Unsung Heroes – 20 Ft. from Stardom

I was ecstatic as I watched the cast from “20 Feet from Stardom” walk across the stage to accept the Oscar for “Best Documentary Film.” Granted, I hadn’t seen the movie yet, but I was really moved by Darlene Love’s acapella performance at the end of the acceptance speech. So moved that when I saw the DVD on sale at WalMart, I purchased it without hesitation. Well, I was instantly hooked after I watched it for the first time.

If you are a lover of music and its history, this documentary is like the perfect ice cream sundae to cap off a delicious meal. It sort of puts me in mind of the series “Unsung” (comes on channel TV1), only it’s done in a more creative format. The editing and the transitions helped it flow almost perfectly. These background singers are truly “unsung” heroes and you have likely heard their voices on many of the classic pop, rock and R&B songs that span from the sixties through the nineties. They are the voices that soared from “twenty feet” behind the lead acts and provided the “umph,” the grit and the soul that made these records hits. I liken them to providing the gravy on the mashed potatoes or the butter and salt on popcorn. They are the missing ingredients that make the music excellent. You’ve also heard these voices on many theme songs for popular sitcoms and numerous commercials.

Of course, some of these ladies had ambitions of their own in terms of being solo artists, and many of them went on to do solo projects after years of background singing. Unfortunately, they fell victim to the ins and outs of the music industry. One thing you definitely take away from these ladies’ stories is that there are NO GUARANTEES in life, no matter how talented and gifted you are. Some of the most talented singers get the short end of the stick because of they just don’t have all of the necessary pieces in order to make it big, as stated in the movie by Bruce Springstein. I believe this applies to all areas of life. These special ladies weren’t properly marketed and were sometimes given sub-standard material. Ultimately, it just wasn’t meant to be…

My heart hurt for Merry Clayton as she spoke about how none of her albums charted well. She had sung background for several people (The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, etc.) before finally getting her break. But things didn’t play out like she hoped… It made me sad when I saw the footage of her belting out these soulful, gritty notes, but getting overlooked because she was too reminiscent of Aretha Franklin. And as they said during those times and even now, there could only be one Aretha…

Darlene Love, who helped pave the way for other background singers, fell victim to being used and abused by the industry. This lady’s voice was used as the lead vocal on SEVERAL hit songs for other artists without her knowing until it was too late. More than likely, you have probably heard her voice many times without knowing it. She had to deal with shady music contracts and having her gift of song prostituted while getting no real shot of her own. This amazing woman was eventually reduced to cleaning houses for a living until she was able to get back into the industry. She was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, which did do her some justice. However, I couldn’t help but feel like it was a day late and a dollar short… Not trying to be overly pessimistic, but that was my sentiment.

Claudia Lennear was another talented lady who wasn’t able to break the glass ceiling that covered her in the music industry. She now teaches high school Spanish. I’m not saying that this isn’t noble, it just hurts to see people trudge through life without getting to use their gifts to the fullest. I could only imagine how HUMBLING this was for her, considering that she used to tour with Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones and sang background for other notable acts. Tata Vega was another amazing vocalist who only amassed a small following. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that she was the singing voice of the character Shug Avery in the classic movie “The Color Purple.” Fortunately, she was able to rediscover her love for music when she embraced the background role after her failed attempts at a solo career. She even spoke bluntly about the fact that she believes she wouldn’t even be alive today if she had made it big in the industry.

One of the ladies that really stood out to me was Lisa Fischer. She actually did experience some success as a solo artist and won a Grammy award. However, she never did put out a second album due to a number of reasons, but recaptured the beauty of remaining in a supporting role. She is now high in demand for background vocals and tours with some of the biggest musical acts in the world. She is at peace with her journey. For me, this provided balance compared to the other stories of heartache and disappointment.

Last but not least, I do hope that Judith Hill gets the big break she is hoping for. She has an amazing voice. She would probably already have a hit album by now due to the exposure she would have gotten from having her own special role in Michael Jackson’s last tour, which never happened due to his untimely death.

Now I gotta take ya’ll to church, so please forgive me…

Spiritually speaking, what I personally take away from this is that sometimes God intervenes in our pursuits of success for our own good. Sometimes He is protecting us from dangers seen and unseen, preserving our soul salvation; protecting us from ourselves. I personally believe that He has kept these ladies and hid them until now so that their testimonies could be told. He loved them too much to allow their stories to end tragically. I just hope that their hearts are further healed and that they truly understand the depth of the love that the Father has for them.

Ultimately, someone has to be the “unsung” hero and be a trailblazer so that others can flourish. Someone has to suffer so that they can have a testimony that will edify and encourage others. Kinda sounds like Jesus Christ eh? Sometimes God intervenes to reveal what is really counterfeit so that our perspectives can become eternal. May each of these wonderful ladies know that their rewards will be infinitely greater than “what might have been.”

Nathan Allen Copyright ©2014