TORONTO (AP) — At 85 years old, Darlene Love continues to awe audiences with her remarkable singing abilities, a testament to both her talent and her dedication to vocal health. The new documentary, “Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been,” showcases her performances of some of her iconic hits, including “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and “He’s a Rebel.” These performances symbolize Love's reclamation of her musical journey and highlight the impressive capability of one of America's greatest vocalists as she navigates her artistic legacy.
In an interview ahead of the film's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Love discussed her approach to preserving her voice. "I always took care of my voice," she stated, noting that talking can strain one's vocal cords even more than singing. Love employs various methods to maintain her vocal health, including a scarf around her neck and avoiding nightlife after concerts. Her husband, Alton Allison, also contributes by having a glass of wine ready for her post-performance.
While Love still performs regularly, especially during the holiday season, she incorporates breaks during her shows to rest and share stories with her audience. “And I have a lot of stories to tell,” she added with a laugh, reflecting the wealth of experiences she has accumulated throughout her life.
The documentary, which premiered on Monday at TIFF, is notable as it is the first to focus solely on Love's life and career. Previously, Love was prominently featured in the acclaimed 2013 documentary, “20 Feet From Stardom,” which highlighted the often-overlooked backup singers in the music industry and won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. Love amazed the audience during that presentation by singing a few lines from the gospel hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.”
Receiving the spotlight in “I Know Where I’ve Been” holds particular significance for Love, who for so long was overlooked in the music industry despite her extraordinary talent. The film, directed by Barry Avrich and produced by Taraji P. Henson, serves as a lavish tribute to Love as a music icon. Esteemed musicians, including Bruce Springsteen and Lou Adler, attest to her immense talent, with Adler proclaiming, “If you want proof of God, just listen to Darlene Love.”
The documentary encapsulates Love's life journey, beginning with her Christian upbringing and her initial resistance to secular music, which she once deemed “the devil’s music.” It explores her turbulent recordings with producer Phil Spector, who not only crafted some of her most beloved records but also complicated her career trajectory. Spector, who gave Love her stage name, undermined her opportunities by allowing singles to be released under the Crystals, another one of his acts. By the late 1970s, Love faced a career downturn and supported her family by cleaning houses for a period of ten months.
Reflecting on her struggles, Love recounted a pivotal moment when she was cleaning houses while “Christmas” played on the radio. She looked in the mirror and realized, “This is not what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m supposed to be singing.” Despite the challenges she encountered, Love does not harbor resentment towards Spector, who passed away in prison in 2021 after serving time for murder. Instead, she relished her time singing backup for various artists, including her close friend Dionne Warwick, and appreciates the lasting impact of the music she created in the 1960s, which continues to resonate with audiences today.
Love expressed her belief that the music of her generation has a universal appeal, saying, “There’s something about our music that everyone likes.” She observed that while different generations have different tastes, the essence of her era's music remains timeless and singable—a quality that she feels is often missing in contemporary music.
