Darlene Wright (born July 26, 1941),^[a] better known by the stage name Darlene Love, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and she also recorded as a solo artist.

She began singing as a child with her local church choir. In 1962, she began recording with producer Phil Spector who renamed her Darlene Love. She sang lead on "He's a Rebel" and "He's Sure the Boy I Love," which were credited to the Crystals. She was soon a highly sought-after vocalist and worked with many rock and soul musicians of the 1960s, including Sam Cooke, Dionne Warwick, Bill Medley, the Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones and Sonny and Cher. As an actress, Love performed in various Broadway productions. She had a recurring role as Roger Murtaugh's wife in the Lethal Weapon film series.

Love was invited annually by David Letterman to sing the song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on his late night television talk show just prior to the Christmas holidays. These performances started in 1986 on NBC's Late Night with David Letterman and continued on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman until 2014. Letterman called Love the "Christmas Queen". In 2015 she started singing the song annually on The View.

Ranked among Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers, Love was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Love is featured in the Oscar-winning documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom (2013), for which she won a Grammy Award.

Early life

[edit]

Love was born Darlene Wright on July 26, 1941, in Los Angeles, to Ellen Maddox and Reverend Joe Wright.^[1] Her younger sister Edna Wright grew up to be the lead singer of the group Honey Cone.^[2] She grew up mostly in Los Angeles, but also spent a few years of her youth in Texas.^[3]

As a minister's daughter, she grew up listening to gospel music and was a dedicated member of her church. Wright began singing with her local church choir at age ten in Hawthorne, California. During choir practice she caught the attention of choir director Cora Martin-Moore. After singing for Martin-Moore she was asked to go to the Music Mart where she sang and did some broadcasts.^[4] As it was her first musical experience, it was also the main influence for her to pursue a music career.^[5]

Music career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

While still in high school (1957) she sang with the Echoes,^[6] a mixed gender doo-wop group. She was then invited to join a little-known girl group called the Blossoms.^[7]

In 1962, the Blossoms were hired to sing on a session by producer Phil Spector.^[8] His girl group, the Crystals, could not make it to Los Angeles in time for the session, so Wright was paid $5,000 to sing lead on "He's a Rebel."^[8] This was Wright's first time on a Spector recording.^[9] The single, credited to the Crystals, was hurriedly released by Spector on Philles Records to get his version of the Gene Pitney song onto the market before that of Vikki Carr.^[10] The ghost release of this single came as a total surprise to the Crystals who were an experienced and much traveled girl harmony group in their own right, but they were nevertheless required to perform and promote the new single on television and on tour as if it were their own.^[11] The single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1962.^[10]

Following the release of "He's a Rebel," Wright signed a deal with Spector, who renamed her Darlene Love.^[8] She recorded "He's Sure the Boy I Love," which she thought would be released under her name, but Spector credited it to the Crystals.^[8] Cynthia Weil, who co-wrote the song with her husband Barry Mann was unaware that Love had sung on the track: "It all came out later. I think it was a terrible thing to do to her."^[8] Spector had Love sing "Da Doo Ron Ron" in the studio, but he decided to record it with another singer at the last minute.^[8]

Love recorded the track "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" for the 1963 holiday compilation album, A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. The song was written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, along with Phil Spector, with the intention of being sung by Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes. According to Love, Ronnie Spector was not able to put as much emotion into the song as needed. Instead, Love was brought into the studio to record the song, which became a large success over time and Love's signature tune.

As a member of the Blossoms, Love contributed backing vocals behind many of the biggest hits of the 1960s including the Ronettes' "Be My Baby", Shelley Fabares' "Johnny Angel", Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash", Frank Sinatra's version of "That's Life", and the Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron". The Blossoms recorded singles, usually with little success, on Capitol 1957–58 [pre-Darlene Love], Challenge 1961–62, OKeh 1963, Reprise 1966–67, Ode 1967, MGM 1968, Bell 1969–70, and Lion 1972.

As a solo artist, Love also contributed backing vocals to the Ronettes' "Baby, I Love You". She was also part of a trio called Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, who recorded Spector's version of "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", an Oscar-winning song from the 1946 Walt Disney film Song of the South, which got into the Top 10 in 1963.

The Blossoms landed a weekly part on Shindig!, one of the top music shows of the era. They also appeared on Johnny Rivers' hits, including "Poor Side of Town" "Baby I Need Your Loving" and "The Tracks of My Tears". The Blossoms were part of the Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special, which aired on NBC. Love and the Blossoms sang backup for Sharon Marie (Esparza) (a Brian Wilson act), as well as John Phillips' solo album John, Wolfking of L.A., recorded in 1969.

