The rather dorky title of the upcoming Ricki and the Flash flick, directed by Jonathan Demme, doesn't diminish the fact that rocker Rick Springfield wields a 1968 Gibson SG in the movie, and Academy Award winner Meryl Streep spent six months actually learning how to play guitar — for real — during filming.
This brings to mind real-life guitar players who actually performed with their guitars on the silver screen—and guitar-strumming actors who honed their six-string skills for a real onscreen performance.
So let's consider 15 big guitar moments in film, where reality existed side by side with movie magic...
Prince - Purple Rain (1984)
Steve Vai - Crossroads (1986)
Jeff Healey - Roadhouse (1989)
Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck “Stroll On” - Blow Up (1966)
John Lennon and George Harrison “If I Fell” - A Hard Day's Night (1964)
Jack Black - School of Rock (2003)
Johnny Depp “Minor Swing” - Chocolat (2000)
Adam Sandler “Somebody Kill Me” - The Wedding Singer (1998)
Jeff Bridges “Fallin’ & Flyin’” - Crazy Heart (2009)
Clint Eastwood “When I Sing About You” - Honkytonk Man (1982)
Zakk Wylde “Stand Up and Shout” - Rock Star (2001)
Joan Jett “Light of Day” - Light of Day (1987)
Steve Cropper, Matt “Guitar” Murphy and Donald “Duck” Dunn “Rawhide” - The Blues Brothers (1980)
Christopher Guest and Michael McKean “Big Bottom” - This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Elvis Presley “The Lady Loves Me” - Viva Las Vegas (1964)
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“Bobby came in and he went, ‘Da-da-da-da-da-da-da DUH-daaa!’ I said, ‘That’s the only thing you think I should do?’” George Benson tells how one small change turned the song “Breezin’” into an instrumental guitar sensation
