Film review: 20 Feet from Stardom looks at the career of female backing singers
An old joke suggests the way a musician gets to New York's Carnegie Hall is by practice, practice, practice. But on stage, the short distance between being an anonymous backing singer and a headlining star can be an even more difficult chasm to cross.
Starring: Darlene Love, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill
Director: Morgan Neville
Category: IIA
An old joke suggests the way a musician gets to New York's Carnegie Hall is by practice, practice, practice. But on stage, the short distance between being an anonymous backing singer and a headlining star can be an even more difficult chasm to cross.
Some of the vocalists who have been stuck in the shadows are spotlighted in Morgan Neville's engaging Oscar-winning documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom. In giving these inspiring voices — mostly African-American and female — their due, the film allows them to demonstrate their vocal chops, something which may rewrite music history a bit.
The entertainment industry is littered with great talents wasted by neglect, exploitation, and personal whims. Although megastars such as Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and Sting offer heartfelt tributes to some revered performers, the effect is to expose the unjust dynamic between these successful white men and the struggling African-American women singing behind them.
Some of those featured are recognisable, though they are far from household names. The most famous, Darlene Love, an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had her career held back by maverick record producer (and now convicted murderer) Phil Spector.
