That film and tv stars suddenly become blues stars on the back of their job ie. Hugh Laurie and just now in the UK Lenny Henry a comedion/actor has released a blues album and got huge publicity..
Sign of the times where the rich and famous become even more rich and famous..
I think its fine--but it doesn't have to make me think, their all that good---heard Bruce Willis play harp --he was "ok' and got away with it---An actor used his status, to become president --
All thats ok ---but it doesn't make them all that great---If a famous blues harp person played as mediocre as Bruce Willis did---people would say 'how did he become famous' Ive heard bands in bars that should be famous and I've heard and seen bands at big concerts, that should be in playing in bars- Fame doesn't make u good -just more noticed
How else should it be, harmonicanick? I don't really understand your problem with this.
If someone achieves success in one field-- such as acting-- should we not allow them to pursue other passions? And if, because they are already famous, they can attract bigger audiences and play bigger venues, should we not allow that?
This isn't just the blues. Johnny Depp has some band with Joe Perry of Aerosmith, and they book pretty big venues. On the other hand, there are plenty of musicians who went into acting, like David Bowie or Ice Cube (who is probably better known for acting these days). ---------- Marc Graci YouTube Channel
I say sure, anyone can pursue a new passion, even after huge success in a given field. BUT also anyone at all should EARN accolades, not get them because they are a particular personality. Case in point, there is a local judge here who sat for many years and knows the law very well. But his harp work is really bad. Yet who's going to tell him so?
I'd cut heads with Bruce. How about the stuff he covers, which Lester Butler arranged and played so much better? And go back to Little Walter, whose work inspired Lester.
To me playing harp is a right but also a responsibility. I don't expect automatic kudos, I earn respect as a player every time I play. I don't however choose how MUCH respect. That must be in the ear of the beholder. ---------- Reverbnation
To be fair, Willis is not a bad blues harmonica player. I saw him when he performed in San Diego at an opening for a Planet Hollywood restaurant . Not bad at all. As for celebrities playing blues in general, I can't see where it hurts anyone involved in the blues. Certainly it exposes thousands who might not have paid attention to blues before. It depends on the celebs involved. Can they play, do they love the music, are they bringing something more to the music than a cover-band mentality? These were questions Butterfield, Bloomfield, Musselwhite et al had to answer when they began as white boys playing the music of Africian Americans. History has shown that they educated millions in the blues and influenced generations who came after them, ---------- Ted Burke tburke4@san.rr.com
Willis wasn´t bad. Maybe he is now -- I don´t follow him but caught a rather lacklustre performance on some talk show a few years back. A factor to consider is how much he practises. His playing here is very much to the point:
Hugh Laurie is an accomplished musician. If skills and love of the music are the criteria - then, yes.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on May 01, 2016 7:56 AM
I wouldn't use Hugh Laurie as an example. He's really good!
Actors cross over into music all the time, and vice versa. Rick Springfield, Don Johnson, Sting (the other direction). Some of them are good at one and not the other. Some of them (like Laurie) are good at both. More power to them.
Of course, you could be asking, is it fair that someone is that good at multiple things. For that, you have to look at your own karmic/religious/darwinian beliefs. I suspect the ones who are really good were born with a lot of talent but then busted their butts to turn it into something more. There has long been a tradition in show business for 'creative' types to be good at a bunch of things, all the way back to vaudeville, right on through the big musical era in Hollywood. Fred Astaire, Danny Kaye,...
Of course, maybe it wasn't fair in the musical era when someone who was a famous actor got to 'sing' in a musical and have someone who could actually sing dub over them and the studio pretend that their star was actually doing the singing. That was pretty common. I heard George Clooney wanted to sing in Oh Brother Where Art Thou, and they gave him a shot. Then they heard him sing and decided to go a different direction! (Not everyone is a multi-threat!)
Paul Jones is president of the National Harmonica League here in the UK and is very well respected blues musician (The Blues Band) who gigs more days per year than most!
He is not an actor turned bluesman but a bluesman first and foremost with some great musicians
