One of the buzziest films of the holidays will no doubt be Song Sung Blue.
Starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, the film is based on the true story of Mike and Claire Sardina who performed as a Neil Diamond tribute band known as Lightning & Thunder in the late 80s and 90s.
Song Sung Blue is written and directed by Craig Brewer (Footloose, Coming 2 America) and is set to be released in Australia on Boxing Day.
As with all Boxing Day releases, there’ll be a lot of chatter around the movie this summer, with much of the discussion likely around how much of the story is true.
Here, we’ve got everything you need to know about the true story behind Song Sung Blue.
Is Song Sung Blue a true story?
Yes. Song Sung Blue is based on a 2008 documentary of the same name about the real-life couple, Mike and Claire Sardina.
Directed by Greg Kohs, the documentary was made using footage collected while Kohs followed the couple closely for eight years.
Mike and Claire performed as Lightning & Thunder, a Neil Diamond tribute act that rose to prominence in the 1990s on the local Wisconsin music festival and state fair circuit.
Unlike many tribute acts, Lightning & Thunder didn’t try to imitate Neil Diamond exactly. Instead, they brought their own energy and emotion to every performance.
What did Mike and Claire do before Lightning & Thunder?
Before forming their tribute act, both had very different lives.
Mike was a divorced Vietnam War veteran, a 20-years-sober alcoholic, and worked various odd jobs as a mechanic. He had two children, Michael Jr. and Angelina, from his previous marriage.
Claire worked as a hairdresser and had two children, Dayna and Rachel Cartwright, with her first husband.
What happened to Lightning & Thunder?
As we see in Song Sung Blue, their career was derailed by tragedy in 1999. While gardening in the front yard of their home, Claire was struck by a car that lost control and crashed into her. She became pinned under the vehicle and sustained severe injuries, ultimately resulting in the loss of her foot.
Her recovery was long and complicated, leading to financial hardship and the eventual end of Lightning & Thunder as a performing act.
Were Lightning & Thunder from a real couple?
Yes. Just as in Song Sung Blue, Mike and Claire Sardina were a couple in real life.
The pair first met in 1987 when Claire auditioned to be a member of Mike’s band, Positive Traction. She didn’t make it in, but when he decided to start a Neil Diamond tribute band two years later in 1989, he called her.
“At the time I was a single parent of two kids, living alone and transferring from one place to another,” Claire told OnMilwaukee in 2003. “So when [Mike] called, I was like ‘Why the heck not? I have nothing to lose.’ I picked him up from the airport on April 11, 1989 and we’ve been together ever since.”
They got married at the 1994 Milwaukee State Fair, where they were performing as Lightning & Thunder.
During a set break, they were hitched in front of over 1000 friends and fans in a tent near the main stage. “We just thought it would be appropriate to include the fans,” Claire said in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “There were well over a thousand people there. We did the wedding between performances.”
Where are Mike and Claire Sardina now?
In 2006, Mike suffered a fall and hit his head. He allegedly refused to seek medical attention and continued performing. After a show in Madison, he became unwell and was taken to hospital, where doctors discovered bleeding on the brain.
He soon slipped into a coma and never regained consciousness. Some reports claim that he suffered heart troubles that worsened his condition.
Mike passed away on 27 July 2006, aged 55.
Claire is still alive and living in Arizona.
Per her Instagram account, she is still performing karaoke sets under the name ‘Thunder after Lightning’.
Did Mike and Claire Sardina meet Neil Diamond?
Mike never had the chance to meet Neil Diamond before his death in 2006.
However, Claire met Neil Diamond in 2008 when he toured through Milwaukee.
“I’m overwhelmed with joy,” Claire allegedly said during the meeting.
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