by Bruce Willis has cemented his place in Hollywood history as one of the most successful and iconic action stars of all time. From his breakthrough role as wisecracking detective John McClane in the Die Hard franchise to hits like Pulp Fiction, Armageddon, and The Sixth Sense, Willis has entertained audiences for over 30 years with his tough yet vulnerable on-screen persona.
However, fewer people are aware of Willis’s lifelong passion for music and singing. Though he never pursued it as a full-time career, singing has remained an important creative outlet for Willis throughout his acting journey. In several interviews over the years, Willis has spoken candidly about the joys, challenges, and meaningful moments he’s experienced while dabbling in vocals. And there’s one song in particular that Willis credits for first sparking his interest in singing – the iconic 1967 hit “Respect” by Aretha Franklin.
The Queen of Soul Makes a Lasting Impression
According to a 2003 interview with Willis, he vividly remembers hearing Franklin’s powerful rendition of “Respect” as an 11-year-old, and the profound effect it had on him. “I was drawn to the song,” Willis stated. “Aretha’s voice dug so deep inside me. I could feel what she was feeling. I understood it, even as a kid. It was the sense of respect she was asking for that got me. That song touched my heart and soul. It still does every time I hear it.”
Willis goes on to explain that Franklin’s masterful delivery – the passion, vulnerability, and slight raspiness she infused into her vocals – stirred something inside him. The young Willis was incredibly moved by the song, so much so that he started harboring his own dreams of becoming a soulful singer.
Discovering The Power of Music
As Willis entered adulthood, acting and action roles took precedence over music. However, that childhood passion never fully dissipated. According to Willis, hearing Aretha belt out “Respect” showed him the ability of music to profoundly move people and bring them together emotionally. It taught him that vocals and lyrics could be used to deliver meaningful messages about universal human experiences like love, loss, pain and joy.
Even while building his hugely successful film career, Willis retained a love of soul, R&B, blues and jazz. And he looked for subtle ways to intertwine his acting and musical talents, whether by showing off his harmonica skills in some films or doing vocals for movie soundtracks.
Willis Gets Back to His Musical Roots
It wasn’t until the late 1980’s, nearly 20 years after that fateful first listen of “Respect,” that Willis finally revisited his dreams of artistic expression through song. While filming the first Die Hard movie, Willis befriended famed R&B producer Robert Kraft. Off-set, Willis started casually sitting in on Kraft’s recording sessions with other artists. And slowly but surely, Willis’s confidence in his own singing ability started to grow.
In a 2015 GQ interview, Willis admitted feeling extremely nervous about singing in front of other professional musicians at first. “I mean, I can act but I didn’t know if I could legitimately sing,” he said. However, the positive feedback and support Willis received from Kraft and others gave him the push he needed to start laying down his own vocal tracks.
Over the next decade, Willis would go on to release two solo blues/R&B albums – “The Return of Bruno” (1987) and “If It Don’t Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger” (1989). While the albums received lukewarm critical reviews, they sold reasonably well and earned Willis praise for his gravelly, soulful vocal tones. Fans delighted at seeing John McClane put aside wisecracks and machine guns to belt out smooth tunes instead.
An Enduring Respect for The Queen of Soul
Willis has since retreated from his recording artist days. But he continues to showcase his pipes through movie cameos, live performances, and the occasional charity single. And Aretha Franklin herself holds a special place in his heart forever. After learning of Franklin’s passing in 2018, a visibly emotional Willis stated “I will always respect her for her music and for opening the door that showed me the power of songs.”
Clearly, hearing the legendary “Respect” as an 11-year old had an enormous influence on Willis. While arguably best known for his tough guy action roles, Willis’s musical side reveals a more vulnerable, creative spirit. That one song sparked a lifelong affinity for soulful vocals and inspired Willis to find his own soulful voice along the way. Though perhaps an unexpected crooner, Willis demonstrates that actors have layers and depths just waiting to be revealed when their musical passions are unleashed.
Willis Credits Classic Soul and R&B for Influencing His Sound From the gravelly yet smooth vocals to the melancholy melodies, Bruce Willis’ foray into music clearly takes inspiration from 1960s and 70s soul and rhythm and blues. In interviews, Willis has been quite transparent about the artists and bands that shaped his musical tastes early on. And when he finally worked up the courage to sing himself, it was the classic R&B, soul and blues genre that felt like home.
According to a 1987 interview with the LA Times, some of Willis’ biggest musical inspirations prior to his debut album were Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Al Green, and of course, Aretha Franklin. “I’ve just always loved singers who sang from someplace deep inside,” Willis stated. “You can feel their emotion coming through.” Willis also cited musical icons like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder as artists he admired.
Willis’s own vocal style channels many of those R&B influences. His 1989 album “If It Don’t Kill You, It Just Makes Your Stronger” has more pronounced blues and jazz flavors. But overall the raspy yet silky vocals, introspective lyrics, soulful melodies and abundance of harmonica align closely with classics of 1960s and 70s R&B.
While Willis humbly stated he could never match the talent of his musical heroes, reviewers praised his first albums for their authentic, nostalgic vibe. Entertainment Weekly wrote of Willis’ debut album that “his tough-guy voice is strangely soulful and engaging…these songs mine a legitimate blues ethos.” It’s clear Willis successfully captured the genuine spirit of vintage R&B.
