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RSSThe MegaList of Actors Who Tried to Sing
Yesterday’s post spawned a discussion about actors who tried to make of a go of it in the music business. It was noted that Chuck Norris actually sang the theme to Walker, Texas Ranger, and I know I used to have the Paradise Alley Soundtrack, which featured an impossibly awful Sly Stallone on vocals, but I have to say that I drew a major blank on the topic and didn’t make much of a contribution.
When I got home, I started compiling a small list to post, and whole bunch googling later it’s three fucking AM. The list has grown from Gadzuki to Godzilla, and I’m dangerously close to comatose. As you peruse, if you find that you can’t remember where an actor might be from, mouse over their album to get a tool tip containing at least one show that they were in. If you find that you need even more info, most of the albums link to Amazon.
If you see me being walked out of the building tomorrow for sleeping at my desk, at least you’ll have this MegaList to remember me by. And to the poor bastard who might have to take over my job: again, I say, sorry I’m such a spaz.
Enjoy.
(If you think of any more than this, add them into the comments.)
Christina Aguilera
Danny Aiello
Dan Aykroyd
Tatyana Ali
Kevin Bacon
Scott Baio
John Belushi
Crystal Bernard
Danny Bonaduce
Wayne Brady
Jeff Bridges
Chris Burke
Tisha Campbell
Tia Carrere
Lynda Carter
David Cassidy
Shaun Cassidy
David Charvet
Dominic Chianese
Robert Clary
Toni Collette
Stephen Collins
Danny Cooksey
John Corbett
Kevin Costner
Russel Crowe
Miley Cyrus
Jeff Daniels
Tony Danza
Zooey Deschanel
Robert Downey Jr.
Minnie Driver
Hilary Duff
Patty Duke
Clint Eastwood
Buddy Ebsen
Barbara Eden
Shelley Fabares
Corey Feldman
Samantha Fox
Jamie Foxx
Annette Funicello
Edward Furlong
Peter Gallagher
Leif Garrett
Crispin Glover
Brian Austin Green
Lorne Greene
Joel Grey
Andy Griffith
Richard Harris
David Hasselhoff
Jill Hennessy
Larry Hovis
Terrence Howard
Natalie Imbruglia
Janet Jackson
Don Johnson
Amy Jo Johnson
Shirley Jones
Milla Jovovich
Ted Knight
Vicki Lawrence
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Scarlett Johansson
Nicole Kidman
Eartha Kitt
Joey Lawrence
Jared Leto
Juliette Lewis
Lyndsay Lohan
Jennifer Lopez
Traci Lords
Tina Louise
Jayne Mansfield
James Marsters
Martika
Maureen McCormick
Kristy McNichol
Eddie Mekka
Alyssa Milano
Kylie Minogue
Robert Mitchum
Marilyn Monroe
Dudley Moore
Alanis Morissette
Donny Most
Megan Mullally
Billy Mummy
Eddie Murphy
Jim Nabors
Nichelle Nichols
Brigitte Nielsen
Leonard Nimoy
The Olsen Twins
Jack Palance
Gwyneth Paltrow
Mandy Patinkin
Joe Pesci
Tony Randall
Raven
Keanu Reeves
Burt Reynolds
Esther Rolle
Jared Rushton
Tim Russ
Telly Savalas
John Schneider
Steven Segal
William Shatner
Cybill Shepherd
Jason Schwartzman
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Jada Pinkett Smith
David Soul
Brittney Spears
Brent Spiner
Rick Springfield
Frank Stallone
Cree Summer
Patrick Swayze
Mr. T.
John Tesh
Philip Michael Thomas
Billy Bob Thornton
Justin Timberlake
John Travolta
Jack Wagner
Jack Webb
Lisa Whelchel
Johnny Whitaker
Bruce Willis
Anson Williams
Barry Williams
Tom Wopat
Kari Wuhrer
Kathleen York
Tina Yothers
March 3rd, 2006 at 8:36 am
A couple for ya:
- Marilyn Munroe
- Kevin Bacon (part of the Bacon Brothers act)
March 3rd, 2006 at 8:39 am
Addendum 1:
- Corey Feldman
- Adam Sandler
Addendum 2: Now I see why you were up till 3AM. This can get easily obsessive.
March 3rd, 2006 at 8:45 am
Incredible list!!
You forgot Lisa Whelchel, aka Blair Warner from Facts of Life.
http://fablf.keepoffmedia.com/ (its like halfway down)
March 3rd, 2006 at 10:02 am
Russell Crowe (gack!), Shawn Cassidy (or was he singer turned actor?), Florence Henderson, Tom Wopat….
