Eddie Vedder featured in Song Sung Blue. NOW AVAILABLE

A Joyous Tribute

Based on a 2008 documentary, blockbuster Song Sung Blue follows the dreams of Lightning & Thunder, a Neil Diamond tribute project. Intertwined with PJ’s 1995 Summerfest performance, film director Craig Brewer notes how “Eddie Vedder is the MVP of Lightning & Thunder. Not only did he hear about them from a Milwaukee group, the Frogs, when Pearl Jam was coming into town and they were like, ‘Hey, what are some other bands that are good that we can maybe have be in our showcase?’ And the Frogs were like, ‘Believe it or not, there’s this Neil Diamond tribute band called Lightning & Thunder…’ So Eddie Vedder had them be in his show.

Later when the documentary that Greg Kohs made about Mike and Claire was about to have its premiere at a festival, and he got a cease-and-desist letter from Neil Diamond’s publishing company saying, ‘You can’t use the music, so you can’t show this movie.’ Eddie Vedder called up Neil Diamond, sent him the documentary, and said, ‘You gotta watch this and you gotta let them use the music.’ Neil Diamond saw the movie, he was so touched by it, and he intervened and told his publishing company to leave Greg alone and show the movie.

So Eddie, even, even to this day, has been such a support in telling the story of Lightning & Thunder, even to the extent of — we wanted to use the song ‘Alive’ off of his first album. They have never licensed that song, ever. It’s always been an automatic no. And he gave it to us.”

View the 1995 moment in Milwaukee (Here). | Read about the film (Here).