I wish the movie would've addressed possibly why SOME ladies transitioned from backup singers to stars, such as Sheryl Crow, Patti Austin, and Rita Coolidge (the latter sang on some of the same records as Claudia Linnear).
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I think they implied it a little bit, although you'd have to take the reverse of some of their observations.
For example, a recurrent theme was that some of the backup singers simply didn't want the fame (towards the end, one of them was saying that she could sing her heart out and yet still walk down the street and not be bothered), some didn't have the ego that pushed them to persevere, or else were perfectly happy being part of a group instead of standing out as an individual. Sometimes the drive is there, but in Darlene Love's case, she got a raw deal from Phil Spector that snuffed out her career in the middle. In Sting's interview, he said an awful lot of it is just plain luck - these singers are extremely talented but sometimes the breaks didn't roll their way. In Bruce Springsteen's interview, he said that having the right producer who can see the singer's talent for what it is and match them to the right material is very important. It's heartbreaking to see that some of the backup singers who DID have the talent and the drive never did make it big on their own.
So... I think we can read between the lines to see what does help a backup singer succeed as a star.
1. Drive/ego/ambition to be a solo artist
2. Being surrounded by the right people to help advance your career
3. Having the right material
3. Most importantly, lots of luck.
Although Aretha Franklin was repeatedly mentioned in the movie, her story was never really explored and she could very well have not made it. Her original recording contract was with Columbia Records, who paired her up with producers like Clyde Otis and Mitch Miller (!) who thought she could be marketed as a black Barbra Streisand singing easy listening/pop tunes. She was given material that was completely unsuited to her style - she was miserable and she wasn't selling many records. Once her contract with Columbia expired, she switched to Atlantic Records and the Muscle Shoals studio with the likes of Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd behind her. Her gospel roots were channeled into the music instead of being repressed and she soared. Could Merry Clayton in the hands of a different record label, a different producer, or with different material have been a star as well? I think it's just a matter of luck and opportunities giving you the breaks.
re: I think it's just a matter of luck and opportunities giving you the breaks.
I think you be right. The clip of Merrie Clayton performing in "20 Feet..." is kinda telling: Ms. Clayton dressed -- and this is NOT a put-down! -- like everybody's nerdy kid sister or the nerdy gal that lives next door in an era where R&B singers dressed/looked like a million bucks (i.e., elegant, like Aretha, Diana Ross, etc.). Also, while Clayton was a fine singer, duh Industry already had one Aretha and didn't see the "need" for another.
Something else the occurs to me...
The backup singers who have made it (let's take Sheryl Crow) are already well known and famous. While it might be uplifting to see a Sheryl Crow "make it", it's absolutely heartbreaking to see that someone like Darlene Love didn't but probably should have. (Although in my book, Darlene Love *did* make it - I just wish she had the fortune and the fame...)
Perhaps focusing on the "almost famous" is a more compelling film for the audience?
The thing about Merry Clayton and her look was that she was dressed like the more alternative offbeat singers of the 70's and not like an R&B Diva. Her look would would've been fine if she were in a rock band. But for the genre she wanted to be in, she would've had to wear the makeup and glamorous clothes and sing a song with a hook or that was more fun. Aretha sand powerfully, but her hit songs were either fun or at least had a hook that fans could sing along to.
Merry would've also had to put up with a lot of the industry BS like singing songs she didn't want to sing, doing whatever her label wanted to do and develop some kind of "persona" that could be marketed.
Unfortunately, she was also probably in the wrong time and wrong place. If she tried to make it in Europe or were born a little later, she could've forged and career similar to Joan Armatrading or Tracy Chapman and not changed a thing about the songs she wanted to sing or the way she looked.
I totally agree with the "lots of luck" comment - I've seen interviews & documentaries about country singers who "made it" - thousands of young singer/songwriters go to Nashville all the time; why do some make it & some don't? Why does it take years for some to make it big ? If they arrive with lots of talent, obviously that is not enough - I believe they also need luck, ambition, good management, & being in the right place at the right time
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