During her guest DJ session on SiriusXM’s Pearl Jam Radio, Kate Hudson revealed that Eddie Vedder shares an unexpected connection to her new film “Song Sung Blue.”
The movie, which stars Hudson and Hugh Jackman as Claire and Mike Sardina, is a biopic about a Neil Diamond tribute band named Lightning & Thunder.
In 1995, the couple landed a career changing opportunity when Vedder asked them to sing Neil Diamond’s “Forever in Blue Jeans” during Pearl Jam’s set at Summerfest in Milwaukee. Years later, when a 2008 documentary about the band was almost blocked by Neil Diamond’s publishing company, Vedder helped to convince Diamond to give the doc permission to use his music.
“I’m a huge Pearl Jam fan. I’m a ’90s girl, so like when I was in high school, Pearl Jam was everything, and of course, Eddie Vedder was just the hottest thing known to mankind,” Hudson began.
Speaking about Vedder’s connection to “Song Sung Blue,” she continued: “It’s a beautiful film, but Eddie plays a big part in this movie. It’s a true story about Mike and Claire Sardina. They were a Neil Diamond tribute band. They were married. Incredible love story. Kind of a tragic love story, but it’s incredibly life affirming, but Eddie changed their life.
“Eddie was playing Summerfest in 1995, Pearl Jam was playing there, and Eddie had a friend… I think his name was Fred or something… that was like a local guy in Milwaukee who said, ‘You should get this couple, Lightning and Thunder, to come play with you at Summerfest’… and Eddie just leaned in and called them up and invited them on stage, and it completely changed this couple’s life. Also, Eddie’s been so supportive of this movie, and we’re so grateful, and he also allowed us to use ‘Alive.’”