March 3rd, 2006 at 11:40 am
You have gomer but you don’t have andy! Andy Griffith.
March 4th, 2006 at 4:03 am
first off, tatyana ali was on the “fresh prince of bel air”, not the “cosby show”. raven simone from cosby had an album. do kids from the mickey mouse club count? because then you have britney spears, justin timberlake, annette funicello, martika. don’t forget kathy lee gifford and juliette lewis, queen latifa. shit, i’m going to be up til 3am trying to help you out. i love these kind of challenges. jack black. crap…they keep coming. mark wahlberg. donny wahlberg. ice-t. ok, need to sleep, but i’m sure i’ll have more tomorrow.
March 4th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
Thanks, everyone! I added your suggestions and another 20 or so, putting the list at 85. I have a few more stashed, but I just can’t track down the covers right now. Plus, this is just out of control.
Will Smith was removed, because he was a rapper before he was an actor.
March 6th, 2006 at 3:32 pm
That list is just downright scary…scary, I say!
March 6th, 2006 at 8:53 pm
The megalist of actors who tried to sing!…
Actors should act; singers should sing. Jamie Foxx proves the two shouldn’t mix….
March 7th, 2006 at 8:26 am
I am hereforth doing everything I possibly can to get my hands on the Steven Segal album. I mean I will pay TOP DOLLAR…
March 8th, 2006 at 6:23 am
You’re going to have to because it’s $22 USD on Amazon. Plus shipping. That’s one expensive joke…
March 8th, 2006 at 9:42 am
1. Holy crap, what a list!(Yes! Another person more obsessive than me)
2. Minnie Driver ??!?
3. I think Briggitte Bardot did an album. And Catherine Deneuve. And Kari Wuhrer! (But can you really call her an actress?)
4. I can sing the whole Godzilla/Godzuki theme song. Envy me.
March 9th, 2006 at 3:02 am
Damn.
Just… daaaaamn. What an exhaustive list! I bow before thee, o king of the list.
Excellent job.
March 10th, 2006 at 10:50 am
Kris Kirstofferson is both a movie ’star’ and a recording ‘artist’. I’m not sure he is good at either, but he makes a living…
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/44632/002-5210589-9815219
Be prepared for bandwidth when this list hits the popular sites… Good Job!
March 10th, 2006 at 1:14 pm
what about j-lo? (yes, i’ve been around the block)…
melrose place’s jack wagner…
March 10th, 2006 at 11:32 pm
Thanks gain, everyone! J-Lo was added, Jack Wagner was already there, and Kris K was a singer before he was an actor, so was is ineligible.
My previously unwritten guidelines that determine eligibility for inclusion seem to be:
1. The singer must must have a credited role before the year of his or her first album’s release. This eliminates singers turned into actors like Will Smith and all around entertainers like Dean Martin.
2. An actor’s credited roles cannot primarily consist of “singer,” “as himself,” or “as herself.”
3. Cast, Broadway, and comedy albums are excluded (Sorry Laverne & Shirley, Jack Black, and Adam Sandler).
4. The actor must have at least one full album to their credit. Releasing a single is excusable dabbling.
5. The crappier the album, the better.
March 14th, 2006 at 9:26 am
I think i have that traci lords movie….eer cd. and i wouldn’t accually call her an actor. How bout J.black. tenacious d beotch
May 3rd, 2006 at 5:43 am
Surely Keanu Reeves doesn’t count as he’s the BASSIST in Dogstar!
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:02 am
Oh… and by the way… what about Scott Bakula?
He sang on the Quantum Leap album.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:03 am
You’re totally right, but my interpretation is pretty loose, and I think his inclusion has comedic value.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:15 am
[...] Kylie Minogue, Scott Bakula, Kate Winslet, Jamie Foxx, Lindsay Lohan, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, David Cassidy, Minnie Driver, Russell Crowe, Hilary Duff, Minnie Driver, David Hasselhoff, Natalie Imbruglia, David Soul, Patrick Swayze, John Travolta, Jack Black, Mr. T, Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Belushi, Robert Downey Jr., Tony Danza, Tia Carrere, Marilyn Monroe, Megan Mullally (Karen from Will and Grace). There’s a lot there – and a lot more inspiration on sites like this one and, to be fair – not ALL of it is god-awful… Megan Mullally’s version of “Danny Boy” is quite good in fairness (that girl can SERIOUSLY sing, – and she sounds nothing like her TV character, thank god!), as are Kate Winslet’s “What If?”, Patrick Swayze’s “She’s Like The Wind” (seriously!), Tia Carrere’s “Ballroom Blitz” – and yes, certain tracks by last week’s No. 1 (number 1 TV theme tune), David Hasselhoff! That Top Ten was compiled by myself and the final chart looked like this: [...]