Interestingly, while Willis took the stage name “Bruno Radolini” for his musical pursuits, he didn’t attempt to mask his distinct gravelly voice. So even listeners not aware that it was TV’s John McClane crooning could instantly recognize the uniquely “Willisian” vocal tones. Ultimately his decision to stay true to his own natural voice lent even more credibility to Willis’ soul and R&B efforts.
Willis also hasn’t been shy about paying tribute to the legendary artists that paved the way for his musical side projects. His live shows along with compilation albums and movie soundtracks have featured Willis covering classics like “Under the Boardwalk,” “Respect Yourself,” “Soul Man” and “You Gotta Move.” So even when not singing his own original works, Willis ensures the R&B greats who inspired him still get their due.
Bruce Willis Songwriting Collaborations Reveal His Fun, Creative Side
While rarely seen as a prolific singer-songwriter, Bruce Willis has co-written a number of songs over the years for his personal albums and various movie soundtracks. Often teaming up with established musical artists, these songwriting collaborations provide a window into Willis’s artistic spirit and musical talents beyond acting. They reveal a playful, creative side less prominent in his on-screen tough guy persona.
From Composing Movie Theme Songs… One arena where Willis has flexed his songwriting abilities is crafting tracks for his own movies’ soundtracks. While utilizing creative partners to handle a lot of the heavy lifting, Willis contributes ideas, lyrics and vocals to end theme songs that closely match the film’s vibe.
For example, Willis co-wrote the romantic closing ballad “Looking for You” for the soundtrack to his 1999 comedy-drama “Breakfast of Champions.” The tender lyrics about pining after an elusive lover mirrors the movie’s themes of characters seeking purpose and human connection.
Similarly, Willis penned lyrics and sang for the bittersweet “How Did I Ever Get This Way” in 2003’s “Tears of the Sun” soundtrack. The song’s sad reflections on morally losing one’s way fit perfectly with the redemption themes of Willis’s military character in the film.
…To Just Having Fun Jamming with Musical Pals Outside of his movie music roles, Willis has involved himself in various collaborative songwriting projects simply for creative enjoyment. Many of these efforts have focused on good-natured blues numbers crafted alongside his longtime blues band The Accelerators.
For example, Willis is featured singing jointly written party anthems like “Sexy In The Morning” and “200 Lbs. Of Fun” on Accelerators albums. The silly lyrics and rollicking rhythms reveal Willis just having unrestrained fun with musical cohorts.
Willis also occasionally joins unique performance groups to exchange ideas and develop new songs. In 2017, he teamed up with a band called The Temptations (no relation to the Motown group) to co-write upbeat blues-rock tune “Bourbon or Whiskey.” Featuring Willis on harmonica and lead vocals, the collaboration demonstrated his ongoing affinity for blending acting and music.
The common thread across these varied songwriting projects is Willis’s palpable enjoyment of the creative process itself. Whether helping craft the perfect ending ballad or just joking around with a local blues ensemble, Willis chases artistic stimulation and joy. And often the final product expresses universally relatable themes like romance, redemption or just celebrating life’s simple pleasures.
Bruce Willis ‘Under the Boardwalk’ Cover Showcases Vocal Strengths No discussion of Bruce Willis’s musical talents would be complete without mentioning his show-stopping renditions of the classic 1964 hit “Under the Boardwalk” by The Drifters. Willis has been performing passionate covers of this vintage pop/R&B track since his “Bruno” album days in the late 80’s. And his soulful, gravelly-voiced takes on the tune perfectly showcase the acting legend’s strengths as a vocalist.
From live performances to soundtrack recordings, Willis has made “Under the Boardwalk” a staple of his musical repertoire over the past 30+ years. And his polished yet emotionally raw deliveries continue to earn praise from audiences and reviewers alike.
Channeling a Sentimental Summer Vibe The lyrics of “Under the Boardwalk” paint a breezy portrait of young sweethearts getting swept up in romantic seaside bliss. Upbeat yet wistful, the song beautifully conjures nostalgia for carefree summer love.
While one might not picture tough guy John McClane as a sentimental crooner, Willis expertly channels the raw yet warm vibe of the 60s pop classic. His world-weary voice adds an extra layer of poignancy, sounding like a man reflecting on lost youth. And he handles the deceptively demanding range of the melody with ease and control.
Ultimately Willis strikes the perfect emotional balance on his “Under the Boardwalk” covers – sweet without getting saccharine, melancholic without being depressing. Like all great interpretations, he makes the song his own while retaining the familiar hooks and charm fans adore.
Spreading Soulful Vocals Across Film and Stage While Willis has performed the song in various televised appearances, his most stunning takes on “Under the Boardwalk” come from concert performances and movie soundtrack inclusions.
In 1987, his soulful rendition was included on the popular soundtrack to his smash hit Blind Date. A decade later, Willis sang it as part of his set at the 1998 GQ Men of the Year awards, garnering excited cheers from the star-studded audience. And his 2001 version for the album “True West” showed how Willis’s vocals had deepened and smoothed wonderfully with age.
Those fortunate enough to catch his live shows as Bruno Radolini were always treated to an epic, hold-nothing-back version from Willis that highlighted his pipes’ full power. Fan videos reveal concertgoers captivated as Willis unleashed his passionate vocals.
Ultimately the ubiquity of Willis’s “Under the Boardwalk” across so many performance mediums demonstrates how dear the song is to him…and serves as undeniable proof of his enduring ability to breathe new life into a beloved classic.
