AARP Hearing Center
On Aug. 13, Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson stars as Aretha Franklin in the new biopic Respect. With this role, she joins a pantheon of acclaimed actresses who have starred as music legends, including Diana Ross (77) as Billie Holiday, Angela Bassett (62) as Tina Turner (81) and Sissy Spacek (71) as Loretta Lynn (89). Before paying your “respects” to the Queen of Soul by watching Hudson's roof-shaking performance — she of course does her own singing — stream or rent these 10 other biographical films (here in chronological order), dedicated to some of the fiercest and most fabulous female singers in music history.
Lady Sings the Blues (1972)
The star: Diana Ross (77) as Billie Holiday
The plot: The former Supreme made her film debut — and earned her first and only Oscar nomination — playing the jazz great, opposite Billy Dee Williams (84) as Holiday's husband, Louis McKay, and Richard Pryor as her pianist. While the Motown Productions film was criticized for some of the narrative liberties it took, Ross’ star power was undeniable. “When the movie was over I wrote ‘I love it’ on my pad of paper,” wrote Pauline Kael in The New Yorker, “Factually it's a fraud, but emotionally it delivers.”
Best musical moment: When Holiday sings “Good Morning Heartache” directly into the camera while inebriated and in desperate need of a fix.
Watch it: Lady Sings the Blues is not currently available for streaming online, but you can buy the Blu-ray for $14.99 on Amazon Prime
Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
The star: Sissy Spacek (71) as Loretta Lynn (89)
The plot: Arguably the standout film in the musical biopic genre, the ultimate rags-to-riches tale traces Lynn's unlikely ascent from a coal miner's cabin in Appalachia to marriage at 15 (Tommy Lee Jones, 74, plays husband Doolittle Lynn) to country music superstardom. Lynn handpicked Spacek for the role, and the actress shadowed her on tour to perfect her mannerisms and singing voice. The hard work paid off: The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards (winning best actress), while its soundtrack hit the Billboard top 40 and won album of the year at the CMA Awards.
Best musical moment: When Lynn closes out the movie with the title track ("Well, I was born a coal miner's daughter/In a cabin, on a hill in Butcher Holler") — a tuneful summation of, well, everything you've just seen in the story.
Watch it: Coal Miner's Daughter, on Apple TV, Google Play, Amazon Prime Video, or YouTube ($3.99)
DON'T MISS THIS: 13 Female Directors You Should Discover Right Now
Sweet Dreams (1985)
The star: Jessica Lange (72) as Patsy Cline
The plot: Beverly D'Angelo played Cline to great acclaim in Coal Miner's Daughter, but the “Crazy” singer got her own biopic treatment five years later, starring Jessica Lange, who earned an Oscar nomination for the role, and Ed Harris (70) as her abusive husband, Charlie Dick. The film has been criticized for fictionalizing many aspects of the singer's life, but if you swoon over classic songs like “I Fall to Pieces” and “Walkin’ After Midnight,” you'll find something to love in this entertaining — if a bit melodramatic — movie.
Best musical moment: When Cline sings the title song, backed by a lush string band, after triumphantly asserting her independence from her husband.
Watch it: Sweet Dreams, on Cinemax on Amazon Prime Video
More on entertainment
17 Entertaining Biopic Movies to Watch Now
Great stories from 'Norma Rae' to Queen Elizabeth IITurn Up the Volume! The 12 Best Concert Movies to Stream Right Now
Relive the magic with Aretha and Prince, the Rolling Stones and Talking HeadsGet in the Swing With These 8 Irresistible Jazz Movies
The best dramas and docs, from Louis Armstrong to Lady Day