The fourth (and maybe final) installment in my series that profiles noteworthy singers who have taken a role or two in noteworthy horror films. This one has R&B singers, female MC’s, pioneering female rockers, Broadway singers, and pop stars. Find the list below to see what happens when “Pop Stars Decide to Die.”
Follow the series:
10 Singers Who Appeared in Horror Films – 11 More Singers Who Appeared in Horror Films – Another 10 Singers Who Appeared in Horror Films
1. Aaliyah
Musical Accolades: Dubbed “The Princess of R&B” and “The Queen of Urban Pop,” Aaliyah was a household name from 1994 to 2001. In that time she released three 2x platinum albums including the #1 chart topper, “Aaliyah.” In the span of seven years she earned eleven R&B top 10 singles and five Hot 100 top 10 singles with hits like “Back and Forth,” “At Your Best,” “The One I Gave My Heart to,” and “Try Again.” Unfortunately, her career came to an end when she died tragically in a plane crash in August 2001. Her first posthumous album of unreleased and new tracks, “I Care for You” in 2002, sold another million copies and earned the late singer another string of top 10 hits. In late 2012 an unreleased track, “Enough Said,” reached the top 60 on the R&B chart, followed by her unreleased vocals being used on the Chris Brown single, “Don’t Think They Know,” in 2013.
Horror Accolades: Aaliyah played the role of Queen Akasha in 2002’s Queen of the Damned. A modest box office success, the film was released six months after the singer’s death and was dedicated to her memory. As the lead role Aaliyah as Akasha is the first vampire in existence. She is accidently awakened in the present time and is not only hungry, but looking to find her new king and enslave the human race. She’s powerful and psychotic and the other ancient vampires are not happy to see the ruthless Queen of the Damned.
2. Cherie Currie
Musical Accolades: As the lead and backing singer of The Runaways from 1975 to 1977, Cherie was featured on the band’s first three albums – their 1976 debut and Queens of Noise and Waitin’ For Tonight in 1977. All of the albums and their official singles barely charted in America, but were hits in other countries like Belgium, Japan, and Sweden. After leaving the band in 1977, Cherie released two albums, one in 1978 and the other in 1999, before briefly forming another band with her sister – Cherie and Marie Currie – of which two albums were released. Her most recent album was an EP in 2007 titled “Cherie Bomb.”
Horror Accolades: Ms. Currie has appeared in a handful of horror and science fiction titles. The first was Parasite (1982), which saw her playing the supporting role of Dana. The following year she was featured as Sarah in the third segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie. Also in 1983 she had a lead role in Wavelength. She didn’t return to the genres again until 2013 as Ms. Thoman in Hansel & Gretel: Warriors of Witchcraft.
3. Deborah Geffner
Musical Accolades: Although she’s had a decent film and television career, Deborah Geffner will probably be remembered for her time on Broadway. She first appeared as Debbie in Pal Joey from June 1976 to August 1976. Then, she went on to play Kristine in “A Chorus Line” from July 1975 to April 1990. In that time she was featured in All That Jazz (1979) where she performed the song, “Take Off with Us,” former landing a role in the 1983 musical Legs.
Horror Accolades: Geffner’s first role to recognize is in the horror-comedy Infestation (2009), a silly CGI creature feature where she was a supporting character. A year later she had a small role in the technologically based slasher, Chain Letter.
4. Hannah Spearritt
Musical Accolades: As 1/7th of the English pop group S Club 7, Spearritt released four albums between 1999 and 2002. During this time the group sold over 3,000,000 albums in England, with tremendous sales in other countries, and even had two gold certified albums in America. More impressively, all of S Club 7’s twelve singles were top 5 hits in their native country, though their biggest hit in America was 2000’s “Never Had A Dream Come True.” The band disbanded in 2003, but Spearritt and the other original group members are reuniting for an arena tour in May 2015.
Horror Accolades: Hannah played the supporting role of Joan in the box office…whatever that was sequel, Seed of Chucky in 2004. Joan is the personal assistant to actress Jennifer Tilly and seems to be her moral compass. When Joan sees that Jennifer is starting to sleep around for roles, she tries to shake her from the naughty behavior. What does she get in return? She gets lit on fire and buried alive by Tiffany.