Into the 1970s, Love continued to work as a backup singer, before taking a break in order to raise a family. In 1973, she recorded vocals as a cheerleader along with Michelle Phillips, for the Cheech & Chong single "Basketball Jones", which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.^{[citation needed]}

1980s return

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Love returned to music in the early 1980s and to an appreciative audience she thought might have long since forgotten her. She had been performing at venues like the Roxy in Los Angeles, and it was a conversation with Steven Van Zandt that greased the wheels for her to go to New York and begin performing there in 1982, at places like The Bottom Line. She also sang "OOO Wee Baby" in the 1980 movie The Idolmaker. Along with performing in small venues, Love worked as a maid in Beverly Hills. One day while she was cleaning one of these homes, she heard her song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the radio. She took this as a sign that she needed to change her life and go back to singing.^[12]

In the mid-1980s she portrayed herself in the Tony Award-nominated jukebox musical Leader of the Pack, which featured the rock and roll songs written by Ellie Greenwich, many of them for the young Love. The showstopping number of that show, "River Deep - Mountain High", had been recorded by Phil Spector with Ike & Tina Turner. Leader of the Pack commenced as a revue at the Greenwich Village nightclub The Bottom Line, as did the later show about Love's life, Portrait of a Singer, which never made the move uptown. Portrait included covers of "A Change Is Gonna Come" and "Don't Make Me Over", as well as "River Deep, Mountain High" and original music from some of the instrumental writers of early rock and roll, including Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Love contributed a cover of the Hollywood Argyles song "Alley Oop" to the soundtrack of the 1984 film Bachelor Party.

In 1986, Love's second chance came when she was asked to sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on David Letterman's Christmas show, which became a yearly tradition.^[12]

In 1987, Love sang backup for U2's remake of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)".

Later career

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In 1988, Love released the album Paint Another Picture, which included an update of her old hit "He's Sure the Man I Love", by Mann and Weill, as well as a ballad written especially for her, "I've Never Been the Same," by Judy Wieder. The album did not make the US charts. In 1990, Cher invited Love and her sister Edna Wright as her background vocalists for the Heart of Stone Tour. Love released a minor single in 1992 with "All Alone on Christmas", written by Steven Van Zandt, which can be found on the Home Alone 2: Lost in New York soundtrack. The song was also included in the British film Love Actually. Love also contributed vocals to the soundtrack of the film Jingle All the Way.

In 1993, Love sued Spector for unpaid royalties and was awarded $250,000.^[8]

Love alongside Rob Hoerburger, editor and writer for the New York Times wrote her autobiography titled My Name Is Love, published in 1998.^[1] In the memoir, Love writes about her life in the music industry, her years of struggle, and her present projects.^[13]

Love continues to do a Christmas show every year in New York City, which is always capped by "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)". In 2007, she released It's Christmas of Course, an album of Christmas-themed cover versions including "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and "Thanks for Christmas" by XTC. Love performed with Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band in November 2009 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert at Madison Square Garden.

Love was the musical guest on Late Show with David Letterman on May 7, 2007, performing "River Deep-Mountain High."

Love is featured in the documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom (2013), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to win the Oscar for Best Documentary at the 86th Academy Awards. 20 Feet from Stardom also won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Music Film, with the award being presented to the featured artists as well as the production crew.

Love recorded a duet, "He's Sure the Boy I Love", with Bette Midler on the latter's 2014 studio album It's the Girls!, a collection of songs paying tribute to girl groups.

In August 2014, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) announced their intention to develop a film based on Love's life, starring singer Toni Braxton.^[14] However, no further news has surfaced about this proposal.

Love's most recent album Introducing Darlene Love was released September 18, 2015 on Steve Van Zandt's label, Wicked Cool Records.^[15] There are 10 songs on the album, including two new songs by Bruce Springsteen, and covers of Joan Jett and Elvis Costello songs, among others.^[15] In 2016, Love began touring her new album across the United States.

