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The phenomenon surrounding superhero movies and a similar wave of success for video game adaptations is almost rivaled by a Hollywood trend that’s been in full force this year: the musician biopic. It’s hardly a new concept; the historical epic Amadeus managed to win Best Picture at the Academy Award in 1984, and it has been only a decade since Joaquin Phoenix’s sensational performance in Walk the Line (which inspired the exquisite comedy Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story). Still, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that interest in films about the lives of popular artists has grown increasingly in the past few years.
This year, many projects within the subgenre were released, with varying degrees of success. Angeline Jolie managed to turn in one of the best performances of her career as the iconic opera performer Maria Callas in Maria, and Timothee Chalamet is similarly earmarked for an Academy Award nomination for his role as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. Bob Marley: One Love had its moments, but it didn’t necessarily offer the deepest look at the reggae island. It was still better than Back to Black, a film that was clearly under the control of the surviving members of Amy Winehouse’s family. It’s unclear as of now how the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man will fare; does anyone in America know who he is, and will they be confused that he’s played by a CGI monkey?
If there’s any issue with this trend, it is that Texas musicians have been seriously underrepresented. The Lone Star State has birthed some of the most beloved musicians of all time, many of whom have interesting life stories that could easily inspire compelling biopics. Here are a few that Hollywood should think hard about.
Willie Nelson
The son of Abbott, Texas, Willie Nelson is still actively touring at the ripe old age of 91. Nelson’s life and career are so extensive that it would almost certainly require a good deal of makeup to transform any actor into the singer, but we all saw how the design team managed to turn Austin Butler into Elvis. Finding an actor who can nail the “outlaw country” sound would be a challenge, but what about Bradley Cooper? After Maestro and A Star Is Born, his abilities as a vocalist, actor, director and writer cannot be doubted.
Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers’ career has spanned so many different genres, movements and eras that it might be challenging to fit his entire life story into a single film; perhaps, a miniseries for HBO or Netflix would be able to offer a more well-rounded perspective. A biopic of Rogers would be particularly interesting due to his many collaborators; supporting players in the film could include Dolly Parton, Lionel Ritchie and Sheena Easton, among others.
Roy Orbison
Born in Vernon, Texas, Roy Orbison briefly attended the University of North Texas in Denton before singles such as “Crying” and “In Dreams” became massive hits. The only issue with Orbison’s songs is that they may be too well-known from their appearances in other movies. Is it possible to hear “Oh, Pretty Woman” and not think about Julia Roberts and Richard Gere?
Kris Kristofferson
The death of Kris Kristofferson earlier this year was met with expressions of sadness from those in many different artistic fields. In addition to being a strong-willed activist for progressive causes, Kristofferson became a darling of the silver screen thanks to his memorable performances in A Star Is Born and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Replicating Kristofferson’s signature charisma would not be easy, but there’s a possibility that a truly talented star like Josh Brolin or Jake Gyllenhaal could pull it off.
George Jones
The life of George Jones was almost as exciting as his unique songs, as he had a full-blown career in the U.S. Marine Corps before becoming a country star. With the exception of Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart, there haven’t been too many Hollywood films centered around country artists in recent years. Perhaps a well-crafted biopic about Jones could amend that gap.
Lead Belly
Just imagine seeing Dallas’ blues heyday (especially 1940s Deep Ellum) on the big screen.
George Strait
Thanks to his origins at the Dallas-based record label D-records, George Strait became one of the most celebrated country artists in the world. His 2014 concert in Arlington set a record for the most tickets sold for an indoor concert in North America. Strait will receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year, so this might be an ideal time to give him the biopic treatment.
Tanya Tucker
Long before the Seminole native was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2023, she was an aspiring singer playing the Arizona State Fair with a nomadic family. The chance to play a former alcoholic with a big personality is Oscar bait if we’ve ever seen it. Get to producing it, Reese Witherspoon.
Sly Stone
Hollywood loves a great “rise and fall” story, and there are more than enough juicy details about Sly Stone’s life and career that would make for a fascinating biopic. Although Sly and the Family Stone succeeded in bringing funk, soul and psychedelia into the mainstream during the cultural revolution of the 1970s, the latter half of Stone’s career was dampened by his addiction and health issues. Stone may be able to provide some insights to potential filmmakers and producers, as he just released his autobiography Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) last year.
Meat Loaf
A Dallas-born favorite who became one of the best-selling artists of all time, Meat Loaf is behind so many epic ballads that would be perfect for an exciting film. Can’t you imagine a thrilling montage set to “I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)?” It certainly wouldn’t be strange to see Meat Loaf on the big screen, as he has appeared in such beloved cult classics as Fight Club, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Hair.
Billy Preston
Billy Preston is yet another artist whose influence is so significant that trying to narrow down his achievements to a single film would be challenging, even if it managed to be longer than Avatar: The Way of Water. How many musicians in history have managed to collaborate with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Little Richard, the Everly Brothers and Sam Cooke? That said, a biopic of Preston could certainly be controversial due to the ongoing debates about his sexuality, religion and legal issues that emerged after his death in 2006.
