Back when the entertainment industry was really starting to build up steam, studios chose talent based on how much talent a potential star had. Actors weren’t just actors. Singers didn’t just sing. Stars had talent across the board. They could sing, dance, act, tell jokes, and most often, they looked good while doing it. Fred Astaire. Ginger Rogers. Bing Crosby. Shirley Temple. Judy Garland. Lucille Ball. George Burns. I could list so many multi-faceted artists of the day!
Over time, stars chose to hone their craft, concentrating on just one talent, their strongest one. Occasionally, they would branch out into other venues, sometimes with the same measure of success. Think back to Rick Springfield, Sheena Easton, Phil Collins, John Travolta, Billy Ray Cyrus, Bette Midler, Prince, Cher. Some were able to parlay the shift into superstardom, while others crashed and burned.
Today’s young stars seem to be going back to the original trend, combining acting classes along with dance, vocal and instrument instruction. Take a look at any number of youngsters from Nickelodeon or The Disney Channel and this fact is evident. Parents, kids, and agents are much more business savvy, and want to make the most of whatever time is available for these budding young stars to capitalize on their training.
Gwynneth Paltrow is an actress I have enjoyed watching in several films. Her sweet disposition fits hand in hand with the roles she has chosen to play. What many do not know is that she also has a very pleasant singing voice. It isn’t extraordinary by any means, but it is better than most. There is a sweetness to her voice that matches her persona perfectly. I was first introduced to her singing in the movie Duets, where she sang, well, duets, with Huey Lewis and Babyface. While I wasn’t overly fond of her solo rendition of Bette Davis Eyes, (a Kim Carnes favorite from my school days in Texas) I was impressed with her other songs. In fact, Cruisin’ became one of my favorite songs to sing at karaoke with Mike Leone. Her duet with Babyface of Just My Imagination has become my favorite version, perhaps because of the female lead.
While I’m not aware of the lovely Gwynneth singing publicly with her husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, she has performed a solo in the 2006 film, Infamous and with longtime friend, rapper Jay-Z. Her newest musical endeavor is a single from her newest film, Country Strong, in which she plays a country singer looking to make a comeback. Co-starring opposite her is none other than Tim McGraw. The character of Kelly Canter has an official website where you can hear the song, featuring Vince Gill and Patty Griffin: http://www.kellycanter.com/. The soundtrack for the film will become available in October, while the movie makes it national debut December 22, 2010.