Love recorded her first solo video concert on February 23, 2010, at the NJPAC. Darlene Love – The Concert of Love was released as a CD and DVD later that year. The concert was also broadcast on select public television stations.^[16]

In 2023, Love reunited with Cher to sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on Cher's album Christmas.^[17]

Acting career

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In the late 1980s and also in the 1990s, Love also began an acting career, playing Trish Murtaugh, the wife of Danny Glover's character, in the four Lethal Weapon movies.^[7]

Love has held many star roles in various Broadway productions. She acted and sang in Grease, in the short-lived musical adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie, and starred as Motormouth Maybelle in Broadway's Hairspray from August 2005 till April 2008.^[18] She later reprised the role in the Hollywood Bowl production of the show in 2011.

In 2019, she appeared in the Netflix original movie Holiday Rush.^[19]

In 2020, she appeared and sang in the Netflix original movie The Christmas Chronicles 2.

Christmas television performances

[edit]

Love performed the song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the last pre-Christmas episode of Late Night with David Letterman (NBC) which aired December 10, 1986 and then annually (with the exception of 2007) on Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) beginning with (air date) December 23, 1994. Her final Christmas appearance was on December 19, 2014, nine days after the official announcement that the show's finale would be in May 2015.^[20] Letterman has stated that the annual performance is his favorite part of Christmas. She was dubbed by Letterman as the "Christmas Queen".^[21] Love appeared in a reunion short with Letterman on his YouTube channel in 2023, again performing the song.^[22]

Due to the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike, Love was unable to perform on the Letterman show in 2007;^[23] a repeat of her 2006 performance was shown instead. Since 2015, Love has performed the song annually on ABC's The View,^[24] only skipping out the 2021 edition due to being exposed to a positive COVID-19 case resulting in a quarantine; a compilation of her previous performances was shown instead.^[25] She has usually performed the song as a duet, being joined by Patti LaBelle in 2016, Fantasia in 2017, and Bryan Adams in 2018. Love also performed "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" in season six, episode 10 of the Fox television series New Girl (2016).

Love was a special guest on the December 17, 2005, broadcast of Saturday Night Live, singing "White Christmas" with the SNL band and providing the vocals for a Robert Smigel cartoon entitled "Christmastime for the Jews."

In November 2023, Love, in a duet with Cher, performed "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.^[26] Love also performed solo on "A Marshmallow World" at the event.^[27]

Personal life

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Love was married three times and has three children. She married Leonard Peete in 1959.^[1] She had two sons with him: Marcus (born 1961) and Chawn (born 1964), and a daughter, Rosalynn, who died shortly after birth.^[1]They divorced in 1968. She married Wesley Mitchell in 1971, had a son, Jason Davion (born 1974), and later divorced.^[1] Love married Alton Allison on June 28, 1984 in Teaneck, New Jersey, and they reside in Rockland County, New York.^[28][1]

Awards and honors

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In 1995, Love received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award.^[4]

In 2008, Love was ranked No. 84 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers list.^[29]

On March 14, 2011, Love was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,^[29][30] with a speech by Bette Midler.^[31][32] Midler said "she changed my view of the world, listening to those songs, you had to dance, you had to move, you had to keep looking for the rebel boy". Near tears, Love noted that she would turn 70 later that year, and thanked Spector "for recognizing my talent and making me the main voice in his Wall of Sound". Her speech elicited a standing ovation. Later, she sang "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" with Bruce Springsteen providing a guitar solo.^[33]

In 2015, Love won her first Grammy Award for Best Music Film for the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom.^[34]

In 2015, Love was featured in the September issue of Entertainment Weekly. In the music section of the magazine, it introduced Love's five decades of musical accomplishments, such as different solos and albums.

Love provided the inaugural performance to christen the opening of the Clermont Performing Arts Center in Clermont, Florida on September 26, 2015.^[35]

Discography

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Solo albums

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Title	Album Details	U.S.	U.S. R&B	U.S. Heat
Paint Another Picture	Release: 1988	–	–	–
Bringing It Home	Release: 1992	–	–	–
Unconditional Love	Release: 1998	–	–	–
It's Christmas of Course	Release: October 2007	–	–	29
Introducing Darlene Love	Release: September 2015	134	3	2

Introducing Darlene Love Tracklist & Writers

#	Title	Writer(s)
1.	Among The Believers	Steven Van Zandt
2.	Forbidden Nights	Elvis Costello
3.	Love Kept Us Foolin Around	Linda Perry
4.	Little Liar	Desmond Child / Joan Jett
5.	Still Too Soon To Know	Elvis Costello
6.	Who Under Heaven	Jimmy Webb
7.	Night Closing In	Bruce Springsteen
8.	Painkiller	Michael Des Barres, Paul Ill
9.	Just Another Lonely Mile	Bruce Springsteen
10.	Last Time	Steven Van Zandt
11.	River Deep, Mountain High	Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich
12.	Sweet Freedom	Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
13.	Marvelous	Walter Hawkins
14.	Jesus Is The Rock (That Keeps Me Rollin)	Steven Van Zandt

