*The Luther Vandross documentary, “Luther: Never Too Much,” from filmmaker Dawn Porter will debut on CNN on New Year’s Day.
Per Deadline, the project “chronicles the story of Vandross from his formative years in Harlem, appearing in the Apollo Theater house band and the first episodes of Sesame Street, through his ascendance to become the indisputable master of the love song.”
The documentary on the late singer, who died in 2005, premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and Giant Pictures released the movie this fall in theaters. It will premiere on CNN and OWN before streaming on Max next year, IndieWire reports.
The story is told through archival clips of Vandross’ voice, alongside interviews with Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, Valerie Simpson, and Roberta Flack. Watch the trailer below.
“Using a wealth of rarely seen archives, Luther tells his own story with assistance from his closest friends and musical collaborators including Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, Valerie Simpson and Roberta Flack,” the trailer’s description revealed. “The film relives the many stunning moments of Luther’s musical career while exploring his personal life, health struggles, and a lifelong battle to earn the respect his music deserved.”
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In a statement, Porter said, “We combed through hundreds of hours of interviews, concert footage and images to develop this one-of-a-kind portrait.”
“I wanted him to be able to tell you his story as much as possible, so how do you do that with someone who’s not with us?” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “A lot of that was thinking about the lyrics. [On] ‘Any Love,’ he was just endlessly frustrated with the absence of a romantic partner in his life,” she explained. “So through his lyrics, I think you get to know a little bit more about him.”
Porter told PEOPLE, “It was a joy to work on this film. Luther was a spectacularly talented performer, composer, and producer. His influence was found in multiple genres, and it was a delight to discover each one. It has been so much fun to see longtime fans remember why they love him, and new fans come to understand his brilliance.”
Meanwhile, the Vandross compilation “Never Too Much: Greatest Hits” will be released on Dec. 13.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Luther Vandross Documentary Trailer Provides First Look For Filmgoers | WATCH!
