Following in his father Lloyd Bridges and brother Beau Bridges' footsteps, actor Jeff Bridges (born in Los Angeles on December 4, 1949) became a huge Hollywood star famed for his roles in the classic films The Last Picture Show, Tron and The Big Lebowski. The first sign of his musical talents came in the movie The Fabulous Baker Boys where he played a struggling jazz pianist, but it wasn't until 2000 when he released debut album Be Here Soon that he showcased his songwriting skills and a love of blues, country and Americana roots. His Oscar-winning role as a down-and-out country rock singer Bad Blake in Crazy Heart proved a huge international success in 2009 and his performances of original songs earned great acclaim for the film's soundtrack album. He re-united with the film's music producer T-Bone Burnett for his second album Jeff Bridges (2011), a collection of country rock songs written by a variety of different collaborators, delivered with Bridge's trademark laid-back cool and featuring Roseanne Cash and Ryan Bingham. It reached Number 25 in the US charts with Bridges praised for his leathery, lived-in vocal growl and his authentic love of rootsy American soul. An experimental spoken word/ambient/drone work followed in 2015, titled Sleeping Tapes. Ten years later, the archival label Light in the Attic released previously unreleased recordings featuring Burgess Meredith and members of the band Oingo Boingo. The result, titled Slow Magic, 1977-1978, was released for Record Store Day on April 12, 2025.
