TUNED IN

Veteran actor David Carradine enjoys his role as an eclectic musician.

The label “renaissance man” is often overused, but in the end it might be the only way to describe David Carradine. Besides being an iconic actor, a best-selling author, a kung-fu master, and an acclaimed fine artist, he’s also a versatile musician and songwriter who has penned more than 100 songs, released a well-received CD in 2005, and toured the world’s juke joints and smoky clubs with his world-weary brand of what he calls “white blues” or “black country.”

“I don’t do all of this creative stuff because I want to — I just can’t help it,” says the 71-year-old Carradine, who will star in the romantic comedy The Golden Boys later this year. “You don’t make movies constantly. You make one and come home, and you can ride your bike or play with your kids for a while. But that creative fire burns even when I’m not acting. I have to apply it somewhere, and music has always been a huge part of my life.”

The son of legendary stage and screen actor John Carradine, David learned to play the piano at the age of 6, then studied music theory and composition at San Francisco State College. (Besides piano, he also plays the guitar, flute, clarinet, saxophone, drums, and the sitar.) Though acting offered a regular paycheck for Carradine, largely due to the phenomenal success of the Kung Fu TV series, he’s never stopped playing music, frequently touring with bands with playful names like The Cosmic Rescue Team and Soul Dog.

Despite a resume that boasts appearances in more than 200 films and TV shows, Carradine maintains that “being an actor can be a very unrewarding experience,” which is one reason he constantly returns to making music. He’s even combined his two talents in films like You and Me, Cloud Dancer, Bound for Glory, American Reel, and Kill Bill: Vol. 2. “Somebody once told me that there are no failures in Hollywood, only people who give up too soon,” says Carradine. “It’s not that I’m the very best at everything, but I’ve lived longer than some guys and didn’t quit like others. And I’ve always had music to make the ride that much sweeter.”

In the end, says Carradine, it’s all about being able to express his creativity in myriad ways. “As an actor, I’m an icon,” he says. “But no one really knows who I am behind the guitar or the piano. I’m just a man and a song, and that feels really good, too.”

— J. Rentilly