Aahana Swrup
The musical drama film ‘Song Sung Blue’ dramatizes the life and career of Mike Sardina and Claire Stingl, a musical duo who were known as a Neil Diamond tribute act, Lightning and Thunder. The Milwaukee-based performers gained prominent acclaim in the surrounding area as well as in Chicago in the 1980s and 1990s, when they garnered crowds at State Fairs, festivals, and other shows. Alongside being partners in art and business, Sardina, the Lightning of the equation, and Claire, the Thunder, were also married in real life.
The duo’s romance progressed alongside their musical partnership, and the couple tied the knot in 1994. While Sardina and Stingl chased many career and personal highs together, the spouses also dealt with some challenges, particularly Stingl’s unfortunate accident, which resulted in a below-the-knee amputation and Sardina’s ultimately fatal heart condition. Yet, through it all, their love for each other and their music remained. The Craig Brewer-directed film finds its roots in the couple’s life story, charting the story of their lives from the beginning of their connection all the way up to Sardina’s tragic passing.
Claire Sardina Continues Performing as a Part of a Musical Duo
Claire Sardina, née Stingl, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, started out her musical career through local gigs and small-scale shows. A hairdresser by profession, the singer was known for Patsy Cline and Barbra Streisand tribute acts in the 80s. Around the same time, she also became a fan of Mike Sardina’s former band Positive Traction, for which she even blind auditioned in 1987. Although the audition tape never led anywhere with the band, two years later, Claire and Mike met, and the latter asked her to be in a new band with him as a Neil Diamond tribute band. Thus, Lightning and Thunder was born. Sparks flew between the two early on in their musical collaboration, which also led to a romantic relationship. Over the years, their joint musical act grew alongside their relationship, which ultimately led to marriage.
Tragically, in 2006, Mike passed away in the aftermath of a surgery required for a head injury that the musician had been nursing. As the story goes, he was putting off a doctor’s visit for the injury in preparation for an upcoming gig with Claire. The death was devastating for the Sardina family, made up of the couple’s respective children from previous marriages. Yet, despite everything, Claire has managed to hold onto her love of music, a foundational passion she continues to share with her late husband. Although 2006 marked the end of Lightning and Thunder, Claire has since started up a new act titled Thunder After Lightning. She’s joined in this endeavor by Toney Luciano, her musical partner and close companion, whom she fondly calls her “Claire-giver.”
As a musical duo, Thunder After Lightning does covers of ABBA, Blondie, and Patsy Cline, and is generally known for their disco sounds. They routinely book gigs at Wisconsin festivals and local businesses, and local shows in the surrounding area. Additionally, they’re also involved in putting on shows as karaoke and guest spots for live bands. On the other hand, even though Claire dropped her Neil Diamond tribute act with the end of Lighting and Thunder, the musician still loves the ‘Sweet Caroline’ singer in her personal life. In a conversation with Time Magazine, she spoke about the same and said, “When I am in a down mode or a little tense, I will turn on the Neil Diamond music. I sing ‘Sweet Caroline’ myself. In 2008, two years after her husband’s tragic passing, the musician was able to meet Diamond in real life.
Claire Sardina Splits Her Time Between Arizona and Wisconsin
Despite continuing to pursue her musical dreams, Claire Sardina lives an otherwise relatively grounded life. The musician and her partner, Toney Luciano, seem to spend part of the year in Wisconsin, where her daughter, Rachel Cartwright, lives. The other half of the year, typically the winter months, is spent in Arizona, specifically in the city of Apache Junction, where her son, Dayna, resides. She remains close to both of her children and their families. However, her relationship with Mike Sardina’s children and her stepkids, Angelina and Michael Jr., remains unknown. The musician is also surrounded by her own friends and extended family, including sisters Anne Knackert and Mary Irzyk. Thus, in her mid-60s, Claire continues enjoying life to the fullest, keeping herself surrounded by her passions and her loved ones.
Claire Sardina Continues to Carry Lightning and Thunder’s Legacy With Her
In 2008, Claire Sardina participated in the Greg Kohs’ documentary ‘Song Sung Blue,’ which tells the story of her and her husband, Mike Sardina. Through the documentary, the musician got to share the off-stage reality of her tragic, yet inspiring, love story. In an interview with Mountain View, she spoke about the project and said, “It’s a love story. about myself and my husband, Lightning, going through trials and tribulations. Going through the road of stardom in our younger years and then going through some rougher things.”
Years later, in 2026, with Craig Brewer’s ‘Song Sung Blue,’ based on Kohs’ eponymous work, Claire continues to remain an active participant in telling her and Mike Sardina’s story. Over the course of the press tour for ‘Song Sung Blue,’ Claire has participated in numerous events and given multiple interviews, promoting the film and Lightning and Thunder’s legacy. On December 2, 2025, she was in attendance for the film’s Milwaukee premiere alongside her daughter, Rachel Cartwright. Reportedly, she sang with actor Hugh Jackman at the event’s post-party. Similarly, she also attended the New York Premiere, where she shared the mic with Kate Hudson, who portrays her on-screen counterpart.
Read More: Where Was Song Sung Blue Filmed? All Shooting Locations
