The Life and Music of Luther Vandross Hits the Big Screen in 'Luther: Never Too Much'

One thing we can never get too much of is Luther Vandross. The iconic R&B singer's life is being brought to the big screen with the release of Luther: Never Too Much, a new documentary by Giant Pictures.

The film chronicles his life, professionally and personally, from childhood musical talent to worldwide fame. Vandross began his career as a backup singer for Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler and David Bowie. He released his double-platinum debut album, Never Too Much, in 1981 and has sold 40 million albums worldwide.

Most of his albums achieved platinum or double platinum status, and he scored five Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including Here and Now, Endless Love and Power of Love/Love Power. He earned 27 Top 10 hits on the R&B chart, including seven at No.1, and earned 33 Grammy nominations. 

“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,” award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter, who directed the film, said in a statement. “It has been so much fun to see longtime fans remember why they love him, and new fans come to understand his brilliance.”

The documentary includes over 40 years of archival footage from the singer’s life as well as new interviews from Mariah Carey, Roberta Flack, Jamie Foxx, Richard Marx, and Dionne Warwick.

The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and later shown at Tribeca Film Festival, Hot Docs International Film Festival, and Nantucket Film Festival. The documentary will be released November 1 in theaters, and then in 2025 on streaming services.

Check out the trailer below.