Musical Bridges

Actor Jeff Bridges makes his musical debut

Bridges says his interest in music is more than a passing phase. He has been making music for 30 years, he says.

By Donna Freydkin
Reporting for CNN Interactive

March 28, 2000
Web posted at: 6:26 p.m. EST (2326 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- It's an age-old Hollywood story: A singer tries to diversify his or her career by dabbling in acting. Everyone from Madonna to Gloria Estefan to 'N Sync-er Justin Timberlake has given it their best try, with mixed results.

There's the other side of the coin, too: An actor or actress feels the need to sing. Jennifer Lopez, for one, shimmied her way to multiplatinum status with her vocal debut.

Now, the latest to join that chorus is triple-Oscar nominee Jeff Bridges. "Be Here Soon," his solo album, bowed last month.

In New York recently to promote the album, Bridges insists that his interest in music is more than a whim, or that "Be Here Soon" is an effort to cash in on his film fame. "For 30 years, I've been doing music, and I'm just happy that it's kept alive," says Bridges.

	SAMPLE A BRIDGES SONG
Listen to a clip of "Whip" from "I'll Be There Soon": 297K WAV or 215K MP3 (Courtesy Ramp Records)

Bridges, 50, likens his budding musical career to a cactus he passes every day when he drives his three daughters to school. Like himself, it's been slow to flower.

"It takes like 50 years to bloom," he says. "And I think, 'That's me.'"

He recorded his album with a little help from his friends. "Be Here Soon" features guest performances from David Crosby and Michael McDonald. Bridges recorded the album in his home studio and released it on Ramp Records, the label he co-founded with McDonald and singer-songwriter Chris Pelonis.

"It's pretty eclectic stuff," he says. "Most of it is stuff that I've written. It's got reggae and rock and jazz elements. It's kind of all over the world..."

'A product of nepotism'

With his rumpled, casual appearance, laid-back attitude and low voice, Bridges seems like another one of the guys, someone you'd have over for barbecue and beer.

Underneath those rumples is a show-business lineage. Bridges, the son of acclaimed actor Lloyd Bridges and brother of fellow thespian Beau, made his film debut at the age of four months in the 1950 film "The Company She Keeps." He's earned a reputation among critics as one of the most under-appreciated actors of our time.

Bridges disagrees, gently. "I feel very appreciated," he says. "I'm always surprised and happy that directors can see me play all these different parts."

His roles have run the gamut, from absurd to astounding. Since his breakthrough performance in 1971's "The Last Picture Show," Bridges has appeared in a mixed bag of films, including "King Kong," "Heaven's Gate," "Arlington Road" and "The Big Lebowski." He's perhaps best remembered for 1984's "Starman," which earned him his first Oscar nomination.

Unlike other offspring of industry powerhouses (think Aaron Spelling's daughter, Tori), the actor freely admits that his famous family name propelled his career along from the start.

"The toughest thing in show business is getting your foot in the door," he says. "And that was handled for me. I'm really a product of nepotism."

The right note

Now, the actor hopes to strike the right note with his solo album -- not that he has any grandiose plans of storming the Billboard charts.

"I have no idea how all this is going to go," he says. "I'm flying by the seat of my pants."

His own daughters may continue the family legacy their grandfather started and their father has broadened, Bridges says.

"They all are in school plays," he says. "They like to sing and do music."

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