‘Luther: Never Too Much’ Director on Tackling Vandross’ Legacy and Struggles in New Documentary

Dawn Porter, who directed the new Luther Vandross documentary Luther: Never Too Much, chooses “So Amazing,” the classic song he penned and produced for Dionne Warwick and later recorded himself, as her favorite. She does admit it’s hard to choose because of her attachment to scenes in the new documentary. Porter, whose credits include The Ladybird Diaries, John Lewis: Good Trouble, and The Way I See It, will premiere Luther: Never Too Much at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21. The eight-time Grammy winner died in 2005 at 54 after a stroke in 2003. Porter discusses his legacy and personal struggles, from overeating to his sexuality. “The family is sensitive about some things, and I had a lot of respect for that, but they also had a lot of respect for me as a filmmaker and knew that all the aspects of his story should be told so everybody’s happy,” says Porter of the first-ever documentary about the iconic singer.

What’s the best music documentary you’ve ever seen?