Compilations

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Title	Album Details	U.S.
The Best of Darlene Love	Release: 1992	–
So Much Love: A Darlene Love Anthology 1958–1998	Release: 2008	–
The Sound of Love: The Very Best of Darlene Love	Release: 2011	–
The Many Sides of Love: The Complete Reprise Recordings Plus!	Release: 2022	–

Live albums

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Title	Album Details	U.S.
Whole Hearted	Release: 1983	–
Darlene Love Live	Release: 1985	–
The Concert of Love	Release: September 4, 2010	–

Other appearances

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• 1963: Today's Hits (Philles Records 4004)
• 1963: A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector (Philles Records 4005)
• 1977: Phil Spector's Greatest Hits (Warner-Spector Records 9104)
• 1978: Lakeshore Music presents Rock and Roll Forever (Warner Special Products #2508) (same as above release)
• 1985: Leader of the Pack Original Broadway Cast (Elektra Records 60420)
• 1990: Dick Tracy: Music from and inspired by the film (Sire/Warner Bros. Records 26236)
• 1991: Back to Mono (1958–1969) (ABKCO Records 7118) (boxed set)
• 1992: A Very Special Christmas 2 (A&M/PolyGram Records 450 003)
• 1998: Grease Is the Word (Rhino/Atlantic Records)

Singles

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Incomplete list of recordings.

Year	Title	Chart positions
		U.S. Hot 100 [36]	U.S. R&B	CAN	UK
1961	"Son-In-Law" (The Blossoms) Challenge 9109 (lead vocals by unknown session vocalist)	79	–	–	–
1961	"Hard to Get" (The Blossoms) Challenge 9122	-	–	–	–
1962	"The Search Is Over" (The Blossoms) Challenge 9138	-	–	–	–
1962	"He's a Rebel" (released as the Crystals) Philles 106	1	2	1	19
1962	"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" (released as Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans) Philles 107 (lead vocals by Bobby Sheen)	8	7	–	45
1962	"He's Sure the Boy I Love" (released as the Crystals) Philles 109	11	18	17	–
1963	"Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts" (released as Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans) Philles 110	38	–	–	–
1963	"Today I Met the Boy I'm Gonna Marry" / "My Heart Beat a Little Bit Faster" Philles 111	39	–	–	–
1963	"Not Too Young to Get Married" (released as Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans) Philles 113 (joint lead vocals with Bobby Sheen)	63	–	–	–
1963	"Wait ‘til My Bobby Gets Home" / "Take It From Me" Philles 114	26	–	–	–
1963	"A Fine, Fine Boy" Philles 117	53	29	–	–
1963	"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" Philles 119	15	–	36	22
1964	"Stumble and Fall" / "He's A Quiet Guy" Philles 123	-	–	–	–
1964	"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" Philles 125	-	–	–	–
1964	"3625 Groovy Street" / "What Are We Gonna Do In '64" (The Wildcats) Reprise 0253 (The Blossoms under a pseudonym; features unison lead vocals)	-	–	–	–
1965	"Good Good Lovin'" / "That's When the Tears Start" (The Blossoms) Reprise 0436	-	45	–	–
1966	"Lover Boy" / "My Love Come Home" (The Blossoms) Reprise 0475	-	–	–	–
1966	"Let Your Love Shine On Me / Deep Into My Heart" (The Blossoms) Reprise 0522	-	–	–	–
1966	"Too Late to Say You're Sorry / If" Reprise 0534	-	–	–	–
1967	"Deep Into My Heart / Good Good Lovin'" (The Blossoms) Reprise 0639	-	–	–	–
1967	"Wonderful" b/w "Stoney End" (The Blossoms) Ode 101 (B-side features joint lead vocals with Jean King)	-	–	–	–
1968	"Tweedlee Dee" (The Blossoms) MGM 13964	-	–	–	–
1968	"Cry Like A Baby" (The Blossoms) Ode 106	-	–	–	–
1969	"Stoney End" b/w "Wonderful" – reissued (The Blossoms) Ode 125 (A-side features joint lead vocals with Jean King)	-	–	–	–
1969	"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' / Something So Wrong" (The Blossoms) Bell 780	-	–	–
1969	"(You're My) Soul And Inspiration / Stand By" (The Blossoms) Bell 797	-	–	–	–
1970	"I Ain't Got To Love Nobody Else / Don't Take Your Love" (The Blossoms) Bell 857	-	–	–	–
1970	"One Step Away / Break Your Promise" (The Blossoms) Bell 937	-	–	–	–
1972	"Touchdown" (The Blossoms) Lion 108	-	–	–	–
1972	"Grandma's Hands" (The Blossoms) Lion 125	-	–	–	–
1974	"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" / "Winter Wonderland" Warner-Spector Records 0401	-	–	–	–
1975	"Lord, If You're A Woman / Stumble And Fall" Warner-Spector Records 0410	-	–	–	–
1977	"There's No Greater Love" (The Blossoms) Epic 50435	-	–	–	–
1988	"He's Sure the Man I Love" / "I've Never Been the Same" / "Everybody Needs" Columbia 07984	-	–	–	–
1992	"All Alone on Christmas" (used in the film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York) Fox 10003	83	–	–	31
2005	"Christmastime for the Jews" (from Saturday Night Live)	-	–	–	–

