For more than four decades, Luther Vandross has been recognized for his silky tenor and doo-wop-inspired runs with tender lyrics about romantic love and joy. He sold more than 40 million records worldwide, 13 of his albums went platinum, and he became a solid favorite among Black listeners.
Still, the R&B superstar — known to fans simply as “Luther” or “Luffa” — wanted to grow his fanbase and achieve crossover success. Vandross’ commitment to music is celebrated in “Luther: Never Too Much,” the first full-length documentary to chronicle the life and career of the multitalented performer, who died in 2005 at age 54 following complications from a stroke two years prior.
The film is directed by award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter and is premiering as an official selection at this year’s Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 21.
“Having the opportunity to tell the story about one of our greatest vocalists ever and give him the recognition that he should’ve had in life is surreal,” said Porter, a two-time Sundance alumna. “It’s so much more than a music doc, and that means everything to me.”
In a departure from her more politically themed documentaries, Porter weaves together the eight-time Grammy winner’s memorable songbook with fond memories from his immediate family, close friends, musicians, collaborators, staff, background vocalists and executives.
“I wanted people who knew him really well and who could tell you what it was like when he was not performing,” Porter said. “I was really focused on his lyrics and who he was as a person, and I couldn’t wait to dive into that. We just took off from there, and it just came together.”
Porter distilled 80 hours of performance clips, 150 hours of archival footage and 2,200 stills into 101…
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