Luther: Never Too Much – Hot Docs 2024

The life and career of Luther Vandross are looked back upon in Luther: Never Too Much. Luther Vandross grew up in the Brox with a love of music and in his younger years became part of the Apollo Theatre house band Listen to My Brother, which would go on to appear on the first episodes of Sesame Street. He later became a renowned background singer, performing with David Bowie and Bette Midler. Luther Vandross finally began his solo R&B career in the 1980s, becoming known for his love ballads. However, Luther would also struggle with his weight and rumours about his sexuality.

Luther: Never Too Much Synopsis

Luther: Never Too Much is a biographical documentary directed by Dawn Porter about Luther Vandross. The film utilizes archival footage to tell the late R&B singer's stories, accompanied by interviews by Nile Rodgers, Valerie Simpson, Jamie Foxx, Mariah Carey, and Dionne Warwick. One of the ultimate goals of Luther Vandross' career was to crossover from the black-orientated R&B charts to the more mainstream pop charts. Vandross would finally achieve this with his 2003 single “Dance with My Father,” though tragically he would have the stroke that ultimately claimed his life soon afterwards.

My Thoughts on Luther: Never Too Much

Arriving nearly two decades after he died in 2005, it can be said that Luther: Never Too Much is an opportunity to introduce the R&B musician to a new generation. While Luther Vandross' music is the primary focus of the documentary, Luther: Never Too Much also touches upon the singer's fluctuating weight issues, at one point made fun of in Eddie Murphy's standup routine, as well as rumours that Vandross was a closeted homosexual, who did not want to upset the world by coming out. Ultimately, Luther: Never Too Much works as a primer for a man who became one of the most legendary R&B artists of all time.