Did George Clooney actually sing Man of Constant Sorrow?

This actor is highly awarded for his many performances in different blockbuster movies as well as hit TV shows. But is Clooney a star singer as well as a star actor?

George Clooney has said himself that he cannot sing. While he does have famous singers in his family, Clooney is not one of them, preferring to stick only with acting.

Read on below to find out more about Clooney’s singing relatives as well as his own experience with singing.

Clooney Performers

The Clooney family is known for turning out lots of entertainers who go into the acting, singing, or television industries. While there is some crossover between them, George Clooney is strictly an actor.

His father, Nick Clooney, was an anchorman and host on television and had a short career in politics. Nick Clooney’s older sisters, and George Clooney’s aunts, were the true singers of the family, who also worked as actresses.

Rosemary Clooney is extremely well known and is often remembered on her birthday, May 23rd, with posts like this one or this one, showcasing her performing skills. She and her sister, Betty Clooney, were a singing sister act at the beginning of their careers.

Rosemary and Betty Clooney were very close, both with beautiful voices. The sisters were often compared, some preferring Rosemary and others rooting for Betty, but they remained close after splitting up to focus on their solo careers.

Betty even named one of her daughters after Rosemary. Betty’s TV career was cut short, as she passed away from a brain aneurysm in 1976.

Rosemary found great success as a singer and actress, performing even after she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2001. Her last performance was in 2002, a few months before she died.

With the great legacy of The Clooney Sisters and their solo careers, one would think that the singing genes must have been passed on to someone in the family. So what are George Clooney’s experiences with singing?

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Clooney’s only experience with trying to sing professionally came when he was filming O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a film that was written, produced, and directed all by Joel and Ethan Coen, or the Coen brothers.

The movie was a satire with ties to the epic Greek poem The Odyssey by Homer as well as American folklore from the south about the blues musician Robert Johnson who, as the story goes, sold his soul to the devil to be able to masterfully play the guitar. 

It takes place during the Great Depression in Mississippi, and stars Clooney as well as John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, Chris Thomas King, Holly Hunter, and more.

While there were many stars involved with the film, the only actors to sing their characters’ parts were Nelson and King, while the rest were dubbed by professional musicians. Clooney was among the actors who didn’t sing.

But that doesn’t mean he didn’t try! He discovered that he couldn’t sing while filming the movie. As the nephew of Rosemary and Betty Clooney, T-Bone Burnett and the Coen brothers had assumed his ability to sing from the start–and so did Clooney himself.

“[T]hey assumed that because I was Rosemary’s nephew I would be a great singer, and I kind of assumed that too… Then we got in the recording studio and I sang ‘Man of Constant Sorrow’ with all the music playing and I finished and I looked up and there’s that glass booth with all of them in it and no one would look me in the eye,” he explained.

Since Clooney doesn’t sing, Dan Tyminski took over his part. The soundtrack of the film went on to win a Grammy Award for Album of the Year for American folk music.

If it’s been a while since you’ve heard the song ‘I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow’ by The Soggy Bottom Boys, then you won’t want to miss this classic performance!

Actor George Clooney does an amazing job of lip-syncing to the song in the film Oh Brother Where Art Thou as his character performs the song on stage. In this bluegrass film by the Coen Brothers, George Clooney hams it up as Ulysses after he escapes prison with Delmar and Peter and the trio decides to hunt down a treasure.

RELATED: 3 Angelic Voices from Rise Up Children's Choir Sing a Lovely Version of ‘Down to the River to Pray'

The pinnacle of the film is when the boys become famous with their unique sound of music. The song ‘I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow’ did in fact become a number one hit in real life after the release of the movie.

“I am a man of constant sorrow

I’ve seen trouble all my day.

I bid farewell to old Kentucky

The place where I was born and raised.”

Reactions To The Song ‘I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow’

One viewer posted, "I’ve seen this movie so many times and it never gets boring. A great story, perfect cast, and great music."

Another person added, "Once in a while, everything comes together – script, music, cast, direction – and the result is pure magic. This is one of those rare jewels of a movie, like ‘Lord of the Rings’. Another added, "I can't put into words how much I absolutely love this movie, this movie is just, man it's just perfect.

This video recently went viral, receiving more than two million views, despite the release of the movie in 2001–more than two decades ago. It's a bluegrass, country-style classic full of mischief and adventure at every turn. This performance is no different. You'll have to check it out for yourself and decide. We hope this classic performance puts a smile on your face and makes your day!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: The Cotton Pickin' Kids Performs The Upbeat Hymn, ‘I'll Fly Away', And It's Bluegrass Heaven

"Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart." Ephesians 5:19

Did George Clooney actually sing?

Did the actors really sing in O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Who sang for George Clooney in O Brother?

Who sings the siren song in Oh Brother Where Art Thou?