Claire Sardina

Claire Sardina was born Claire Stingl in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the daughter of Frances (née Cafferty; 1924–2011) and Kenneth Stingl (1920–1971), both factory workers. Her father died when she was nine years old from a sudden heart attack, and she was raised by a single mother, one of six children. Her brother Jim Stingl is a journalist with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She graduated from Messmer High School, a private Catholic high school, where she sang in the choir, and then studied cosmetology at Milwaukee Area Technical College. In 1999, she lost her leg when a car ran her over in the front yard of her home. She continued to perform with a prosthetic leg. She has two children, Dayna and Rachel Cartwright, with her first husband, as well as two grandchildren. As shown in the documentary, her daughter Rachel became pregnant at 20 and placed the baby (Evan) for adoption. ==Lightning and Thunder==

She met Michael Henry "Mike" Sardina in 1987 when she auditioned for his band. A romance later began and they decided to start a band together titled Lightning and Thunder, with herself taking the nickname of "Thunder". The pair performed in the Milwaukee and Chicago area throughout the 1980s and 1990s, often at state fairs, including the Wisconsin State Fair, music festivals like Summerfest, or as an opening act for major bands (including Pearl Jam), touring through the area. The band ended in 2006 after the death of Mike due to a head injury. Claire continues to perform as a solo act named Thunder After Lightning. In 2026, she was a special guest performer on the So Good! Neil Diamond Experience starring Robert Neary Tour, performing at the tour stops in Phoenix, Arizona and in Milwaukee. In 2025, the Wisconsin Area Music Industry Association (WAMI) awarded the band with a lifetime achievement award in recognition of "giving Wisconsin decades of music, heart, and inspiration". ==Discography==

Albums In 1996, Lightning and Thunder released a studio recording featuring four original songs, and six covers. The album features her cover of the Patsy Cline standard Crazy. ==Portrayal in media==

A documentary about her life was created and released in 2008 by Greg Kohs titled Song Sung Blue. A feature film about her life, based on the documentary, was released in 2025 by Focus Features, also titled Song Sung Blue. In the film she was portrayed by Kate Hudson. Hudson earned an Academy Award for Best Actress nomination for her performance as Sardina. ==References==