5. Ice T
Musical Accolades: Before his long running stint on “Law and Order,” Ice T was one of the best rappers in the game. From 1987 to 1999 he released eight albums which sold over 4,000,000 copies collectively in America. He didn’t have too many hits, though, but his most recognizable tracks are “Colors,” “High Rollers,” “Lethal Weapon,” and “O.G. Original Gangsta.” His last album, “Gangsta Rap” in 2006, failed to produce any charting singles and missed the Billboard Top 200 albums. He is also part of the rock band, Body Count.
Horror Accolades: Ice T has been in a couple of scifi thrillers like cult classic Tank Girl (1995), porn-spoof Frankenpenis (1996), and Judgement Day (1999). He’s perhaps best known to horror fans for playing the supporting role of Mack Daddy in Leprechaun in the Hood (2000).
6. Jane Wiedlin
Musical Accolades: As 1/5th of the new age rock band, The Go-Go’s, Jane Wiedlin has sold over 3,000,000 albums in America. The band had several singles, the most popular being the top 2 hit, “We Got the Beat.” She attempted to pursue a solo career from 1985 to 1990 which proved to be unsuccessful.
Horror Accolades: Jane has appeared in small roles or performed voice overs for films such as Clue (1985), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost (1999), Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire (2003), and Demonic Toys: Personal Demons (2010).
7. Mac Miller
Musical Accolades: Mac Miller is a quickly up-and-coming rapper who hasn’t quite made it to the big leagues yet. He released two albums, one in 2011 and one in 2013, which failed to be certified but debuted in the top 3. He’s had multiple songs on the R&B charts, but is probably most known for being featured on pop singer Ariana Grande’s hit, “The Way.”
Horror Accolades: Miller appeared alongside Snoop Dog in some of the opening scenes of Scary Movie 5 in 2013. Together, the duo are searching for marijuana plants in the woods. After finding some and fleeing into a cabin in the woods, they encounter Charlie Sheen’s kids (not kidding) and turn them in for reward money. Yeah, really Oscar winning material there.
8. Rah Digga
Horror Accolades: Often hailed as one of the greatest female MC’s of all time, Rah Digga has actually only released two albums – “Dirty Harriet” in 1999 and “Classic” in 2010. She’s only ever had two charting singles on the rap charts, but since her career began in 1996 she’s been featured on over 40 songs from other artists.
Horror Accolades: Rah Digga was cast as Maggie the nanny in Thirteen Ghosts (2001). She has several scenes in the feature film and a near death, but finds herself closing out the movie and quitting her job within the mansion.
9. Ryan Starr
Musical Accolades: Ryan Starr came in seventh place during the debut season of “American Idol” in 2002. Despite rumors that she sabotaged her performance of “You Really Got Me” to purposely be voted off the show, she was still invited back for the show’s finale, live concert special, and 30 city tour from October to November 2002. After being released from her strict Idol contract, Starr released her first solo single, “My Religion,” in 2005. The pop-rock anthem was available exclusively on iTunes where it went to #1 on Billboard’s Hot Digital Songs Chart and was eventually certified gold. A few years later she released two soft rock tracks for compilation albums followed by four independent singles released through social media sites. Nothing has been heard – literally – from her since 2008.
Horror Accolades: Ryan Starr played the supporting role of Stacy in David DeCoteau’s homo-erotic horror film, Ring of Darkness in 2004. The film centers around a world famous boy band who are auditioning for a new member…because they cannibalized the last one. Stacy’s boyfriend is chosen as one of the frontrunners to replace “The Dead One,” she follows him to the boy band’s mysterious island, and is killed by a bunch of shirtless men in tighty-whities by the end of the movie.
10. Sarah Brightman
Musical Accolades: It’s hard to summarize her career in just one paragraph because she’s done so much. As a classically trained vocalist, she’s done it all; even as far being the first singer to perform at the Olympics twice. She’s a theater legend and a Grammy Award winning singer and has released 11 solo albums, 8 albums in collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and 3 live albums. Although she is most known in England, her career has spread to all other countries and she has sold over 10,000,000 albums in America.
Horror Accolades: Brightman appeared as Blind Mag in Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008). The movie flopped, but the horror-musical featured several performances from Sarah in between a knife wielding assassin repossessing organs from patients who are late on payment. Blind Mag commits suicide near the end of the movie instead of being in debt to GeneGo for the rest of her life.
