One of the stars of the “Playtone” label was Freddy Fredrickson, whose signature hit “Mr. Downtown” was a catchy tune that was half charm and half swarm. Somehow, we think if we were alive in that time period and this was a real song; this would be a guilty pleasure; and perhaps one we would want to make a bad private eye show around.



The Bullet Points:
Movie Appeared:
That Thing You Do (1996)

Actor:
Robert Torti

Songs you might remember:
Mr. Downtown

Why you should vote for him:
In the Playtone universe, he had a hit.

Why you should not vote for him:
It was in the film briefly.

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We love Arrested Development, but we almost forgot about when George Bluth II (Will Arnett) showed us his ventriloquist act and attempted to record an album featuring the songs of Franklin; his African American puppet. In his lone episode we learn that $5,000 was spent to make “Franklin Comes Alive”, though his brand of racial harmony never saw the light of day.



The Bullet Points:
TV Show Appeared:
Arrested Development (2005)

Actor:
Will Arnett

Songs you might remember:
Everything I Do, I Do it For You

Why you should vote for them:
Will Arnett and a puppet? Sign us up!

Why you should not vote for them:
A racially insensitive album (that was never released) may not belong here.

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Don’t you love a spoof within a spoof? From the animated Reality TV parody, Drawn Together, we have a parody of Valerie Brown from Josie and the Pussycats in the form of “Foxxy Love”. In our opinion, this was the best character from the show, but admittedly if we only had her hold her tambourine without actually playing any kind of song, do we really have a strong contender here?

First making a brief appearance on Saturday Night Live, the Folksmen were intended to be a spoof of the Folk revival scene that was a little too corporate. Played by the same people who comprised Spinal Tap (Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer), The Folksmen returned as a large feature in the quirky ensemble film, “A Mighty Wind” where they are scheduled to be the main event of a reunion concert to honor their fallen manager.

They were given a backstory, where they had a minor hit in 1962 (Old Joe’s Place) and had dissolved much like other Folk Groups from the era had. McKean, Guest and Shearer reprised these roles in concert as the opening act for Spinal Tap (again, played by them), and have actually played other Folk festivals where they have outshone “real acts”. At no point, would we think that the Folksmen could enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but in this fictitious version it seems very possible.



The Bullet Points:
TV Show and Movie Appeared:
Saturday Night Live (1984)
A Mighty Wind (2003)

Actors:
Michael McKean (Jerry Palter)
Christopher Guest (Alan Barrows)
Harry Shearer (Mark Shubb)

Songs you might remember:
Old Joe’s Place

Why you should vote for them:
They are good, and have legitimately gone on tour.

Why you should not vote for them:
Folk Music doesn’t get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; should it really get in here?

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