Category Archives: Oscars

Stepping into the Light – 20 Feet From Stardom!✨

Posted by donnamarie on

(Prince and Judith Hill. Photographs by Karrah Kobus/NPG Records, via Getty Images)

Mourning the 1 year passing of music legend Prince, I was amazed to learn about his relationship with the powerhouse singer-songwriter Judith Hill as her confidant and musical collaborator.

Ms. Hill was a contestant on the 2013 season of “The Voice” (the TV singing competition) and later that same year appeared in the Academy Award-winning documentary about backup singers, “20 Feet From Stardom” earning a Grammy for her performance.

Judith Hill

(“I was with Prince the last two years of my life,” Judith Hill said. “Now he’s gone, and I realize I was leaning on him a lot,” she said. “And that’s what’s scary. I’m on my own.” Elizabeth Weinberg for The New York Times)

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I cheered for Ms. Hill on “The Voice” and was shocked when she didn’t make the cut. Her voice is phenomenal and once before she had been so close to blowing up as a recording star when she was paired as a featured vocalist with Michael Jackson on his ill-fated tour “This is It”. On “The Voice” I thought, maybe this time she’ll get her shot.

 

And now, with the passing of Prince, Judith would once again be denied the major exposure that could have skyrocketed her to the top of the musical ladder instead of her forever feeling – “20 feet from stardom”.

 

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Judith Hill, Michael Jackson

 

Here’s a look at the Oscar-winning documentary about the incredible backup singers and the travesty of how their careers have always been “20 Feet From Stardom”.

 

20 feet from stardom

 

2014 Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary Feature,  “20 Feet From Stardom” is directed by Morgan Neville and inspired by producer Gil Friesen’s quest to reveal the untold stories of the phenomenal voices behind some of the greatest artists in American music.

 

Darlene Love
“Godmother” of backup singers
Jo Lawry, Judith Hill, Lisa Fischer
Sweet music!
Lisa Fischer, Merry Clayton

 

The film takes a backstage look at the lives and experiences of backup singers Darlene Love ( Rock & Roll Hall of Fame), Judith Hill (The Voice), Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Tata Vega and Jo Lawry among others.

 

 

The Ladies Speak:  Lisa Fischer, Darlene Love, Judith Hill

 

Merry Clayton performed that killer background vocal on The Rolling Stones’ classic “Gimme Shelter”

Millions know their voices, but no one knows their names. I was thrilled when this film was released to showcase these gifted women that for whatever reason remain in the shadows. It’s a sad fact but, nevertheless, they stayed in the game and they are legends!

 

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What We Do in the Dark!

Posted by donnamarie on

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“We didn’t need dialogue. We had faces!” Norma Desmond

 

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As she descended the well-worn stairs of her aged and decadent mansion steeped in long past memories, Norma Desmond uttered the declaration that forever remains in the memories of those who witnessed her performance in the 1950 classic, “Sunset Boulevard.” It’s impossible to forget those delusional words spoken by the creepy Norma Desmond as she is escorted through the end scene for her deadly deed; not surprisingly surrounded by gawkers vying for a tiny glimpse of the reclusive silent film star.

 

 

Before the film, I had only heard of Gloria Swanson but hadn’t seen any of her films. After witnessing her tour-de-force performance as the legendary diva, Norma Desmond, I sought out every movie of hers that I could. Wow, she inhabited the role of Norma Desmond with intimate knowledge of the silent film era since those were Swanson’s actual glory days. By the way, the dialogue is both fantastic and hilarious.

 

Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899 – April 4, 1983)

 

“Sunset Boulevard” (stylized onscreen as SUNSET BLVD.) is a 1950 American film noir directed and co-written by Billy Wilder and produced and co-written by Charles Brackett. It was named after the boulevard that runs through Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California. (Wikipedia)

sunset boulevard

Billy Wilder

 

The film stars William Holden as Joe Gillis, an unsuccessful screenwriter, and Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, a faded silent film star who draws him into her fantasy world where she dreams of making a triumphant return to the screen, with Erich von Stroheim as Max Von Mayerling, her devoted servant.

 

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Erich von Stroheim, William Holden, Gloria Swanson

 

Nancy Olson, Fred Clark, Lloyd Gough and Jack Webb play supporting roles. Director Cecil B. DeMille and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper play themselves, and the film includes cameo appearances by leading silent film actors Buster Keaton, H. B. Warner, and Anna Q. Nilsson.

 

Anna Q. Nilsson
Cecil B. DeMille
Hedda Hopper
Buster Keaton

Praised by many critics when first released, Sunset Boulevard was nominated for eleven Academy Awards (including nominations in all four acting categories) and won three. Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the U.S. Library of Congress in 1989, Sunset Boulevard was included in the first group of films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. In 1998, it was ranked number twelve on the American Film Institute‘s list of the 100 best American films of the 20th century, and in 2007, it was 16th on their 10th Anniversary list. (Wikipedia)

 

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I’ve never been a famous movie star (maybe stage😎) But God help me if I ever get that Norma Desmond look in my eyes, dial 911!

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