11 Music Biopics About Iconic Singers From Whitney Houston to Elvis Presley
From Whitney Houston to Elvis, there is no shortage of iconic singers who inspire sweeping films that dramatize their life stories. No matter the genre, cinematic features have captured the careers of the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley to country singer Jonny Cash. Most recently, Back to Black (2024) launched in theaters to capture the life and musical career of Amy Winehouse.
Still other films in the works will add to the canon of singer biography movies, like Timothée Chalamet’s upcoming portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown and nephew to Jaafar Jackson’s portrayal of his uncle the late Michael Jackson in Michael.
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We’ve compiled a list of music-centric biopics available to stream should the urge overcome viewers.
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022)
Naomi Ackie embodied singer Whitney Houston in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody. With a script from Anthony McCarten, Kasi Lemmons took viewers into Houston’s life from her early career start meeting Clive Davis (Stanley Tucci) to moments like the above iconic National Anthem performance. Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody is available to stream on Netflix and Hulu.
Elvis (2022)
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis stars Austin Butler as the King of Rock and Roll. The film follows the singer’s love of music from his childhood to his rise to celebrity in the 1950s with manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) and wife Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge). Elvis is available to stream on Max.
One Love (2024)
Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the reggae icon Bob Marley, One Love builds up to the singer’s Smile Jamaica concert to promote peace in light of the political armed conflict in Jamaica. Lashana Lynch portrays his wife Rita under the direction of Reinaldo Marcus Green. Terence Winter, Frank E. Flowers and Zach Baylin wrote the script. One Love is available to stream on Paramount+, MGM+ and Fubo TV.
RELATED: ‘Michael’ Cast: Who’s Who In The Michael Jackson Biopic
Priscilla (2023)
Pair Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla with Baz Lurhmann’s Elvis for a double feature and added context to the career of Elvis Presley. Coppola’s film stars Cailee Spaeny as the titular character instead of focusing on Jacob Elordi’s Elvis. Priscilla is available to stream on Max.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)
Harry Potter alum Daniel Radcliffe portrays Al Yankovic in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Come for his portrayal of the comedian’s crazy life and stay for costars Rainn Wilson as Dr. Demento, Lin-Manuel Miranda as the Doctor, Julianne Nicholson as Mary, Quinta Brunson as Oprah and more. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is available to stream on Roku.
Rocketman (2019)
Taron Egerton becomes Elton John to life in musical fantasy Rocketman (2019). Richard Madden appears alongside him as John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard portrays Sheila. Rocketman was directed by Dexter Fletcher and written by Lee Hall. Rocketman is available to stream on Paramount+.
Back to Black (2024)
Marisa Abela plays Amy Winehouse in Back to Black (2024), which landed in theaters May 17. Sam Taylor-Johnson directed the film with a script from Matt Greenhalgh, which follows the singer’s rise to fame and creation of the Back to Black album.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Rami Malek brings Freddie Mercury to life in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). The film follows British rock band Queen and their lead singer Freddie Mercury from formation to their Live Aid performance in 1985. The cast also features Lucy Boynton as Mary Austin, Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor, Tom Hollander as Jim Beach and more. Bohemian Rhapsody is available to stream on Apple TV+, Fubo TV and FX Now.
Selena (1997)
Jennifer Lopez portrays Selena Quintanilla, the first female artist to win a Grammy for Best Mexican American Album in 1994, in the true story of the Texan Tejano singer. The film is available to stream on Tubi.
What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993)
Angela Bassett plays Tina Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It (1993). The film follows the singer’s rise to fame and journey to leave her abusive husband, Ike Turner (Laurence Fishburne). What’s Love Got To Do With It is available to stream on Tubi.
Walk the Line (2005)
Joaquin Phoenix brought country singer Johnny Cash in Walk the Line (2005). The film takes viewers from Cash’s early childhood growing up in Arkansas on a cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee where he recorded among the likes of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. Reese Witherspoon plays June Carter, Ginnifer Goodwin plays Vivian Cash and Robert Patrick plays Ray Cash. Walk the Line is available to stream on Hulu.
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