LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH

Luther Vandross is a singer I don’t know much about, and that is the appeal of this documentary for me. Luther: Never Too Much covers the journey of this legendary artist, starting from his childhood talent all the way to his global success. It dives into his collaborations, influences, personality, his connections with family, friends, and fans.

Vandross’ career peaked in the 80s and 90s when he was a top R&B artist who made a big splash in the urban contemporary music scene. Back then, everyone would have their favorite Luther Vandross song, even the multi-talented Jamie Foxx talked about how influential he was. In Foxx’s flamboyant fashion, he also shared how Vandross’ songs helped him charm the ladies, ha! Yet Vandross himself lamented, in various interview footage, that despite all his musical accomplishments, most of what the journalists wanted to talk about was his weight and his dating life. It’s disheartening, albeit unsurprising, that he faced fatphobia and blatant racism throughout his career.

One of the most fascinating things I learned is that David Bowie played a major role in Vandross’ career when he hired him as one of his backing singers. Bowie saw Luther had a lot of potential as not just a phenomenal vocalist but also a songwriter. They teamed up to work on the vocal arrangements for Bowie’s Young Americans album. Vandross has inspired a ton of legendary artists, like Mariah Carey, with whom he did a duet of Endless Love, and Dionne Warwick, who was totally amazed by Luther’s take on one of her tracks.

Director Dawn Porter laid out a clear timeline of his life, and thanks to SONY Music, the sound quality of the music videos and live performances is top-notch. The film also touches upon his closeted sexual identity, as he found it difficult at the time to come out as gay, not wanting to upset his mother as well as his huge female fanbase. The film is packed with great insights, but the highlight for me was hearing his side of the story. When he shared about his favorite song Any Love and how the lyrics really hit home for him, it was deeply moving.

It’s obvious that he’s touched the lives of many and those closest to him have such deep love for him. This is one of my favorite music documentaries I’ve seen this year. It’s illuminating and heartfelt but also entertaining thanks to his golden voice and timeless songs that will be remembered long after he’s gone. Not every musician is worthy of a documentary, but Luther Vandross’ journey goes beyond just music and absolutely needs to be shared.

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CAMP RICSTAR

Art and music can work wonders and have the ability to heal. Camp RicStar exemplifies that beautifully, showcasing the touching story and significant influence of a unique music camp designed for individuals with disabilities. Started by Judy and Richard Winter as a tribute to their son Eric ‘Ricstar’ Winter who was born with cerebral palsy but had a passion for music. He dreamed of being a rock star and in many ways, he truly became one in more ways than one. The film showed how Eric, with the help of his music therapists, wrote a song that is still performed to this day.

I hadn’t heard of this Music Therapy Camp in East Lansing, which is part of Michigan State University’s Community Music School (CMS). I’m glad something like this exists and I applaud the Winters for harnessing the power of music to change lives. As part of its 20th anniversary celebration, director Sam McConnell and writer Lukas Hauser chronicle eight spirited campers who enroll in the camp. They get to enjoy various music sessions, consisting of a mixture of Guitar Jam, Dance/Movement, Musical Theatre, Songwriting, and more. The best part is, each camper gets to be themselves in a safe space, without fear of being bullied or excluded.

Even during the pandemic, the camp was still able to facilitate virtual programs for families. Through interviews with campers’ parents, we learn the challenges of navigating their kids with special-needs when there isn’t any support from the community. I love that the camp welcomes siblings of the campers too, since they can sometimes feel overlooked when parents focus on their kids with special needs.

This music camp isn’t just for kids, as we find campers in their late 20s or 30s who become disabled because of an accident. For many campers, this camp isn’t just a place to belong and have fun, but it inspires them to achieve the things people don’t think are possible. Those who aren’t able to talk are somehow able to lead a musical jam and there’s even a girl who couldn’t stand by herself suddenly able to leap to her feet.

The secret sauce of the camp is clearly the music therapists and its volunteers, including high school and college students who sign up to become the campers’ music buddies in the ‘BuddyUps’ program. There are also a few musicians like Victor McDermott (pictured above) who volunteer in the camp.

An uplifting documentary that exemplifies the indiscriminate power of music. This music therapy camp is cathartic not just for the campers but for the volunteers as well. This is the kind of inspiring film guaranteed to have you both in tears and cheering at the same time.

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What do you think about these music-related documentaries?

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