# Musician biopics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 10, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777 "2008-04-10T17:12:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/1 "2008-04-10T17:12:37Z")
Over the years there have been quite a few biopics about musicians. Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Charlie Parker, Buddy Holly all had their films. Recently we’ve had films about Ray Charles and Johnny Cash. What musician or band do you think should have a movie made about their life or career? Just for fun cast the lead. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/2 "2008-04-10T17:25:37Z")
[QUOTE=Slypork] Over the years there have been quite a few biopics about musicians. Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Charlie Parker, Buddy Holly all had their films. Recently we’ve had films about Ray Charles and Johnny Cash. What musician or band do you think should have a movie made about their life or career? Just for fun cast the lead. [/QUOTE] For sure, Miles Davis. I’d go with Don Cheadle. Dizzy ought to have one as well but would be harder to cast. Same with Thelonious. The drama associated with Chet Baker would make a great story. The Kirk Douglas _Young Man With A Horn_ (title may be off) was supposedly based on Bix. Louis! I would love to see somebody try to capture the enigma of Bill Evans. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/3 "2008-04-10T21:30:56Z")
Other musicians I can think of whose stories (however true-to-life or however fictionalized) have been made into movies include: Gene Krupa Red Nichols Cole Porter (better known as a songwriter) Jerry Lee Lewis Elvis whoever it was that Dexter Gordon played in _Round Midnight_, maybe Bud Powell? the Latina Jennifer Lopez played The Beatles The Supremes The Carpenters The Temptations John Philip Sousa (more for what he wrote and the bands he led) Mozart Beethoven ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/4 "2008-04-10T21:33:39Z")
They should make a biopic about Sinead O’Conner and have it directed by the same guy who directed _Myra Breckinridge_. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/5 "2008-04-10T21:44:59Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] They should make a biopic about Sinead O’Conner and have it directed by the same guy who directed _Myra Breckinridge_. [/QUOTE] Have you noticed that you can add a K and an H to her name and get it to be descriptive? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/6 "2008-04-11T00:47:16Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Have you noticed that you can add a K and an H to her name and get it to be descriptive? [/QUOTE] Sinead KO’Connerh? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/7 "2008-04-11T00:56:15Z")
Sinkhead O’Conner? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/8 "2008-04-11T02:07:23Z")
[QUOTE=blondebear] Sinkhead O’Conner? [/QUOTE] I know you’re just toying with me, but since **Otto** is, too, I’ll try to stave off the other 2,365 combinations. SKinHead O’Conner. Like I said, it’s descriptive, too. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/9 "2008-04-11T02:13:59Z")
Sorry, couldn’t resist. If they ever do a Pink Floyd biopic, Richard Gere could play the mature Roger Waters. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/10 "2008-04-11T02:23:41Z")
And Pete Doherty could play the young Syd. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/11 "2008-04-11T02:31:00Z")
Have they done (a good) Buddy Holly story? That would be a fun one to see. Not sure who’d play him. Also, how about Roy Orbison? ---
**Author:** ![Fourth\_Wall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Fourth\_Wall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fourth_Wall)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/12 "2008-04-11T04:44:17Z")
I’d like to see a movie about Alice Cooper. I’m thinking Alan Rickman could play him pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/13 "2008-04-11T04:54:05Z")
[QUOTE=Freudian Slit] Have they done (a good) Buddy Holly story? That would be a fun one to see. Not sure who’d play him. [/QUOTE] They did one in 1978. Gary Busey played Holly and was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2008, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/14 "2008-04-11T07:15:30Z")
I’d love to see a movie about the B-52’s, covering roughly 1978-90. Fred Schneider–Sean Hayes Kate Pierson–Mandy Moore Cindy Wilson–Jeri Ryan Keith Strickland–Will Forte Ricky Wilson–DJ Qualls ---
**Author:** ![Dogberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7bcc69/32.png) [@Dogberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogberry)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2008, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/15 "2008-04-12T15:42:07Z")
[QUOTE=42fish] They did one in 1978. Gary Busey played Holly and was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. [/QUOTE] Unfortunately, the Gary Busey _Buddy Holly Story_ was complete and total bullshit, as far as telling the Buddy Holly story is concerned. Nothing in Buddy’s life or career actually happened the way it was told; the movie was complete fiction. Fortunately, however, it was so bad that it pissed off Paul McCartney (who loves Buddy Holly) and he got involved in a project to make _The Real Buddy Holly Story_, which is an excellent documentary movie. For anyone interested in Buddy Holly’s career, this is the one to see, not the one with Gary Busey. (I also highly recommend the book _Rave On_ by Philip Norman.) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/16 "2008-04-12T21:06:21Z")
[QUOTE=Dogberry] Unfortunately, the Gary Busey _Buddy Holly Story_ was complete and total bullshit, as far as telling the Buddy Holly story is concerned. Nothing in Buddy’s life or career actually happened the way it was told; the movie was complete fiction. Fortunately, however, it was so bad that it pissed off Paul McCartney (who loves Buddy Holly) and he got involved in a project to make _The Real Buddy Holly Story_, which is an excellent documentary movie. For anyone interested in Buddy Holly’s career, this is the one to see, not the one with Gary Busey. (I also highly recommend the book _Rave On_ by Philip Norman.) [/QUOTE] Is it just me or does _Rave On_ always remind you of _Stevie Rave On_? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Walpurgis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Walpurgis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walpurgis)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musician-biopics/444777/17 "2008-04-12T22:04:34Z")
I’d like to see a biopic about Siouxsie and the Banshees and the post-punk scene of the late 70’s- early 80’s. No idea who’d play Siouxsie though, that’s a tough part to fill.