Broke* | |
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Directed by | Will Gray |
Written by | Will Gray |
Produced by | Will Gray |
Starring | Will Gray |
Narrated by | Will Gray |
Cinematography | Jonathan Kofahl |
Edited by | Stacey Schroeder |
Music by | Will Gray Ben Kesler |
Release date |
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Country | United States |
Broke* is a feature-length documentary film written and directed by Will Gray. The film is an autobiographical account of Gray's attempt to break into the music business. Broke* features appearances by Kelly Clarkson, Seth Godin, John Legend, Buddy Miller, Isaac Slade of The Fray, and Don Was.
Broke* begins two years in the past, at the beginnings of Gray’s independent journey, recording demos in the basement of his friend's home. The demos come to the attention of producer T Bone Burnett who asks to meet and listen to more of Gray’s music.
Despite these auspicious beginnings, frustrating meetings with a New York record executive fail to produce an acceptable deal, so Gray decides to set out on his own as an independent artist. The film follows his struggles to establish a fanbase, manage bookings and cancellations, and all of the other exhilarations and frustrations of independent music making. Broke* features interviews with recording industry insiders about new paradigms for the music business.
Remainder of cast listed in alphabetical order
Newsday called Broke* "a pretty accurate, sometimes wrenching, portrayal of what up-and-coming artists go through to advance their career." [1] It was selected for presentation at the PhilFM (Philadelphia Film and Music) Festival, [2] and at the Nashville Film Festival, where it was awarded the "Special Jury Prize for Most Original Vision" in the Gibson Music Films/Music City Competition. [3]
Charles Hardin Holley, known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas, during the Great Depression, and learned to play guitar and sing alongside his two siblings.
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WLIR was a radio station that played a new music/modern rock format on the frequencies 92.7 FM, 98.5 FM, and 107.1 FM from the 1980s into the 2000s. Bob Wilson, longtime WLIR employee and historian, created the website WDAREFM.COM, which maintains the spirit of the original WLIR. He also programs the music playlist. The website broadcasts a mix of alternative rock from the past and present day, along with former WLIR/WDRE personalities, such as Larry The Duck, Drew Kenyon, Andre, and Rob Rush.
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