“- Miles Harding: Play it, Sam.
- Edgar: What key?
- Miles Harding: Your favorite.
- Edgar: You want verses first, or the choruses?
- Miles Harding: Any way you like.”

Lenny von Dohlen - Miles Harding
Bud Cort - Edgar

“- Nashville Director: What's the trouble, Buddy?
- Charles Hardin 'Buddy' Holly: The trouble is, y'all want us to play Hillbilly - and that's just not what we play.
- Nashville Producer: I guess this kid just don't like Elvis Presley.
- Charles Hardin 'Buddy' Holly: Hey, I like Elvis fine...! But I'm Buddy Holly.”

Gary Busey - Charles Hardin 'Buddy' Holly

“- Don Birnam: What are they playing?
- Helen St. James: Brahms second symphony, something by Beethoven, something by Handel and not one note of Grieg.”
Ray Milland - Don Birnam
Jane Wyman - Helen St. James

- One-Round: Are we supposed to make noises with these things? What kind o' noises?
- Louis: Who is she?
- Professor Marcus: Not "noises", One-Round, music!

Danny Green - One-Round (a.k.a. 'Mr. Lawson')
Herbert Lom - Louis (a.k.a. 'Mr. Harvey')
Alec Guinness - Professor Marcus

“- Hunk Houghton: You will never make a guitar player. You got not rhythm in your bones!
- Vince Everett: Well, I never heard of anybody payin' money to hear a guitar player.”
Mickey Shaughnessy - Hunk Houghton
Elvis Presley - Vince Everett