20 Feet from Stardom

This poignant and inspiring Oscar-nominated documentary centers on pop music's backup singers—most of them African American women—who could be described as perennial underdogs. With the exception of Darlene Love, who crossed over into the spotlight after backing Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Frank Sinatra, and Sam Cooke, the majority of the vocalists featured aren't well known, even though they backed famous bands and legendary singers on some of the most popular recordings of the past half-century. Profiled subjects include Judith Hill, who was Michael Jackson's last backup singer (and a recent competitor on NBC-TV's The Voice); Merry Clayton, a preacher's daughter who trained in gospel choirs and went on to record with Carole King, Mick Jagger, and Lynyrd Skynyrd; and Lisa Fischer, who started out as part of Luther Vandross's band and later won a Grammy in 1992 for her first single, “How Can I Ease the Pain”—but the demands of stardom took a toll (although she still tours with the Rolling Stones). Also featured are Claudia Lennear, who was an Ikette with Ike and Tina Turner and a Stones regular in the early ‘70s, and Táta Vega, a once-promising Motown star who developed psychological problems. Directed by Morgan Neville, this uplifting narrative mixes interviews with vibrant archival footage. Sure to appeal to fans of R&B and classic rock ‘n' roll, this is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a Q&A with subjects Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, and director Morgan Neville (30 min.), deleted scenes (29 min.), "The Buddy System" short (9 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for this Oscar-nominated documentary.] (S. Granger)