JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS MAKES MUSIC IN AUGUST RUSH

Jonathan Rhys Meyers sings and plays guitar on all the character’s songs in August Rush.

Irish born heart throb Jonathan Rhys Meyers has always had music in his blood as it runs in the family. His father was the bass player in a country and western band called Hector Pick Axe and The Floatin’ Crowbars, and his brother Paul is a drummer.

Jonathan has certainly shown audiences he has the musical chops channeling Elvis so playing the lead singer of a local New York rock band who gig at the popular Irving Plaza in August Rush was music to his ears.

“Because I’m Irish music is a very, very important part of my life so doing music was a very natural progression in the film. I sung all the songs on the soundtrack that Louis sings. I play guitar. I was able to bring my brother in on the movie. He plays my drummer in the band. So it was a very sort of organic family film for me. But not in the sense it’s a family movie, yes it is but it was my family were involved in it. So it was nice having my brother on the set. I’d never had my brother on set in a film and that changed later when my brother Alan appears in The Tudors as well.”

Famed producer Phil Ramone worked with Jonathan in the same rehearsal studio where Paul Simon was recording his new album. John Ondrasik from Five For Fighting wrote the title song Break and sang the brother’s part with Jonathan. Another musical note from the film, that’s Robin Williams playing harmonica on Van Morrison’s Moondance which is the song that’s playing at the party when Meyers and Keri Russell first meet.