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Chess Records: Blues Hits The Big Screen!

5:24 PM GMT 30/01/2008

Chess Records: Blues Hits The Big Screen!

One of America’s most iconic labels, Chess Records helped define modern music as we know it producing a dizzying array of artists that include Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James and Bo Diddley. And now the label, established by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess at the dawn of the ‘50s, is set to be immortalized in a Hollywood blockbuster.

The movie, entitled Cadillac Records (its title echoing the period during the birth of the label that saw the Chess brothers famously selling records from the trunk of their car), will see Beyoncé return to the big screen following her appearance in the 2006 Supremes-inspired Dreamgirls.

The former Destiny’s Child singer will play the role of Etta James, the Grammy-award winner whose Chess hits included Tell Mama and I’d Rather Go Blind. Elsewhere, Adrien Brody will play the role of Leonard Chess and Jeffrey Wright that of legendary bluesman Muddy Waters.

Written by Darnell Martin (famed for her work on 2001’s Prison Song, starring Qtip and Elvis Costello), Cadillac Records will start filming in March in New Jersey and Mississippi, with the film expected to be released next year via Sony BMG Film – a new wing of the Sony organization which is dedicated solely to music-led films.

Posted by Ross_Bennett at 5:24 PM GMT 30/01/2008


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  • This sounds a fascinating prospect. It will either be a major triumph or stink the place out. Who will play the mighty Howlin' Wolf I wonder?

    Posted by Simon F. at 12:01 AM GMT 31/01/2008 Report Abuse

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  • It's gonna suck. The only decent Hollywood rock'n'roll film ever made is "The Buddy Holly Story". Film and music are utterly different mediums, and while some of these musical artist bio films have good, or occasionally great, performances, they almost always end up vapid and NEVER capture the essence or excitement or life-affirming passion that makes a piece of music so important in one's life.

    It's gonna suck, mark my words....

    Larry Sojka
    Da Bronx, New York, USA

    Posted by Anonymous at 7:06 PM GMT 01/02/2008 Report Abuse

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  • Beyonce's playing Etta? That's hilarious and misguided casting for certain. This film will be such a fiasco of bad choices. I say just go to the source and hear the real deal--get those Chess records playing loud!

    Posted by Fred in the USA! at 2:54 AM GMT 02/02/2008 Report Abuse

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  • Beyonce's playing Etta? That's hilarious and misguided casting for certain. This film will be such a fiasco of bad choices. I say just go to the source and hear the real deal--get those Chess records playing loud!

    Posted by Fred in the USA! at 2:54 AM GMT 02/02/2008 Report Abuse

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