Milwaukee, WI

Reliving Lighting and Thunder ahead of the premiere of ‘Song Sung Blue’

Published

5 months ago

December 2, 2025

Reliving Lighting and Thunder ahead of the premiere of ‘Song Sung Blue’

MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee husband-and-wife musical duo that captivated audiences in the 1980s and 1990s is now the subject of a major motion picture starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson.

READ ALSO | Hugh Jackman to serve free custard at Greenfield Kopp’s Frozen Custard to promote upcoming biopic

“Song Sung Blue” will have its premiere on December 2 at The Oriental Theatre on Milwaukee’s East Side.

Fans are invited to hang out outside The Oriental Theatre at 4 pm on Tuesday to cheer on lead actor Hugh Jackman and writer/director Craig Brewer. At 6:30, a Fan party begins at Landmark Lanes, where there will be food, drinks, and live music.

Lightning and Thunder, made up of Mike and Claire Sardina, performed around Milwaukee, paying tribute to Neil Diamond for decades. Their love story and musical journey have been transformed into a film that follows their rise to local fame and the tragedy that tested their resilience.

“Did you ever think that there would be a movie with A-list movie stars made about you?” TMJ4 reporter asked Claire Sardina.

“No, I did not, but we were big dreamers, you know,” Sardina said.

Watch: Reliving Lighting and Thunder ahead of the premiere of ‘Song Sung Blue’

Reliving Lighting and Thunder ahead of the premiere of ‘Song Sung Blue’

The couple’s story began in Milwaukee, where their romance blossomed alongside their musical partnership.

“I introduced myself, and he looked at me and said, I quote, you’re more beautiful than I ever imagined,” Sardina said.

The musicians formed their duo and began performing at festivals and events around the city. With their charisma and showmanship, they became mainstays at Summerfest and State Fair.

Their careers reached new heights when Pearl Jam invited them on stage to perform at their headlining Summerfest show.

“The most thrilling time in my life.” Sardina said, “Next to my marriage to Lightning in 1994 and the birth of my children, it was the most exciting time of my life, and it catapulted us to success.” Sardina said.

After their success came tragedy. While in her front yard, Claire was hit by a car and lost her left leg in 1999. The accident will be a focal point in the movie, as well as how Claire fought back from the devastating injury.

“I didn’t lose my voice, I only lost a leg, but I can still perform, still have the passion, and still sing,” Sardina said.

Claire continues to perform even though Lightning passed away years ago. As the film’s premiere approaches, she hopes it brings the spotlight to Milwaukee.

She also has an inspiring message for people who have faced similar challenges.

“To every disabled person out there,” Sardina said. “Attitude is everything, don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Milwaukee, WI

Brad Paisley to perform at BMO Pavilion in Milwaukee on Sept. 4

Published

11 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

Brad Paisley to perform at BMO Pavilion in Milwaukee on Sept. 4

article

Brad Paisley (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

MILWAUKEE – Brad Paisley is scheduled to perform at the BMO Pavilion in Milwaukee on Sept. 4.

Ticket information

What we know:

The ticket pre-sale for Brad’s fan club members, Paisley Nation, begins on Tuesday, May 12 at 10 am. All tickets available at BradPaisley.com.

The tour will also offer a variety of VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

Packages vary but include premium seats, a guided backstage tour, VIP-exclusive gift item, early entry & more. VIP package contents vary depending on the selected offer. For more information, visit VIPnation.com.

The Source: The information in this post was provided by Live Nation.

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Milwaukee, WI

WSJ: Billionaire Milwaukee Bucks co-owner targeted in extortion scheme – UPI.com

Published

23 hours ago

May 10, 2026

Press Room

WSJ: Billionaire Milwaukee Bucks co-owner targeted in extortion scheme – UPI.com

Billionaire Wes Edens, co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA club, is shown at Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 9, 2015. The Wall Street Journal on Sunday identified Edens as the victim of a billion-dollar extortion plot allegedly hatched by an ex-lover. File Photo by Andrew Gombert/EPA

May 10 (UPI) — Wes Edens, the billionaire co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and an owner of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, was the target of a billion-dollar extortion scheme allegedly perpetrated by an ex-lover, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

A spokesman for Edens, 64, confirmed to the newspaper that the financier is the unnamed alleged victim in a federal indictment brought against Changli “Sophia” Luo of New York City.

Edens, one of world’s most successful global investment management firm leaders with Fortress, has developed and owned businesses in real estate, transportation, infrastructure, health care, financial services, media and entertainment.

He is also a high-profile sports team owner, including the Bucks and soccer club Aston Villa of the English Premier League. He is credited turning the Bucks from a perennial cellar dweller into a champion squad over a five-year span, culminating in the 2021 NBA championship.

But he also fell victim to a lurid alleged “sextortion” scheme, his spokesman confirmed to the WSJ, admitting the Edens is the unnamed “Victim 1” cited an indictment filed last year in Manhattan federal court against Luo.

The indictment reportedly accuses her of trying to extort Victim 1 of more than $1 billion by threatening to release videos and photos of them engaged in sex. Prosecutors alleged Luo also threatened to contact the victim’s family members and business partners in a threat to destroy his fortune if he did not pay up.

According to the indictment, Luo was arrested June 14 at JFK International Airport as she tried to board a flight to China, the New York Post reported.

“Mr. Edens will be making no comment on the case as the indictment speaks for itself with respect to the charges against the defendant,” his spokesman told the Journal. “Mr. Edens expects to testify under oath at the upcoming trial.”

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Weather: Cooler Sunday with a slight chance for sprinkles

Published

1 day ago

May 10, 2026

Press Room

MILWAUKEE – Forecast from FOX6 Meteorologist Lisa Michaels

Mostly sunny skies with partly sunny skies in the afternoon. There is a slight chance for a few sprinkles, but most areas remain dry. Highs near 60F on Sunday.
Patchy frost is possible again Sunday night into Monday morning as low temps inland can reach the lower 30s.
Cooler on Monday with easterly winds- low 50s near the lake to upper 50s inland.
A big boost in temperatures on Tuesday in the low 70s associated with a clipper system will bring the next chance of rain and a few storms.

Today: Mostly Sunny. Slight chance sprinkles.
High: 60°
Wind: NW 5-15

Tonight: Mostly Clear. Patchy frost.
Low: 38°
Wind: N 5

Monday: 53 LAKE. Mostly sunny.
High: 57°
Wind: E 5-10

Tuesday: Chance storms. Breezy.
AM Low: 39° High: 71°
Wind: SW 10-25

Wednesday:Partly sunny.
AM Low: 46° High: 59°
Wind: NW 5-15

Thursday: Mostly Sunny. Slight chance sprinkles.
AM Low: 42° High: 64°
Wind: S 5-10

Friday: Chance of Rain
AM Low: 47° High: 72°
Wind: SW 5-15

6-day planner

FOX6 Weather Extras

Local perspective:

Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:

FOX6 Storm Center app

FOX LOCAL Mobile app

FOX Weather app

FOX Weather

Big picture view:

Maps and radar

We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.

School and business closings

When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.