AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Johnny Depp

Artist:Johnny Depp w/Helena Bonham Carter

Song:My Friends

Album:Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: The Motion Picture Soundtrack: Deluxe Edition

Of course Johnny Depp is a famous actor best known for the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Some fans might be surprised that he has long history in music but not as a frontman. He has been in several bands. The 2007 film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is one of two musicals he has done in his film career. He was born June 9, 1963 in Owensboro, KY. His family moved to Miramar, FL in 1970. Depp's mother gave him a guitar at age 12. He was in bands in high school but he dropped out of high school at age 16. He was in the band The Kids. They moved to Los Angeles and changed their name to Six Gun Method in an attempt to get a record deal. Depp married Lori Anne Alison in 1983. She was the sister of the band's bassist. When they were unable to get a record deal, the band split up. Lori Ann introduced him to Nicolas Cage who set up an audition for Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street. After he got that role, he did a few more films. But I think he was first noticed by the average viewer in the FOX TV series 21 Jump Street. Depp hated the teen idol nature of his role. So he started taking more interesting roles and had success with the 1990 film Edward Scissorhands. He also appeared in the 1993 film Benny and Joon and the 1994 film Ed Wood. Meanwhile he was still trying to make it in music. His band P released an unsuccessful album in 1995. Music went to the back burner after that though he would continue to make guest appearances on albums. Of course the film that made Depp a big star was the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The success of those films is likely what got Depp the 2007 film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It was his first time singing in a film. Even in music, he's mostly a guitarist. He doesn't sing much. So I think his performance in the film was a pleasant surprise. The Special Edition of the soundtrack is simply the complete songs. The Highlights version is missing songs. A big UGH! to Nonesuch Records for that nonsense. Depp continued to have success until the 2013 film The Lone Ranger which was a big flop. He also appeared in the 2014 film of the musical Into the Woods. He returned to music in 2015 with Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. They have released two albums for Republic and they will tour later this year. With Depp being in the news these days for that lurid trial with his former wife Amber Heard, Hollywood Vampires seems like a way for Depp to have fun again. Producers seem to be reluctant to cast Depp and the films he has been doing recently won't return him to stardom. Last year he released the album 18 with Jeff Beck on Rhino. It did OK and they toured. So maybe we'll get more music from Depp. Here's Johnny Depp with Helena Bonham Carter performing My Friends from the 2007 film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.