7 Actors Whose Music Doesn’t Totally Suck
Posted by movieblFor some reason, a lot of actors want to play music and/or be in bands. I guess it’s probably because they are artists and they have a pressing need to pursue any avenue of creativity available to them, although it probably has more to do with them being insecure attention hounds.
When an actor decides to be in a band it usually brings about disastrous results. We call this the Don Johnson Effect.
Here are some actors who have managed to make that shift into music and not totally suck at it. In fact, some of them are pretty damn good…
Ronny Cox, the actor who portrayed the corporate villian Vilos Cohaagen in Total Recall
Juliette Lewis is probably most famously known for her role of Mallory Knox in 1994’s feel good movie of the year Natural Born Killers
As frontwoman for Juliette and the Licks, Juliette Lewis screams out some of the dirtiest, balls-to-the-wall rock I’ve heard in a while. She’s got a great voice for rock and roll…and the hot bod doesn’t hurt either.
Dennis Quaid - the charming, nice-guy actor with the smile that can turn a straight man gay in .06 seconds, and the star of such movie classics as Innerspace
As frontman for Dennis Quaid and the Sharks he straps on an electric guitar and belts out rowdy, rawcous, roots rock. Dennis Quaid is often here in Austin and I will surely be checking out The Sharks the next time they perform.
Jason Schwartzman and Coconut Records
Jason Schwartzman’s cinematic debut in 1998’s quirky, instant classic Rushmore
His “band” - which is pretty much just him - is called Coconut Records and its self-titled, debut album was recorded over the span of a week at a friend’s house.
Added bonus: If you purchase the CD from his record label’s webiste at Young Baby Records you’ll get a free gift: A poster sized polaroid picture taken just for you by him! Well, maybe it’s not taken just for you, but you can be guaranteed it’s a polaroid that no one else but you has. Here’s me with mine:
Billy Bob Thornton’s music is a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. Actually, it’s a hell of a lot of country and a tiny squirt of rock and roll. But I’m not talking about the over produced, bullshit country music the likes of which you’ll find on most so called country stations today. I’m talking a gritty, introspective country. Real time-worn, rugged stuff.
The wife and I met Billy Bob once at a joint here in Austin called Stubb’s where my band was headlining one night. He was a super cool friendly guy and even let me take a pic of him with Roberta. Check my post about that here.
If you don’t like William Shatner then you need to be punched in the throat. Shatner is a self effacing, good natured guy who doesn’t mind being the butt of a joke. And his album Has Been
This album goes leaps and bounds beyond his famously awful spoken word version of Elton John’s Rocket Man and is actually an extremely well crafted piece of work. It’s funny and dark all at the same time.
Russell Crowe and 30 Odd Foot of Grunts
Last but not least, we have the ever cuddly Russell Crowe. Crowe’s band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts is pretty much just a huge mass of testosterone, black shirts, and guitars. Like Jason Schwartzman’s album, Russell Crowe’s comes with an added bonus: if you don’t like the music he personally comes to your house and steps on your face.
