By Lil Nickelson
On Thursday, September 5th, 2024, folks flocked into Marcus Garvey Park’s Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Harlem for a free event billed as a “SoulTrain Tribute to the sneak peek screening of “Luther: Never Too Much,” the documentary film.
The evening was sponsored by Gregory Gates‘ ImageNation in partnership with Marko Nobles’ InJoy Enterprises and was promoted as an official Billboard Live Hip Hop and R&B Week event. The evening began with Sundae Sermon DJ Stormin Norman spinning the music and the music he played inspired people to get out of their seats.
RELATED: Luther ‘Night In Harlem’ Vandross Gets Star On Walk Of Fame (video).
Folks were grabbing a seat and then making their way back down front to do their dance when their favorite jams came on. They were shaking their money makers including from walkers and wheelchairs.
Live tribute songs were performed by various up-and-coming artists performing Luther Vandross tribute songs. The Soul Train dance line started about 30 minutes before the sun went down, culminating with surprise celebrity guests being brought on stage to discuss their respective roles in the documentary film; this event was the premiere screening of the film.
One of the two special guests was Alfonso “Fonzi” Thornton, who became Luther’s lifelong friend after meeting him in the East Harlem Johnson Projects where they both grew up. “I was thirteen and he was fourteen when I joined his vocal group, Shades of Jade.
Even at that youthful age Luther was already multi-tasking like babysitting his younger sister, while he was running rehearsals he recalled to the audience. Thornton and Vandross became soloists with the Apollo Theater’s 16-member artist development workshop and sang on camera during the second season of the children’s show Sesame Street.
The second surprise guest was Dawn Porter, who wrote and directed the Luther: Never Too Much documentary film. The film follows Luther Vandross‘ nearly 40 years in the entertainment industry and highlights his career highs as well as battles with negative media attention focused on his weight and sexuality. Footage from his performances and archived interviews, as well as interviews with his associates, are included. The film’s subtitle is taken from one of Vandross’ well-known songs.
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, Roberta Flack, and his backup singers. 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 deserves.
I was shocked to learn Luther did not receive his first Grammy award until 1991 for “Here and Now.” I thought he should have won it 10 years earlier with his debut solo album, “Never Too Much” in 1981. Luther also disclosed his favorite tune was “Any Love,” the one thing he felt was missing from his own life. How sad to realize he made millions of people feel love through his music that he never got the chance to experience in his own life.
I knew Luther got his start writing, arranging, and singing background for other artists like Dionne Warwick, and Roberta Flack. I did not realize he started creating commercial jingles in 1977 with Gino’s Pizza, where he first displayed his is “whoo whoo whoo” signature style.
He never used it again in another jingle which he continued to write for 5 more years; he saved it for his own music. Miller Beer, NBC, KFC, Mountain Dew, Burger King, and Juicy Fruit gum were other jingle clients. He used the funds he earned from jingles to get his first place, move his mother into a better place, and to finance the start of his solo career.
Luther: Never Too Much premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2024. In May, CNN Films and the Oprah Winfrey Network acquired the SVOD distribution rights to the documentary, planning to air it on CNN, OWN and Max sometime in 2025. Trish D Chetty, Ged Doherty, Jamie Foxx, Datari Turner, and Jon Platt are executive producers.
The official afterparty at Shrine World Music Venue located at 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Blvd. Harlem, New York.
Lil Nickelson
Lil Nickelson is a Senior Consultant with an MBA degree focused on Finance and Financial Management Services from New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business. Skilled in sales, management, business development, marketing strategy, and social media, with a history of working in the food and beverages industry. Her column Dining with Miss Lil has been featured in Harlem World Magazine.
Photo credit: Source.
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