Unmissable Music Biopics

By Rachel West, ETCanada.com Staff. 28 Sep 2018 1:35 PM

With Rami Malek hitting high notes in his Golden Globe-winning performance as Freddy Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody”, we’re taking a look at our fave music-star biographies and counting down the ones we can’t wait to see.

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20th Century Fox

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'Rocketman'
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The "uncensored" human story of Sir Elton John's breakthrough years is getting the big screen treatment thanks to Paramount Pictures and star Taron Egerton.

The film is poised to be an epic musical fantasy about John's rise to fame, co-staring Jamie Bell, Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard.

The film hits theatres
'Bohemian Rhapsody'
20th Century Fox
If anyone can pull off the charismatic Freddy Mercury, it's Rami Malek.

The actor is tackling Mercury's mysterious life and the beginnings of one of the biggest rock bands in the world in "Bohemian Rhapsody".

The film hits theatres
I'm Not There

Who is Bob Dylan? Director Todd Haynes investigates the many identities of the musician, using six actors to embody different periods and personas of Dylan's life. While Cate Blanchett takes on Dylan's Don't Look Back-years, and Heath Ledger, in one of his final roles, portrays his Freewheelin'-era and relationship with Joan Baez, an eight-year-old plays the black soul singer Woody Guthrie (said to be Dylan's idol), culminating with Richard Gere's performance as Billy The Kid (a subject of Dylan's fascination). Haynes' use of appropriate-era photography and homages to Dylan's many influences and loves is also a tribute to any Bob Dylan fanatic. Whether he's Robert Zimmerman, Blind Boy Grunt, or even Santa Claus, I'm Not There is the closest we've come to an appropriate Dylan biopic.
Ray

Jamie Foxx absolutely commits to the role of blind gospel singer Ray Charles, who lost his sight at age seven shortly after watching his brother drown. Spanning through childhood until his incredible breakthrough success, the biopic is full of effusive love for the R&B musician who created his own signature style. Charles's heroin use and extensive love affairs are also chronicled. Foxx won an Oscar for his portrayal.
Amadeus

Wolfgang Mozart is immortalized in Milos Forman's 1984 film 'Amadeus'. Centered on the rivalry between boy genius Mozart and the jealous composer Antonio Salieri, Mozart's drunken bad boy behaviour is a stirring contrast to his brilliant talent. The film is a masterpiece, winning eight Academy Awards that year, including "Best Picture".
Coal Miner's Daughter

Sissy Spacek stars as Loretta Lynn in this 1985 country film classic. Growing up in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, with seven siblings, Lynn was married off at age 15 only to be discovered by her idol, Patsy Cline, and create an unforgettable legacy as a singer. Even as she struggles with a doomed marriage and career uncertainties, Loretta Lynn's unflappable spirit brings her back to the music every time. Spacek and her co-star Tommy Lee Jones won Oscars for their performances, but The Band's Levon Helm also shines in a key role.
Walk The Line

It doesn't get any darker than Johnny Cash's closet. This Hollywood adaptation of Cash's early years, ending with his famous album recording at Folsom Prison, is perfectedly embodied by Joaquin Phoenix in the key role. Vying for the love of the good Christian woman June Carter (Reese Witherspoon, who won an Oscar for the role), Cash battles drug addiction, childhood wounds and his criminal past.
Lady Sings The Blues

Diana Ross stars in this 1972 adaptation of Billie Holiday's autobiography, also titled Lady Sings The Blues. With a coarse upbringing in brothels as a prostitute, Holiday eventually gets a chance to sing for audiences, who do not appreciate her. It takes a tour around the American South (where Holiday gets the inspiration for "Strange Fruit") and a comeback from drug addiction to allow her to record a commanding album at Carnegie Hall. As Holiday, Diana Ross shines in her first film role, personifying Holiday with deep soul and passion. She was nominated for an Oscar for "Best Actress," but lost to Liza Minnelli in 'Cabaret'.
24 Hour Party People

Michael Winterbottom's surreal, dramatic comedy about the rise and demise of Factory Records and the 1970s-1990s Manchester Music Scene is one of rock music's best films. Starring comedian Steve Coogan as Factory Records' co-founder Tony Wilson, it tells the story of how bands like Joy Division, New Order and The Happy Mondays broke out due to Wilson's patronage. Cutting between real life cameos, actual concert footage and Coogan deliberately talking to the audience, '24 Hour Party People' chronicles a prolific scene through rumours and hearsay, making clear it's always about the music.
The Runaways

Italian-Canadian music video director Floria Sigismondi offers a hazy, sensual depiction of real-life 1970s girl group The Runaways. Starring Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Curie, the Los Angeles teens run amok crafting songs like "Cherry Bomb" with the help of their insane manager Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon). More than a rock 'n' roll biopic, it's also a coming-of-age story with Curie and Jett's relationship at the heart of the film. Terrific performances and great music solidify the film as an underrated gem.
Nowhere Boy

We all know how the story tragically ends, but in Sam Taylor-Wood's biopic Nowhere Boy, it answers: how did John Lennon become John Lennon? This fun biopic shows Lennon rebelling against his strict British schooling, finding out the identity of his birth mother and meeting Paul McCartney and George Harrison for the first time as a teenage rocker. Aaron Johnson is a charismatic John Lennon, and his relationship with Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas) positions the story as a family drama through rock 'n' roll.
Control

Band photographer Anton Corbjin made his feature debut with 'Control', a black-and-white biopic of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, who struggles with epilepsy and an extramarital affair. Joy Division's success on the road is a contrast to Curtis's miserable home life, manifesting in a tragic suicide. With deep affection for the band, Corbjin, who photographed and directed music videos for Joy Division, crafts a true love letter that will tear you apart.

Unmissable Music Biopics

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