"20 Feet from Stardom" review

 A soul-stirring survey of superlative singers

Everyone has a rock star inside them, screaming to be let loose.  I must confess that I have rocked an air mike for years!  At the end of a bad or good day, music either purges my stress or electrifies my joy as I imagine myself belting out the words and notes that express what’s inside me.  Part of the satisfaction derives from believing that the voices that move me are living their dream of being recognized and celebrated for their ability to connect so intimately with such a large audience.  Yet the reality is that even with talent in abundance, the spotlight remains elusive.

“20 Feet from Stardom” examines the lives of backup singers from many famous groups and solo acts and shows us how little appreciation they have received despite decades of dedicated labor.  It’s a tough gig, this business of show, and hard work doesn’t always pay off.  A fortunate few do get a solo shot, but there’s no guarantee of success.  Timing and coincidence play their fickle parts, and even the most driven individual can be brought up short.  It’s heartbreaking, especially when you hear them at the microphone creating sounds that make the hair stand on end.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the film is the revelation of how far back lip syncing has been an integral part of the music industry.  What’s worse is how many of these “performers” were lip syncing to someone else’s voice.  I thought that the Milli Vanilli fiasco was an isolated incident.  Nope!  Back up singers have routinely had their abilities plundered to make models into superstars, and this theft continues to be shamelessly perpetrated.  Even if the person at the mike can sing, it’s likely that their vocals will be “improved” or “enhanced” later.  No wonder I dislike the majority of modern pop music.  I don’t want a computer to sing to me!

I want to hear flesh and blood, not circuits and hard drives.  I need a soul in pain or ecstasy to exhort me to move or fight or love.  They don’t have to be svelte.  They don’t have to be white.  They just have to be real.  As with acting, singing successfully requires the artist to be an open book.  You must give a part of yourself to the work in order to grab the audience’s attention because they’ll know if you’re faking.  The amazingly talented people profiled in this documentary are certainly not faking, and it’s heartening to see that they are still happy.  Though stardom has eluded them, they continue doing what they love.  You can hear it loud and clear.