September 25th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
1. The entire cast of kids from the original Brady Bunch series later had a variety show and albums released. What was that all about ? HA-HA!
2. Sara Paxton ( Darcy’s Wild Life ) has also jumped into the singing game.
September 25th, 2006 at 8:58 pm
There is also Mandy Moore and that guy who sang “How do you talk to an Angel?”
November 18th, 2006 at 12:48 am
Oh yeah, what about Jasmine Guy and Tyra Banks?
November 18th, 2006 at 8:14 pm
Your out of you mind. Some of these actors can sing One I know for sure is Eddie Mekka>(Carmine) I saw him Live and there was no faking. He’s a Singers Singer. Even Tony Bennett and Sinatra said he’s got some voice. So your full of it. Shame on you for taking cheap shots.
Danny
November 21st, 2006 at 5:30 pm
John Schneider is actually a pretty good singer. He scored 11 Top-10 hits on the Country charts, with 4 going to # 1. As the picture above shows, he was able to put a “Greatest Hits” album together.
November 21st, 2006 at 8:02 pm
I think Tyra Banks and Mandy Moore sang before they acted, but I added Jasmine Guy.
I’m glad to see that Eddie Mekka found a fan, but I don’t see the cheap shot that I should be ashamed of…
I’m not disputing the quality of any of these albums, but given the fact that Skid Row and Quiet Riot both have greatest hits albums, I don’t see it as a measure of quality.
December 2nd, 2006 at 9:14 pm
To bad you can’t count Actors/Actresses who did one or two songs….like Catherine Bach…Daisy Duke; Farah Fawcett, Eddie Murphy, Clint Eastwood.
December 7th, 2006 at 11:33 pm
I had to make that rule to keep the list from spiraling out of control.
March 15th, 2007 at 8:50 am
is it sad that i own that john travolta album? because i do.
October 13th, 2007 at 5:23 am
When was Alanis Morissette an actress? :S
October 13th, 2007 at 10:20 am
In 1986, Morissette had her first stint as an actress: five episodes of the children’s television show You Can’t Do That on Television.
November 3rd, 2007 at 7:55 am
How about Vanessa Paradis?
November 4th, 2007 at 6:03 am
i recently found this…Simon Rex from, Scary Movie 3 & part of 4..and the movie Shriek, is a singer/comedy rapper, under the name ‘Dirt Nasty’
November 4th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Two words: William Shatner
November 5th, 2007 at 9:07 am
Good calls on both Vanessa Paradis and Simon Rex. Unfortunately…
Vanessa Paradis had her first record in 1987, one year before she became an actress, so she is technically an singer turned actress.
Simon Rex doesn’t seem to have an album that can be added.
Good calls, though.
November 26th, 2007 at 11:14 am
Dude, you have too much time on your hands
January 11th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Leonard Nimoy (Spock)
March 18th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
You did not mention Marlon Brandon. He sang in Guys & Dolls
March 18th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
add Patty Duke
March 18th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
I don’t know if you should really include Mandy Patinkin and Shirley Jones since they both first appeared in musicals. Patinkin’s first major role was Che in Evita on Broadway and Jones’s first movie role was in the musical Oklahoma.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:31 am
@Dfwguy: thanks for the tip. Patty Duke was added.
@Bec: They are a bit iffy, I agree, but how can Shirley Jones be eliminated? It would be a travesty to not include her.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Wow, these are some astoundingly bad albums (the Don Johnson one especially.) But some of these aren’t all bad. Hollywood actors just abide by an I act-therefore I sing mentality, from time to time. And this just isn’t the case.
You’re logo is a little creepy, btw…
April 15th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Tom Wopat is a very good singer. His last couple of albums have been wonderful.
May 17th, 2008 at 1:13 am
jered leto of 30 seconds to mars was in a lot of movies.
fight club, alexander, and many others
May 17th, 2008 at 1:15 am
best part about jered leto is his band is actually really good, and so are most of the movies he is in.
May 21st, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Sadly you forgot Scott Baio. I have an autographed copy. Ha. Also, add Charlotte Johanssen… she’s got an album—er—something— out now.
