It’s been over twenty years since Steve Vai got Daniel-Sanned by Ralph Macchio in the movie Crossroads, but he’s returning to the silver screen to play Hank Williams in a new movie about the life of legendary guitarist Hank Garland, who played with Elvis, Dave Brubeck, Roy Orbison and countless other musical legends while dealing with a possessive wife, hassles with the law, and shady businessmen. Garland is played by Waylon Payne, who played Jerry Lee Lewis in Walk The Line. Helloooo, typecasting. Other celebrities appearing in the film include Shawn Colvin and Katharine McPhee, but Steve Vai as Hank Williams? Crazy.
Crazy has been playing in film festivals since December 2007, but a cinematic or DVD release date hasn’t been announced. How did Vai get the gig? By sleeping with the executive producer, himself. The movie looks intriguing, but I doubt Vai’s going to be able to top this classic sequence.
Do you realize how hard it must have been for Vai to pretend he’s a worse guitarist than Ralph Macchio? That’s acting.
Guitarist Steve Vai To Play Country Great Hank Williams In New Film [Nightwatcher's House Of Rock via antiMUSIC]
CRAZY TheMovie {Starring Ali Larter & Waylon Payne} [YouTube]
crossroads [YouTube]
@How do I say this … THROWDINI!: Don’t worry - I definitely thought the SAME thing, which either means my mind has nothing earlier than 1999 in it, or I haven’t spent enough time with Ralph Macchio on my television screen.
I’ll have to admit, I’m REALLY curious about this news. Will Vai be able to do a faithful imitation of Hank, without dropping some weird Lydian-mode interludes into his solos?
I’m also not able to quite get my mind around Vai with a thumbpick a’ pickin’ and a’ grinnin’!
Greatest guitar scene in movie history - it’s like Weissberg’s Deliverance theme for the six string electric. Ry Cooder as Ralph Macchio, ladies and gentlemen.
When I read the headline, I thought to myself, “Steve Vai was in that Britney Spears movie? That’s odd.” How could I have forgotten about Daniel-san’s guitar skills?
I hope there’s a “boss battle” with Ralph Macchio in the next GUITAR HERO.