart.'

**didi-5** · 24-01-12 06:12 PM

Billie Holliday was played by Diana Ross in Lady Sings The Blues, Loretta Lynn by Sissy Spacek in The Coal Miner's Daughter, Fanny Brice by Barbra Striesand in Funny Girl and Funny Lady, Bobby Darin by Kevin Spacey in Beyond The Sea, Johnny Cash by Joaquin Phoenix in Walk The Line, and I'm sure there are many other examples.

Incidentally Glenn Miller appeared in two films playing a bandleader - Orchestra Wives and Sun Valley Serenade.

**billy farmer** · 24-01-12 06:19 PM

Dennis Quaid played Jerry Lee Lewis in Great Balls Of Fire! (1989) a film which i have never seen (and also a film which i don't think i will ever see).

**billy farmer** · 24-01-12 06:53 PM

Danny Kaye played cornet player, Composer and Bandleader Red Nichols in The Five Pennies (1959), famous Bandleader Glenn Miller was also portrayed in The Five Pennies by Ray Daley.

**Heinrich** · 24-01-12 07:12 PM

Danny Kaye played Red Nichols in The Five Pennies.

**Mr Sloane** · 24-01-12 07:35 PM

Tommy Trinder as George Leybourne

with a brief glimpse of Jean Kent and the late Harry Fowler.

**Mr Sloane** · 24-01-12 07:46 PM

And another Tommy as a Tommy

**cassidy** · 24-01-12 08:41 PM

Eddie Duchin was played by Tyrone Power, Steve Allen played Benny Goodman and who could forget Larry Parks as Jolson.

**hatpeg** · 24-01-12 08:43 PM

Jamie Foxx was Ray Charles, in the film Ray, along with someone who portrayed Quincy Jones.

Telstar (2008) had actors in for: Heinz, John Leyton, Billy Fury, Ritchie Blackmore, Jess Conrad etc.

**GRAEME** · 24-01-12 08:58 PM

Forest Whitaker as Charlie "Bird" Parker in Bird.

**billy farmer** · 25-01-12 12:14 AM

Kurt Russell played Elvis Presley (one of many different Actors to play Elvis Presley) in the TV Movie Elvis (1979).

**scraller** · 25-01-12 02:24 AM

Canadian singer-songwriter Sneezy Waters as Hank Williams Sr. in HANK WILLIAMS: THE SHOW HE NEVER GAVE (1980)

**wadsy** · 25-01-12 09:04 AM

**billy farmer** · 25-01-12 01:52 PM

Phil Nice played George Formby in an episode of the BBC Comedy series Goodnight Sweetheart, the episode was called Turned Out Nice Again, and was first shown on BBC1 on February 5th 1996 - "Goodnight Sweetheart" Turned Out Nice Again (TV episode 1996) - IMDb the embedding was disabled by request for the three YouTube Videos below but you can watch the episode of Goodnight Sweetheart featuring George Formby on YouTube.

**GRAEME** · 25-01-12 05:48 PM

James Cagney as George M Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy.

**cassidy** · 25-01-12 08:46 PM

Marching Along with Clifton Webb as John Philip Souza

**Rowdon** · 26-01-12 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by billy farmer

Dennis Quaid played Jerry Lee Lewis in Great Balls Of Fire! (1989) a film which i have never seen (and also a film which i don't think i will ever see).

When Jerry Lee Lewis was asked what he thought of the film, he said "The music was good." I did see the film, but I don't remember much about it; it failed to achieve the chocolate box sentimentality that worked so well in La Bamba, and also failed to show the impact that this music must have had, which was done so well in The Buddy Holly Story by Gary Busey actually playing punked up versions of the hits live.

As for Kurt Russell in the Elvis Story - I liked the film, but why use a wig obviously stolen off a 1950s werewolf film?

Talking of wigs, the costume department made precious little effort in Stoned about Brian Jones.
Talking of the big gins of the 60s, how many times has Saint Lennon been portrayed on screen? Imdb knows, I suppose, but I remember spending time on:

The Birth of the Beatles (Stephen MacKenna)
Backbeat and The Hours and the Times (Ian Hart)
Lennon Naked (Christopher Eccleston)
Nowhere Boy (Aaron Johnson)

All of which, other than Nowhere Boy, suffer from the biopic disease of having people too old to play the part.

**Rowdon** · 26-01-12 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by billy farmer

Dennis Quaid played Jerry Lee Lewis in Great Balls Of Fire! (1989) a film which i have never seen (and also a film which i don't think i will ever see).

When Jerry Lee Lewis was asked what he thought of the film, he said "The music was good." I did see the film, but I don't remember much about it; it failed to achieve the chocolate box sentimentality that worked so well in La Bamba, and also failed to show the impact that this music must have had, which was done so well in The Buddy Holly Story by Gary Busey actually playing punked up versions of the hits live.

As for Kurt Russell in the Elvis Story - I liked the film, but why use a wig obviously stolen off a 1950s werewolf film?

Talking of wigs, the costume department made precious little effort in Stoned about Brian Jones.
Talking of the big guns of the 60s, how many times has Saint Lennon been portrayed on screen? Imdb knows, I suppose, but I remember spending time on:

The Birth of the Beatles (Stephen MacKenna)
Backbeat and The Hours and the Times (Ian Hart)
Lennon Naked (Christopher Eccleston)
Nowhere Boy (Aaron Johnson)

All of which, other than Nowhere Boy, suffer from the biopic disease of having people too old to play the part.

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