What’s the True Story Behind ‘Song Sung Blue’?
What To Know
- Song Sung Blue tells the true story of Mike and Claire Sardina, the Milwaukee-based tribute duo Lightning and Thunder, who overcame personal and professional hardships to become local legends.
- Despite a devastating accident that resulted in Claire losing part of her leg and Mike’s declining health, the pair persisted in performing and rebuilding their act.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for the film Song Sung Blue.
Song Sung Blue, which opens in theaters on December 25, tells a unique story about two performers who became local legends in Milwaukee. Long before Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson stepped into their roles, Mike and Claire Sardina were the real Lightning and Thunder, a Milwaukee-based duo whose intriguing life story is now a movie. Despite the many musical numbers, the true heart of the film is the tale of two people who built something meaningful together, lost almost everything but kept going anyway.
How Lightning and Thunder first formed
Mike and Claire met in the late ’80s, when Claire auditioned for Mike’s band. Initially, she didn’t make the cut for the band, and moved on. But when Mike called her in 1989 and asked her to join a new Neil Diamond tribute band he was putting together, she was all in. “At the time I was single parent of two kids, living alone and transferring from one place to another,” Claire told OnMilwaukee.com in 2003. “So when Lightning called, I was like ‘Why the heck not? I have nothing to lose.’ I picked him up from the (Mitchell) airport on April 11, 1989 and we’ve been together ever since.”
Mike, who performed as Lightning, had a striking resemblance to Neil Diamond and a beautiful voice. Claire, who became Thunder, brought talent and a natural stage presence that made audiences feel welcome. Together, they created a Neil Diamond tribute act that quickly stood out. Their chemistry onstage turned into a real marriage as well; the pair were married in 1994, in between sets at the Wisconsin State Fair.
Focus Features/Everett Collection
Throughout the late ’80s and ’90s, Lightning and Thunder worked constantly across Wisconsin and the Midwest. They played taverns, festivals, and state fairs, slowly building a loyal following. Their biggest moment came in 1995, when they shared the stage with Pearl Jam at Milwaukee’s Summerfest. For Mike, a Vietnam veteran who had once served as a tunnel rat, it was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
In 1999, that momentum came to a sudden halt. Claire was gardening in her front yard when a disoriented driver crashed into her, causing injuries so severe that she lost part of her leg. Recovery was long and painful, and returning to the stage in the same way was no longer possible. Bookings slowed, then disappeared altogether. However, Claire learned to perform with a prosthetic leg, and together they rebuilt their act from the ground up. They played wherever they could, even when few people showed up to watch.
By the early 2000s, Lightning and Thunder were once again filling seats, but Mike’s health was failing. He underwent quintuple bypass surgery and continued performing despite serious complications. In 2006, Mike died at just 55 years old, ending the duo’s partnership and leaving Claire to navigate on her own. But Claire kept going. Their story reached a wider audience in 2008 with Greg Kohs’ documentary Song Sung Blue, which earned festival attention and a memorable review from Roger Ebert.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Where is Thunder today?
Claire continues to perform today under the name Thunder After Lightning. In 2025, Lightning and Thunder were honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Wisconsin Area Music Industry Association, recognizing the mark they left on the local music scene.
Now that Song Sung Blue is coming to theaters, Claire has seen her life portrayed on screen by Hudson, a performance that has already drawn major award attention. She served as a consultant on the film and even sang alongside Jackman during promotional events. She shared with Milwaukee Magazine about performing with him, “Jackman said he was ‘thrilled to have the opportunity to sing with me!’ I didn’t feel my leg, I didn’t feel my arthritis, I was flying. It was extremely wonderful … [it’s] a dream, a literal dream come true. I am going to dream of the words Hugh Jackman said …”
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