GOING FOR A SONG

As Sharon Stone releases a single, MARION McMULLEN looks at lyrical leading ladies

1 Basic Instinct star Sharon Stone, pictured, has just joined forces with singer songwriter Hayley Sales to co-write debut single Never Before.

The duo said they bonded over their shared experiences of love, loss and vintage music.

The Hollywood actress says: “What a pleasure it has been to work with Hayley. She is a true artist.

“She cares more about getting the truth of her art right than anything else.”

2

Downton Abbey’s Elizabeth McGovern is known to millions of viewers as the Countess of Grantham in the ITV drama, but also fronts Sadie & The Hotheads and sings and plays guitar.

3

Minnie Driver famously performed a tuneless version of Tammy Wynette’s

Stand By Your Man in a heavy Russian accent in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, but is a talented musician and singer in real life.

She wrote 10 of the 11 tracks on debut album Everything I’ve Got In My Pocket from 2004 and it has been followed by two other albums, Seastories and Ask Me To Dance.

4

Jennifer Lawrence found herself in the Billboard music charts when she sang The Hanging Tree in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay –

Part I. The lyrics were written by Hunger Games novelist Suzanne Collins with music from the Lumineers and reached number 12 in the charts.

5

Australian actress Toni Collette is married to actor Dave Galafassi, the drummer of The Finish, and she wrote the tracks and sang on the band’s debut album Beautiful Awkward Pictures in 2006. The Muriel’s Wedding and Sixth Sense star once said: “I’m very happy

with my lot. I like the variety

6

Jada Pinkett-Smith is the lead singer of Californian nu metal band Wicked Wisdom. It was formed in 2002 and the group opened for Britney Spears on the Onyx Hotel Tour. Jada said she listened to all types of heavy metal music growing up. Wicked Wisdom have brought out two albums – My Story and Wicked Wisdom.

7

Kate Winslet released a single called What If, in 2001. It was part of animated film Christmas

Carol: The

Movie and reached number one in Ireland, Austria and Belgium and peaked at number six in the UK, making her a one-hit wonder with single sales of more than 200,000.

8

Nicole Kidman showed off her musical talent in 2001 film Moulin Rouge! singing Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend. She topped the Christmas charts the same year with a cover version of the Frank and Nancy Sinatra song Somethin’ Stupid with Robbie Williams. Nicole also sang Dream A Little Dream Of Me on the opening credits of The Undoing last year.

9

US TV series Glee showcased Gwyneth Paltrow’s singing talents. She once performed a cover of the Smokey Robinson song Cruisin’ with Huey Lewis for the 2000 film Duets, too. It reached number one in the US adult contemporary chart. Gwyneth also appears on the soundtrack for 2010 musical movie Country Strong.

10

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has appeared in videos for Bob Marley And The Wailers, George Michael, Madonna, Michael Jackson and Duran Duran and brought out her one and only album in 1995 called Baby Woman. It sold more than a million copies worldwide but was not well received by critics.

Two singles were released from the album but only Love & Tears reached the charts, at number 40.