Twenty Feet From Stardom - A-

Rated PG-13, 91 minutes

Richly satisfying doc "Twenty Feet From Stardom" chronicles the background voices

Background singer Lisa Fischer

If there's one documentary to see this year, it's the fascinating, vastly entertaining "Twenty Feet From Stardom," featuring some of the most amazing voices from people you likely don't know but have heard. It's a bittersweet but triumphant story of the people who have sung with such artists Sting, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler, Mick Jagger (all of whom appear here as well) and many, many more. There's Darlene Love, one of the first African-American background singers and whose incredible voice backed up many of Motown's greatest artists yet who was cruelly used by acclaimed producer Phil Spector. There's Merry Clayton, who could hold her own with Mick Jagger on "Gimme Shelter" but whose own career fizzled. There's Claudia Linnear, who started as a backup singer for Ike and Tina Turner and sang with the likes of the Stones and Joe Cocker, but also struggled to find a solo career. There's Lisa Fischer, an amazing talent in her own right, who started with Luther Vandross and found further fame with Sting and Jagger. These are among the amazing artists you'll see in "Twenty Feet From Stardom," and even more mind-boggling is how in spite of their talent, few could find breakout stardom; the one exception may be Fischer, who seems content as a backup singer but whose intense voice and ebullient attitude has still helped her find considerable fame in her role. The aforementioned artists such as Springsteen and Sting are here to (pun intended) sing their praises and rightfully so in "Stardom," which is directed by music producer Morgan Neville. Their fascinating stories, their place in musical history, not to mention the amazing music, all form a richly satisfying, highly enjoyable documentary that is among the best of the year. "Twenty Feet From Stardom" is an unforgettable look at the background singers who deserve their place in the spotlight.

Wes's Grade: A-