Upon its release, Grease became one of the most loved musicals of the 20th Century, and here's why the movie differed from the original stage show with Danny singing “Greased Lightnin’” instead of Kenickie. Danny's performance of “Greased Lightnin’” and the scene in which it is featured, have become iconic parts of the movie. Despite the song’s popularity though, Danny was not originally meant to be the character singing it.
The story of Sandy and Danny, played by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta respectively, delves into teen love and heartbreak and has resonated with audiences ever since. Featuring two of the most popular actors in Hollywood at the time, the 1978 movie adaptation of Grease was an instant success at the box office. It quickly became the highest-grossing movie musical to have ever been made at the time. Many of the songs from the movie, including “You’re The One That I Want” and “Hopelessly Devoted To You” also became top 10 Billboard hits as a result.
Grease was produced by Allan Carr who, when adapting the screenplay, had to decide which songs from the original musical should feature in the movie and make up the Grease soundtrack. One of these was “Greased Lightnin’”, and in the original version of the musical, it is Kenickie who sings the number in reference to the car he is modifying. However, audiences will notice that it is Danny who takes center stage to sing “Greased Lightnin’” in the movie.
It has recently come to light that the reason for the switch was not purely a creative decision but simply due to John Travolta’s preference for singing the hit himself. In an interview (via Vanity Fair), he explained that “I wanted the number and because I had clout, I could get the number.” Due to the influence he had, he was able to convince director Randal Kleiser to let his character Danny take the place of Kenickie in the “Greased Lightnin’” scene. This was an especially upsetting loss for one Grease cast member, Jeff Conaway (Kenickie), who had to give up his only chance at leading a big number on the movie. Despite already singing many of the Grease numbers, Travolta successfully secured the tune, and Conaway became of the T-Bird backup singers.
Grease underwent many changes in the transition from Broadway show to musical movie, and one of these was the decision to have Danny sing “Greased Lightnin’”. Had this change not occurred, Grease could have been a very different movie from the one that was created. However, the movie will continue to be loved, and Travolta’s performance of “Greased Lightnin’” will be enjoyed for generations to come.