The untold true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century.
You might not recognise the names Darlene Love, Judith Hill, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Táta Vega and Jo Lawry.
But you will certainly have heard their incredible voices.
These girls put the heart and soul into the pop culture generation and then, for the most part, had to be content to remain just 20 Feet From Stardom.
Having previously made documentaries about Sidney Poitier, Brian Wilson and Johnny Cash, director Morgan Neville knows how to turn the stories of exceptional people into compelling films.
The difference here is that his subjects have always been in the background – until now.
Thanks to the late producer Gil Friesen wanting to know more about them, their extraordinary talents are finally recognised in a film so brilliant it even managed to beat The Act of Killing to this year’s best feature documentary Oscar.
As well as working with legends like Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke and Phil Spector, the black subjects here were also used on Monster Mash (‘the song where we had to sound white’) and some even provided screeching vocal effects on James Cameron’s Avatar.
But it’s on stage and in the studio – often being used as ‘ghost’ singers to sell named artistes – where the girls excelled, as Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and Steve Wonder generously testify.
Judith Hill’s account of Michael Jackson’s shock death is spine-tingling.
And Sting dismisses talent shows like American Idol, saying “If you bypass the spiritual work that you need to become a star then your success will be wafer thin.”
The X Factor might manipulate viewers’ emotions, but when you stop to realise what these girls have done to enrich your life, only for one to become a cleaner and another to start teaching Spanish, your tears will be real.
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