8 Spell-Binding Biopics Music Lovers Can Not Miss ...

Walk the Line is probably one the most critically acclaimed musician biopics of the last fifteen years. Telling the story of country music superstar Johnny Cash and his tumultuous relationship with singer June Carter, both Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon give arguably the best performances of their careers. Full of timeless country hits and tense drama, Walk the Line is a must see.

Buy at itunes.apple.com

Though admittedly it’s a documentary rather than a biopic, the recent film about the tragically short life of British jazz and R&B singer Amy Winehouse makes for emotional and captivating viewing. Succumbing to her addiction at the tender age of 27, the documentary takes the audience on a journey from the earliest years of Amy’s life to the last, celebrating her outstanding talent and mourning her demons along the way.

Buy at itunes.apple.com

This biopic of Tina Turner, named after one of her biggest hits, gives the audience a shocking and revelatory insight into the life that she shared with her husband and creative partner, Ike Turner. The soul and soft rock superstar suffered years of mental and physical abuse from her overbearing husband, and though the film is tough to watch at times, it ultimately celebrates Tina’s resilience and inner strength to turn her life and career around.

Buy at itunes.apple.com

Jamie Foxx gives an Academy Award winning performance as Ray Charles in this successful biopic of his life. Coming from a poverty stricken background and facing blindness at an early age, Charles’ rise to musical stardom and all of the vices that jazz and blues life bring with it are highlighted in the film, not forgetting an array of the very best songs of the musician’s career along the way!

Buy at itunes.apple.com

Coal Miner’s Daughter tells the story of the life of American country music superstar Loretta Lynn. Born into a poor family, married by thirteen (actually, fifteen) and a mother of four by twenty, she still managed to become one of the most successful musicians the genre has ever seen. Sissy Spacek gives an eerily uncanny performance as Lynn, earning herself an Oscar for her work.

Buy at itunes.apple.com

I’m Not There is a biopic unlike any you will have ever seen before. The film’s inspiration is the life and career of Bob Dylan, but what makes it special is that the legendary film singer is portrayed by six different performers throughout the narrative. These include Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Ben Whishaw, Heath Ledger, and even Cate Blanchett and a young black child actor called Marcus Carl Franklin. It sounds insane but it really, really works!

Buy at itunes.apple.com

Telling the somewhat tragic story of French icon and singing sensation Edith Piaf, actress Marion Cotillard gives the performance of a lifetime and became the first woman to win the Best Actress Oscar for a film in the French language. At times uplifting and at times heartbreaking, La Vie En Rose is not one to be missed.

Buy at itunes.apple.com

Simply - The story of one of the greatest singer/songwriters to have ever lived. Nowhere Boy chronicles the adolescence of John Lennon, examining his relationships with the two important women in his life: Aunt Mimi, who brought him up, and his absentee mother. Although it touches on the formation of The Beatles, this is very much the story of the early life of one quarter of the legends.

Buy at itunes.apple.com

The name may not be familiar to you but Ian Curtis was one of my favorite artists (well, his band, Joy Division). He was but 23 when he took his own life. Suffering from depression, epilepsy, unable to choose between two women he loved and weighed down by the growing success of Joy Division, he penned the classic “Love Will Tear Us Apart Again” before he sadly departed.

Buy at itunes.apple.com

What are the best biopics you have seen? Whose life do you think should be made into a movie?