Kate Hudson Admits She Didn’t Discover This ’60s Music Legend Until ‘Song Sung Blue’

It appears that starring in Song Sung Blue has led Kate Hudson to add her playlist, as the actor admits she had never listened to Neil Diamond before the movie. Starring opposite Hugh Jackman, Song Sung Blue focuses on the tribute band Lightning & Thunder.

The singer-songwriter has sold millions of copies in his music career and created hits like “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rose,” “Forever in Blue Jeans,” and “Song Sung Blue,” which serves as the title of the 2025 movie. Despite Diamond’s fame since the ’60s, Hudson admits he simply “wasn’t someone that I grew up with.”

“So it was a nice discovery for me to get to know his music,” she said to People.

Hudson stars as one half of the real-life husband-and-wife duo, Claire and Mike Sardina, who formed the tribute band in honor of the singer in the late 1980s. The movie follows Claire and Mike’s growing relationship and their rise to fame covering Diamond’s hit songs, while also chronicling their hardships.

Despite not having known of Diamond’s work before the movie, Hudson admits tha thaving his music as “the backdrop to play these real-life people, who just were such fans” was “wonderful. And then, watching the movie was just such a joy… I felt like it has a little bit of everything in it. It’s entertaining, but you walk away feeling inspired.”

Working on Song Sung Blue gave Hudson the ultimate fan experience when the actor posted a photo on Instagram hanging out with the music legend. She sat with the 84-year-old on his porch, which later prompted Jackman to also visit Diamond and sing karaoke. He posted about his visit on Instagram and thanked Diamond for his support of the movie alongside Hudson.

“It was one that I could never have dreamt could or would come true! So special to spend time, to share, laugh and to sing karaoke! We are eternally grateful for your trust and support of @songsungbluefilm!” he captioned the post.

This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.