Theater Whore: 20 Feet From Stardom

While watching this documentary 20 Feet From Stardom I realized quite a few things. Music today isn't close to as good as it used to be. The act that I knew every song being sung made me thank my drunken father for exposing me to various types of music. And the fact that we need to start using more background singers. My latest Ross Radio Quickie Show is dedicated to some of the great songs I heard while watching this with Cam.

This follows the careers of various background singers through the years from the start when every singer had White females to when suddenly here are these Black women just belting out this fantastic, church sounding music. Dancing and driving crowds insane, to trying to find their own stardom as solo artists. I have to point out that if you had hard feelings towards Phil Specter before, after watching this you will think he was a huge scumbag. He took a singer and her songs and just made albums with other women and groups pretending to be them. They had never sung a word of the song and there they are getting famous for lip singing.

I found out while watching this that Luther Vandross had sung background. I had no idea. But there he was on stage with David Bowie singing the chorus to”Young Americans” which is one of my favorite songs of all time. I also heard songs from many artists using the same background singers and had no idea it was the same women and in some cases woman. One story that was shared involved one of them being pregnant and laying in bed being asked to come sing for the Rolling Stones. She got out of bed in her pajamas and hair rollers and knocked out “Gimme Shelter.” If you don't know that song I don't know why you are even here.

I had heard a little about this documentary before seeing it and feared that it would focus on this one singer who had sung for Michael Jackson and various other artists. Not to knock her, Judith Hill, but she didn't move me the way that other singers like Darlene Love, Tata Vega, and Mary Clayton did. Thankfully this didn't stop when she started. This gave me goosebumps multiple times while watching and I had to keep from singing out loud many times. Everyone should thank me for that.

Click here for this and previous Theater Whore.