Fans everywhere have been anxiously waiting for “Bob Marley: One Love,” the Bob Marley biopic to hit the big screen. Kingsley Ben-Adir stars as the legendary reggae artist. And while he’s already getting great reviews for his portrayal, he told Entertainment Weekly he felt the role was impossible to nail.
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“I felt like this was a process of trying to find a little bit of Bob’s spirit because he’s too big,” he said. “You can’t play him. No one can play him. Bob’s legit one of those characters where you go, ‘Who can play Bob?’”
If the movie left you wanting more, we‘ve rounded up some our favorite movies about Black music.
“The Jacksons: An American Dream”
Watch the story of the Jackson family’s rise to success from the beginning in “The Jacksons: An American Dream,” the 1992 ABC musical mini series about the legendary musical family. It features an all-star cast, including Billy Dee Williams as Berry Gordy, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs as Joe Jackson, Jason Weaver as a young Michael Jackson and Angela Bassett as the matriarch Katherine Jackson.
“Jimi: All is By My Side”
Andre 3000 shows off his acting chops in “Jimi,” the 2014 biopic about the singer, songwriter and musician who had a lasting impact on rock and roll before his untimely death. The film focuses on the time Jimi saw his star rise as he left New York City for a life in London.
“Ray”
2004's “Ray” was a brilliant film about the life of the legendary R&B singer Ray Charles. The all-star cast includes Regina Charles, Terrance Howard, Larenz Tate and Regina King. And of course, Jamie Foxx stole the show in his award-winning portrayal of the lead. He cleaned up during awards season, taking home the Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild and Critics’ Choice awards for Best Actor, making him only the second actor to win all five major lead actor awards for the same performance.
“What’s Love Got to Do With It?”
Angela Bassett was the perfect choice to bring the story of Tina Turner’s rise to stardom to life in 1993’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It?”. She earned her first Oscar nom for her spot-on portrayal of Turner. Jenifer Lewis and Laurence Fishburne also gave amazing performances as Tina’s mother and Ike Turner, respectively.
“The Temptations”
“Ain’t nobody comin’ to see you, Otis.” In 1998, “The Temptations” four-hour mini series was must-see television on NBC. The biopic looked at the highs and lows of the famous Motown hitmakers.
“Get On Up”
Chadwick Boseman played the Godfather of Soul in 2014's “Get on Up,” the story of one of music’s most influential artists, James Brown. Although the film jumps around the timeline and leaves out some details, Boseman’s performance steals the show – and, of course, the soundtrack is undeniably hot.
“Lady Sings the Blues”
Gorgeous costumes, great music and the beautiful Diana Ross in the starring role is what you get from 1972's “Lady Sings the Blues,” the story of the troubled life and career of jazz and blues singer Billie Holliday.
“Straight Outta Compton”
The story of how five guys from Compton gave birth to gangsta rap came to the big screen in 2015's “Straight Outta Compton.” The film told the story of the birth of N.W.A. and introduced the world to Ice Cube’s son, O’Shea Jackson Jr., who plays his dad in the film.
“Why Do Fools Fall in Love?”
Larenz Tate plays ladies’ man Frankie Lyman in “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” the 1998 film about the leader of the group Frankie Lyman and The Teenagers and the three women who claim to be his widow. Vivica A. Fox, Halle Berry and Lela Rochon star as the women looking to cash in on Lyman’s royalties.
“Cadillac Records”
Jeffrey Wright, Cedric the Entertainer, Mos Def and Beyoncé are among the stars of “Cadillac Records,” a film about Chicago-based record label Chess Records and its iconic acts of the 1950s and 1960s, including Etta James, Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters.
“The New Edition Story”
BET made every Gen X girl’s dreams come true with “The New Edition Story,” the 2017 three-part mini series about the origins of the boy band from Boston.
“The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel”
Executive producers Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige and Missy Elliott brought the story of the highest-selling gospel group, The Clark Sisters, to life in Lifetime’s 2020 biopic “The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel.”
“Introducing Dorothy Dandridge”
Halle Berry played the starring role in “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,” the story of the first Black woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.
“Notorious”
Angela Bassett, Derek Luke and Anthony Mackie star alongside Jamal “Gravy” Woolard as Biggie Smalls in “Notorious,” the story of how Brooklyn-born rapper Christopher Wallace became known as the Notorious B.I.G.
“Bessie”
Queen Latifah showed off her amazing singing talent playing the “Empress of the Blues” in HBO’s “Bessie,” a 2015 film about the blues and jazz singer’s rise to stardom during The Jazz Age.
“CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story”
KeKe Palmer, Drew Sidora and Lil Mama star as one of the hottest girl groups from the 90s in “CrazySexyCool,” the 2013 VH-1 biopic about the formation of TLC.
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