Film/TV Stars Who've Attempted Musical Careers

This is my companion thread to Musicians Who've Made Films.

Is it true that most film stars that attempt dual careers as music stars flop? It's my feeling that's a true statement. A few films stars that I know of that have recorded LPs have been terrible.

Some TV stars have had minor careers due to the sucess of their TV stardom.

Paul Peterson
Shelly Fabares (spelling?)

No film stars come to mind right now but I just thought I'd get the ball rolling on this.

Name a few film/TV stars and your opinion of their music careers or attempts.

mud-

 

Leonard Nimoy and
William Shatner

Pure genius no one could appear that bad by accident - a work of true genius on both counts.

Kylie Minogue has a passing interest in the music business on this side of the water as have many othe Australian soap starts like Jason Donovan, Natalie Imbruglia and Holly Valance.

Andrew

 

Most are either bad of just plain mediocre; usually signed to a contract on the idea that high visibility in one aspect of show business will automatically translate into success in another. History indicates the opposite....most have at best fleeting success; at worst, sink without a trace.

Walter Brennan's "Old Rivers" is an example of an actor doing what amounted to a novelty record, and getting lucky.

But then you have an old hoofer like Jimmy Durante, who sang and danced in Vaudeville, and got a minor hit with "September Song." George Burns, the same later on with "I Wish I Was Eighteen Again."

Lauren Hill is a more recent example of a TV actress who moved on to forge a(however brief)successful musical career that was genuinely legit.


ED

 

Rick Springfield, Don Johnson, and Rex Smith.

 

Another trio,

Lee Marvin, Tele Savalas and David Soul.

Al the best - Andrew

 

A couple more

David Hasselhoff, Will Smith

Andrew

 

Not sure but didn't Sal Mineo record a few tunes?

ED, you out there?

mud-

 

Wow! I'm surprised you did not know all of Sal's hits!

ED's busy listening to Tommy Roe...

Here ya go...

Chart Action...

1-Start Movin ' (In My Direction)-5/57...Number 9

2-Lasting Love-9/57...Number 27

3-Party Time-11/57-Number-45

4-Little Pigeon-1/57-Number-45

 

Thanks, Michael!!! I forgot you're old too!

mud-

 

Hey!, Wait a minute!!! Your a youngster?

 

Obviously. I don't remember any of those tunes.

mud-

 

I guess your "Dizzy" from trying to remember...

 

I think Will Smith works the other way. He did have a small music career before becoming an actor.
How about Jim Nabors tho.

 

Lorne Greene, and the rest of the Bonanza cast. Haven't heard much of 'em, but I've read about it. By the way, Leonard Nimoy's "Proud Mary" is great for this line:

"Big Wheel keep on boinin"

 

Steve-oh, all you need to know about the Bonanza cast recording music and more can be found on the Bear Family Bonanza boxed set which I consider a western TV and music goldmine in a way. Ed, Walter Brennan did actually record not only "Old Rivers," which is one of my favorite recordings, but he recorded several albums (1 for Dot and most of them for Liberty).

John Wayne recorded "America, Why I Love Her" which is one of my favorite albums

Roy Rogers, Tex Ritter and Gene Autry have also had music careers as well as acting careers. They are, IMO, 3 multimedia icons and true legends and were all great actors and singers.

 

A few others who managed at least one chart hit:

Bruce Willis
John Belushi & Dan Ackroyd
Patrick Swayze
Hayley Mills
Patty Duke
Richard Chamberlain
Michael Parks
Jack Wagner
Vicki Lawrence
Keith Carradine
David Cassidy
Shaun Cassidy
Leif Garrett

 

Since someone already mentioned Nimoy and Shatner...does anyone remember Brent Spiner's album, Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back? I've been meaning to buy it if I ever saw it. He probably sings it in that deadpan "Data" voice of his.

 

Corey Feldman

http://www.concertlivewire.com/corey.htm

 

Jimbo,

Can't believe you overlooked Eddie Murphy and his magnum opus, "Party All The Time", which hit #2 in 1985! He also hit with "Put Your Mouth On Me" (#27) in 1989.

Jay

 

Billy Bob Thornton's album should be avoided at all cost.

 

Oops! How'd I miss that one? A couple others I thought of:

Annette (Funicello)
Gloria Loring
Bernadette Peters
Tim Curry (the fondly-remembered "I Do the Rock")
John Schneider (former Duke of Hazzard enjoyed a successful country career)

Gwyneth Paltrow recently scored on the adult charts, singing a duet of "Cruisin'" with Huey Lewis, and Nicole Kidman landed at #1 on the UK charts, helping out Robbie Williams on his cover of "Somethin' Stupid." Indeed, Kidman and Ewan McGregor displayed some serious chops in Moulin Rouge.

 

Timely subject as I was just reading about an upcoming album from one of Hollywood's hottest (in more ways than one) actresses- Brittany Murphy.

And I don't believe I've seen anyone list Jennifer Love Hewitt. Tina Yothers ("Jennifer" of "Family Ties" fame) had a band called Jaded. The website is gone so I'm guessing her musical career didn't go well. Crystal Bernard ("Wings") has had some chart success.

As far as not-so-serious "attempts," Jim Carrey had a very little bit of novelty success with Cuban Pete from the days of "the Mask." He did an enjoyable "I am the Wulrus" on the George Martin tribute album (which as I'm sure many of you know, also featured Robin Williams doing "Come Together."

First post by the way. Hello and glad to be here.

 

John Travolta reached the number 10 spot with "Let Her In" in 1976.

Don Johnson reached #5 with the title track to "Heartbeat" in 1986.

 

It's easy to forget that Ricky Nelson was a TV star on his parents' series long before he ever made a record.

A couple others that come to mind:
-- Jennifer Lopez
-- Tab Hunter
-- Mel Blanc (most of his records were novelties on which he used the voices he made famous, but he did do such charming records as "I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat" and "I Tan't Wait 'Til Quithmuth")
-- Anson Williams
-- Hugh Downs (the album An Evening with Hugh Downs)
-- Cheryl Ladd *
-- Rick Springfield *
-- James Darren

Then there's the classic LP Hogan's Heroes Sing the Best of World War II!

* singers before they became actors, but used their acting success to jump-start their formerly moribund singing careers

For more on the subject, dig up the now-OOP book Goldmine's Celebrity Vocals by Ron Lofman -- 448 pages of the best and worst of this kind of record.