May 21st, 2008 at 4:34 pm
@Palomino: Scott Baio is in the second row. You can’t miss him. Thanks for the tip on Scarlett Johansson, though. She’s in there now.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Minnie Driver was a singer first, though she gained fame as an actor. Her recordings are excellent.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
And don’t forget Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams!
http://www.amazon.com/Laverne-Shirley-Sing/dp/B0000AC87Y
May 28th, 2008 at 8:00 am
@Tim: I have Minnie Driver in the movie, Circle of Friends in 1995, and releasing Everything I’ve Got in My Pocket in 2004. Did she release something earlier?
And the only reason that Laverne & Shirley weren’t included was because it was more of a character album than an earnest attempt.
June 9th, 2008 at 9:10 am
since from australia, i figured i should contribute as it seems to be a trend for b-grade australian actors to become c-grade australian singers
(especially those off neighbours), here are a couple:
——————————
Obviously Kylie, who you’ve got.
Delta Goodrem (Neighbours)
Natalie Basingthwaite (Neighbours)
Bec Cartwright (Home and Away)
Tamin Sursok (Home and Away)
.
(the fact that i know this disturbes me, really ;D)
——————————–
Then there’s Toni Collette of Toni Collette and the Finish (The Sixth Sense, Little Miss Sunshine) – good actress though
and the only non aussie I can think of – Anthony Keidis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers who had a brief shot at child acting in Jokes My Folks Never Told Me and even later in life in Point Break (He gets shot in the foot
)
June 13th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Boy this is addictive. And my brother bet me I could think of something you missed
Does Pamela Anderson’s “Barb Wire – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Album” count? She is credited with singing one of the tracks. That’s really all I could come up with without staying up till 3am.
PS, thanks for being considerate and alphabetizing them.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
@Marianne: Thanks for the tips. I’ll look into them and add whatever I can.
@DJ: Glad you liked the list. Pam doesn’t count for this list because she didn’t release a full album and make a real go of being a singer. That’s why you don’t see cast albums included in the list. Sly Stallone sang “Too Close To Paradise” on the Paradise Alley soundtrack, which is superbly awful, but couldn’t be included, either.
August 10th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
You wrote your post before the release of Mamma Mia! but now that that treasure is out you will need to add Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan to your list.
August 23rd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Lee Marvin – I Was Born Under A Wandering Star
August 31st, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Ryan Gosling sings as well and keanu reeves
September 4th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
The title of that Brent Spiner album almost made me wet myself laughing!
I might be wrong, but don’t Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Eric Estrada all have albums?
September 4th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Oh yeah, and Carrie Fischer too, I think.
November 1st, 2008 at 7:43 pm
So… the each main member of the cast of “Iron Man” has made a record of some kind?
February 19th, 2009 at 3:54 am
mandy moore was acting years before her first album came out. she needs to be on the list.
February 19th, 2009 at 3:58 am
Forgot Wayne Brady too…btw
February 19th, 2009 at 9:00 am
I added Wayne Brady, but Mandy Moore is a bit iffy. She had her first album in 1999 and her acting career really started around 2000, so she might be more of a singer turned actor.
Ryan Gosling still doesn’t have an album out yet, so he can’t be added.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:15 am
Jared Leto is the only actor who can sing..I never hear better man voice
May 16th, 2009 at 3:56 am
Cat Sasoon-Angel Fist,Not sure about album release but her band was Feline Force,may have died before she could grace us with an album
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:58 pm
how can you forget Edward Furlong?
June 9th, 2009 at 6:58 am
there’s also River Phoenix, he had a band with his sister, they didn’t get too far because River died, but they were on a cd.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleka%27s_Attic
June 15th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I think you forgot Shelly Fabre–”Johnny Angel.”
June 15th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
I heard that that was the most horrific recording session ever.
June 16th, 2009 at 9:09 am
@PeopleAreStrange: I added Edward Furlong, and I’ll add River Pheonix if his album is ever released. Thanks for the tips.
@Daniel: Shelley Fabares was added on your recommendation. Thanks!
June 18th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
leighton meester
miley cyrus
June 21st, 2009 at 7:07 am
How about Kevin Spacey? He did his own singing in the 2004 Bobby Darin biopic Beyond The Sea. And he was on the Dean Martin tribute album ‘Forever Cool’.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:48 am
@Mack: Good catch, but I had to limit the list to include only actors who made attempts to sing out of character and with a full album. Otherwise, every musical movie would have to be included.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:59 am
@cassidy: Thanks! Miley Cyrus was added, but I don’t think Leighton Meester has an album out yet.