Filmography

[edit]

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1969	Change of Habit	Backup Singer	uncredited
1969	The Love God?	Singer with the Blossoms	uncredited
1987	Lethal Weapon	Trish Murtaugh
1989	Lethal Weapon 2	Trish Murtaugh
1992	Lethal Weapon 3	Trish Murtaugh
1993	Another World	Judy Burrell	July 20, 1993 - September 21, 1993
1998	Lethal Weapon 4	Trish Murtaugh
2013	20 Feet from Stardom	Herself	Documentary
2016	New Girl	Herself
2019	Holiday Rush	Aunt Jo Robinson
2020	The Christmas Chronicles 2	Grace

Theater

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Year	Production	Role	Theatre
1988	Carrie	Miss Gardner	Royal Shakespeare Theatre (tryout)
			Virginia Theatre, Broadway

Notes

[edit]

a. ^{^} Some sources say 1938; see talk page discussion.

[edit]

External links

[edit]

• Official website
• Darlene Love at AllMusic

  

• Darlene Love discography at Discogs

  

• Darlene Love at IMDb
• Darlene Love at the Internet Broadway Database

  

• Darlene Love at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• History of Rock and Roll: Darlene Love
• Darlene Love Interview

Darlene Love joins Julia Louis-Dreyfus for an episode of Wiser Than Me, in which Love looks back on her life and career. The singer reflects on the decision to move to New York in her 40s to catapult her career and her childhood influences.

Keep reading to learn more about Love and how she became a prominent musician.

Early Life, Gospel Beginnings, and Upper Trajectory

Who is Darlene Love? Born Darlene Wright on July 26, 1941, Love is an iconic American singer and actress known for contributing to gospel and soul music. Her journey to stardom began in her childhood when she started singing with her local church choir. This early exposure to gospel music shaped her unique vocal style and set the foundation for her future success. In 1962, Love caught the attention of renowned producer Phil Spector, who renamed her Darlene Love and propelled her into the spotlight. She quickly became a sought-after vocalist, lending her powerful voice to hits like “He’s a Rebel” and “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” which were credited to other artists such as The Crystals.

Her journey from her origins in gospel music, nurtured secretly by her father despite a strict Pentecostal upbringing, sets the backdrop to her stellar career. This defiance of societal and religious norms facilitated her path to stardom.

Pivotal Moments and Turning Points in Darlene Love’s Career

Despite adversities, a significant turning point in Love’s professional journey was her decision to move to New York to blaze a solo singing career well into her 40s. This created a pathway to greater professional opportunities for Love, more than she had ever experienced in her previous endeavors.

Her break in TV under Sue Simmons’ patronage was another stepping stone in her career journey. This provided her with a platform to showcase her talent to a broader audience, an opportunity that she grabbed with both hands.

Her symbolic court victory over unscrupulous producer Phil Spector is a testament to her determination. This victory not only highlighted her relentless pursuit of justice but also sent out a clear message to those who underestimated her.

Dionne Warwick’s influential advice played a huge role in her career. Her words served as Love’s mantra, encouraging her to pursue her dreams and ambitions relentlessly. This guidance was instrumental in steering her through the myriad of professional challenges she encountered over the years.

Over time, she transitioned from playing to small audiences to filling up massive venues. This transition was indeed a testament to her growing popularity and the universal appeal of her performances.

