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  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

8 Great Music Star Cameos

Features
By James White published 23 October 2009

Jarvis Cocker's Fantastic Mr Fox job and more…

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)

Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)

The Muso: Jarvis Cocker

Cocker plays a character called Petey, who looks suspiciously like his real-life counterpart.

While his song for the film is still in place, his narration was removed because the studio was worried US audiences wouldn't be able to penetrate his Sheffield accent.

Appropriate Lyric: "Mis-shapes, mistakes, misfits, We'd like to go to town but we can't risk it, oh, Cos they just want to keep us out. You could end up with a smack in the mouth, Just for standing out, Oh really."

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

The Muso: Ian Brown

The former Stone Roses singer has a small, blink-and-you'll miss it role in the third Potter thanks to a friendship with director Alfonso Cuaron.

He was shoved on to the Leaky Cauldron set, and got to work a little magic by being a man reading a book and stirring his tea without touching anything.

Appropriate Lyric: "I feel fantastic, you make me feel majestic, you're sweet fantastic, your love is hypnotizing, your love, is mesmerizing."

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

The Muso: David Bowie

A habitual cameo-nabber (and occasional lead, back in the day), Bowie turned up in David Lynch's cinematic prequel to the TV show and only served to add to the weirdness.

He's FBI Agent Phillip Jeffries, described as "long lost" mostly because he stepped off the Philadelphia field office's elevator one day and turned up in Buenos Aires seconds later.

Appropriate Lyric: "Once a time, they nearly might have been, Bones and Oogie on a silver screen, No one knew what they could do, Except for me and you, They slip away, They slip away."

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
This Year's Love (1999)

This Year's Love (1999)

The Muso: David Gray

The fun but unremarkable rom com has largely drifted under the waters of time in 10 short years, but Gray, who hoped writing the music for the movie and appearing in a cameo as a pub band member would help boost his career, certainly saw the benefit.

He's now a big-selling artist with plenty of success under his belt.

Appropriate Lyric: "This year's love had better last, Heaven knows it's high time, And I've been waiting on my own too long, But when you hold me like you do, It feels so right, I start to forget, How my heart gets torn…"

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

The Muso: Jack White

White, clearly having the time of his life, turns up giving a slightly mad, but perfectly pitched version of Elvis.

The King in Dewey's life story is a hyperkinetic smooth charmer with a coif to worship.

Appropriate Lyric:
"Well if they catch me around, You're playing rock the boat, I'm gonna catch hell, And if you're throwing your voice, In bed singing a note, I'm gonna catch hell, I know it"

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
The Wedding Singer (1998)

The Wedding Singer (1998)

The Muso: Billy Idol

Somehow, it's perfectly appropriate that the man behind White Wedding should show up in the film.

Idol pops up as himself, traveling on a plane that also happens to be carrying Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore's characters. He helps the pair reunite, not only introducing Sandler's song over the intercom, but stopping Barrymore's fiance from interfering. "Chicken or fish?"

Appropriate Lyric: "But oh if you're lonely, And so blue, It's here inside saying, Man for woman, Love's unchained ah yeah, Man for woman, It's insane well, That's right, I gotcha."

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
The Simpsons Movie (2007)

The Simpsons Movie (2007)

The Muso(s): Green Day

The band provide one of the few highlights in the overstuffed and patchy pic, playing on a floating stage to entertain Springfield's masses.

When they put down their instruments and start trying to plug enviromental issues, the crowd throws litter and causes the stage to dissolve, up-end and sink, Titanic-style. "Gentlemen, it's been an honour playing with you tonight…"

Appropriate Lyric: "Nice guys finish last, You're running out of gas. Your sympathy will get you left behind, Sometimes you're at your best, when you look the worst, Do you feel washed up, like piss going down the drain."

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Back To The Future (1985)

Back To The Future (1985)

The Muso: Huey Lewis

BTTF is practically a Huey informercial, since he and The News contribute two songs to the film's soundtrack (come on, who didn't dance to 'The Power Of Love'?) and appears in a small cameo as one of the judges at the Battle Of The Bands.

He's the one who says Marty McFly's Pinheads are "too loud." He plays a buttoned down teacher type well.

Appropriate Lyric: "Went uptown to see my cousin, Plays guitar, sounds like a chainsaw buzzing', In the crowd, I see his mom and dad, I said "Hey, hey Uncle, man your son is bad", But sometimes, sometimes bad is bad, Cool is a rule, but, sometimes, bad is bad."

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
James White
Freelance Journalist

James White is a freelance journalist who has been covering film and TV for over two decades. In that time, James has written for a wide variety of publications including Total Film and SFX. He has also worked for BAFTA and on ODEON's in-cinema magazine. 

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