Is Bill Murray the king of karaoke?
Over the years, Bill Murray has woven himself into the very fabric of modern pop culture, primarily for his comedic roles in films and television that have seen the actor and entertainment legend transcend the nature of just exactly what it means to be an icon in the contemporary world.
Collaborating with the likes of Harold Ramis, Wes Anderson, and Sofia Coppola in classics like Caddyshack, Rushmore and Lost in Translation, Murray earned great admiration among the masses, going from a well-admired figure from The National Lampoon Radio Hour and Saturday Night Live into a cultural force that so many of his fellow performers could only dream of.
Even with all the wonderful movie credits to his name and a reputation that sometimes precedes him, it’s fair to say that Murray’s talents go beyond so many of his contemporaries, and he’s proven time and time again that he’s just as adept behind a microphone as he is in front of a camera.
In that light, Murray is perhaps Hollywood’s king of karaoke, with the actor naturally embracing the frivolous form of singing, being particularly great at not taking himself too seriously. On multiple occasions, he has shown up in public as though he’s been completely unaware of his stature and fame, or at least that he simply couldn’t give a damn about it.
On the big screen, Murray has delivered wonderful takes when it comes to musical performances. No one can ever forget the heartbreaking rendition of ‘Shelter From The Storm’ during the conclusion of the 2014 movie St. Vincent. Murray’s character puffs on a cigarette with his headphones on whilst watering his plant and singing along to Dylan in a pretty low-key affair that remains subtle yet quintessentially ‘him’ at the very same time.
Far less low-key, though equally moving, was Murray’s effort in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. Murray plays a depressed actor who finds himself in Toyko with an equally gloomy and lost soul some 20 years his junior in the form of his co-star Scarlett Johansson. A drunken night out sees Murray’s character handed the karaoke mic, and he delivers one of the film’s best scenes with a beautiful and eternally memorable version of Roxy Music’s exceptionally fitting track ‘More Than This’.
But outside of the movies, Murray has never shied away from the microphone when it calls. Several clips exist of Murray belting out the likes of ‘Gloria’ by Van Morrison’s Them, countless Dylan numbers, and Looking Glass’ ‘Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)’ with none other than Clint Eastwood beside him.
There’s something about Murray, who comes across as a drunken uncle at a family event who’s had a few too many sherries and puts on a song the younger kids haven’t ever heard before, that feels so perfectly suited to the self-confessed obnoxious star.
All that talent as a singer comes undoubtedly from the confidence that seems to drip out of Murray at every moment, not only in front of the camera but from all those crazy times he’s turned up in public, too. Quite simply, Murray is everyone’s favourite uncle with a belting voice.