Collaboration With Music Industry Giants and Peers

Love’s engagement with luminaries, such as Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, and Aretha Franklin, is a testament to her inherent talent.

Her time as a backup singer for legends like Tom Jones and Dionne Warwick transformed her group and led to enduring friendships.

Love acknowledges that her vibrant stage presence, a significant part of her performances, is maintained through an active lifestyle that includes early mornings and kickboxing exercises.

Context

Throughout her career, Darlene Love defied societal and religious norms by pursuing a path in secular music while maintaining strong ties to gospel roots. Her ability to seamlessly transition between genres showcased both her versatility as an artist and the transformative power of music itself. Despite facing adversities and challenges along the way, including struggles with record labels and limited recognition for her solo work, Love persevered with unwavering determination.

Collaboration played a significant role in Darlene Love’s success story. She worked alongside rock and soul legends such as Sam Cooke, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Sonny & Cher, and even performed with Bruce Springsteen on numerous occasions. These collaborations not only elevated Love’s career but also highlighted the importance of friendship within the competitive music industry.

Themes of symbolic victory and the pursuit of justice resonate throughout Darlene Love’s narrative. Despite being overshadowed at times by other artists receiving credit for songs she sang lead vocals on or facing obstacles due to gender dynamics in the entertainment industry during that era; she ultimately triumphed over these challenges through sheer talent and perseverance.

When the creators of the 2013 documentary 20 Feet From Stardom began envisioning a film focused on backup singers, one name kept coming up: Darlene Love. Among fans and musicians alike, Love had a sterling reputation as one of music's legendary, if still somewhat under-celebrated voices performing behind the biggest acts. So after speaking to Love, director Morgan Neville said he was finally convinced that he could make an entire movie on the topic, one that heavily showcased Love's long-winding career and countless behind-the-scenes stories.

Like many singers of her generation, Love didn't grow up listening to the music she became most known for performing. "We couldn't listen to rock 'n' roll or rhythm and blues, or any of that kind of music growing up in my family," she tells Ophira Eisenberg, host of NPR's comedy trivia show Ask Me Another, at the Bell House in Brooklyn. As a preacher's daughter, Love said she was told it was "the devil's music."

Love soon broke from family tradition at 16, when she joined the singing group The Blossoms, a move that would change her life. As background singers, The Blossoms collaborated with countless stars and musicians, from Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye to Aretha Franklin and Tom Jones to Dionne Warwick and even Elvis Presley. The group's first smash hit song was "He's A Rebel," a single originally credited to another singing group, The Crystals, went on to sell over three million copies.

Love's many years performing from the back of the stage afforded her a rare vantage point from which she could observe the underbelly of the music industry. "We see everything," she alludes. "We saw the other side of what people don't see... we know about the parties, we know about everything the entertainers do."

After she parted ways with The Blossoms, Love went through some rough patches. For a while, to make ends meet, she cleaned houses — while secretly still driving her car from the glory-days, which she was loathe to give up. She parked it down the street, so employers wouldn't see. "They can't have a maid cleaning their house that has a Mercedes!" Love quips.

Eventually, Love was coaxed back into the music business by a serendipitous sign. "A wonderful thing happened while I was cleaning this one lady's bathroom," she recalls. "My record came on the radio." It was Darlene Love's 1963 song, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." "I just looked up and I said, 'Okay, I hear ya, I'm outta here.' Not that I think anything's wrong with that kind of work, but I was given this gift and I wanted to use it."

Love moved to New York City, where she began performing on Broadway. In 1986, David Letterman invited her to sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on his then-NBC talk show Late Night, and it became a seasonal tradition nearly every year since. Those frequent appearances propelled Love to the spotlight once again, helping her book her own gigs and reach new audiences. It finally culminated in numerous accolades: She has been named among Rolling Stone's Top 100 Singers of All Time; she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. And in 2014, Love reached a new celebratory pinnacle when she accepted the Academy Award on behalf of the Oscar-winning team of 20 Feet From Stardom.

Love will soon be performing at Graceland to promote the collaborative Elvis gospel tribute album Where No One Stands Alone. In honor of her love of Elvis Presley, she played an Ask Me Another trivia game about The King himself.

HIGHLIGHTS:

On the first time she saw Elvis:

"I thought he was the finest man I'd ever seen."

On whether she can share some juicy celebrity secrets:

"Of course not, are you kiddin' me?"

On being asked to sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" in the summertime:

"If I did you wouldn't have anything to wait for! I sing it til about January the 25th."