July 1st, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Also Danny Cooksey from ‘Salute Your Shorts’
Was the lead vocalist for Steve Vai’s all teen band “Bad4Good”
They released one album “Refugee” back in 1992.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad4Good
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugee_(album)
(A picture of Danny, for people who don’t reconize him http://theechochamberblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/10875058_tml.jpeg)
and Jared Ruston from ‘Pet Sematary Two’ ‘Honey I shrunk The Kids’ and ‘Big’
is the vocals and guitars from a band called ‘withdrawl’
http://www.myspace.com/withdrawal
(A pic of Jared incase people don’t reconize http://www.filmdope.com/Gallery/ActorsR/15104-1634.gif)
July 5th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Jack Black should count. His band is a legitimate band. Admittedly, I don’t prefer his music, but it’s not one of those one time comedy album like Adam Sandler.
Also, Miley Cyrus shouldn’t count, since her role as Hannah Montana is both an acting and singing gig. True, she didn’t do her own miley cyrus thing until after Hannah Montana, but she was still spitting out albums as Hannah Montana.
Probably my last comment, then I’ll shut up. What about Barbara Streisand (sp?) and Bette Midler?
Oh, did Gwyneth Paltrow ever come out with an album? And if the actor/actress did a soundtrack for a film, does that count? Like Nicole Kidman for “Moulin Rouge”?
July 6th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
@Lyn: Thanks for the comment. Where to start…
Jack Black does have a legitimate, talented band, but all the songs are comedy routines. That’s why he wasn’t included.
I would agree with you 100% if Miley Cyrus hadn’t appeared in the movie Big Fish before Hannah Montana.
Streissand was a singer in her teens, and Midler was, I believe a singer first, as well.
Gwyneth Paltrow never did a full album as far as I know.
I don’t count soundtracks usually. It would drag in way too many musicals and sort of dilute the intent of pointing out actors who tried to make the switch to singing.
July 6th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
@PeopleAreStrange: Thanks for the tip on both of those. Both were added.
July 20th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
The actor Jeff Daniels also writes songs and sings. He has a regular stage work and has released three albums (jeffdaniels.com)
The actress Jill Hennessy is also trying to make a go of it as a recording artist (jillhennessy.com).
July 20th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Thanks, Todd. Nice catches. Both were added.
July 26th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
James Marsden – Ghost of the Robot – http://www.ghostoftherobot.com
July 28th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Thanks, Craig. James Marsters was added.
July 30th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
This could possibly be the worst of all. I can’t guarantee because I haven’t listened to it yet, but I was at Best Buy the other day, and what should I see?
A Best Buy exclusive album from…
Kevin Costner and Modern West
Actually I searched and found a clip, and although I don’t like country or NASCAR… Costner ain’t all that bad. He doesn’t completely embarrass himself like some of the above listed names… Maybe not a great voice, but at least he’s in key.
August 1st, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Thanks, Tommy. Costner is now part of the list. Being in key, is sometimes the best that you can hope for.
August 4th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
John Corbett, who was in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, released an album in 2006.
August 12th, 2009 at 12:42 am
Rick Moranis.. He’s released several albums, all of which are terrible.
October 7th, 2009 at 5:18 am
[...] or depressing that the BHB has covered nearly every item on this list. * * * This list of celebrities who have recorded albums (as well as links to the actual songs) is surprising, depressing and morbidly fascinating. In other [...]
October 28th, 2009 at 2:28 am
Janet Jackson doesn’t count, she was a singer turned actress turned singer. according to wikipedia and numerous other sources including bios she strated singing in The Jackson 5 when she was 7 years old, thus a singer turned actress.
November 9th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
[...] have been many actors who’ve tried their hand at singing. Some have succeeded, but many make for a great punchline. My point is instead of trying to take [...]
November 9th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
What about Todd Bridges? I know he sang on Different Strokes, but he released an album that never saw daylight in the U.S.
November 19th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Jerry Reed was a singer and guitar player before he has an actor. Pat Boone was also a singer before he was an actor.
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:30 am
Brian Austin Green from Beverly Hills 90210:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000002ATQ/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music
December 31st, 2009 at 6:30 pm
@Kirsten: Corbett was added. Thanks!
@Pete: I’m not sure how serious Moranis’s album is, so I’m not adding it.
@Dan: It’s a toss up.
@Daniel: I can’t find anything on a Todd Bridges album.
@Pam: You’re right. I sent both of them to the land of wind and ghosts.
@Susie: Great catch. Brian Austin Green was added. Thanks!