This year Read The Scripts Top 5 Black History Month list is going to be different, the list is going to be about Black Biographical Musical Films.
Cadillac Records is a 2008 Biographical Drama Film about the rise of Leonard and Phil Chess and the Artists of Chess Records. The film focuses on the lives of artists such as Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry, and Etta James, their rise to fame was a huge success but their problems started to affect their careers that's when you started to see the ups and downs of the label. The artists were able to continue making hit songs and albums but towards the end of the film, we see the downfall of some of the artists and the end of Chess Records. Rest in Peace to the Artists and the owners of Chess Records
Respect is a 2021 Biographical Musical Drama about the life of Aretha Franklin and the ups and downs she had to deal with in her music career, we see a young Aretha living with her Father and Siblings while also going to live with her Mother from times to times. When Aretha's mother passed away Aretha decided to stop talking to everyone until her father decided to put her in his church to sing, throughout the film we see Aretha grow up, married trying to make a hit song but things are not working out and her marriage with Ted White is not in a good place. Aretha goes back home and works with her sisters and works things out with Ted and she was able to get a hit song. Aretha had become a big star but she was dealing with some problems throughout her career but was able to overcome them and become one of the biggest artists of R&B and Gospel and be known as the Queen of Soul. Rest In Peace to Aretha Franklin
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a 2020 Music Drama Film about Ma Rainey and her Jazz Band recording session that takes place in the 1920s. The story focuses on the band members for most of the film we see Slow Drag, Cutler, Toledo, and Levee Green who show up early for the session before Ma and we see that Levee is getting tired of how things are going and wants to leave the band to start his solo career. We see Ma, Dussie Mae, and her Nephew Sylvester show up and Ma makes her demands known to her manager Irvin, and the producer, Mel Sturdyvant, Ma also tells the band that Sylvester will open up her album but comes to find out that he has a stutter. We see how long it took them to make the song and after Ma and the band finally finished recording the song Ma fires Levee from the band and things don't get better, we see one of the band members get killed and we see one of Levee songs being recorded by an all-white band. Rest In Peace to Ma Rainey and Chadwick Boseman
Get On Up is a 2014 Biographical Musical Drama about the life of James Brown and how he became the biggest artist of R&B and Soul but we also see the struggles he had to deal with during his career. We see how bad James Brown's childhood and Young Adulthood were, when he was in prison he met Bobby Byrd and when James got out of prison he joined them. One night at a Little Richard show James decided to put on a show for the people and made himself the lead singer of the group and changed the group name to The Famous Flames and decided to make R&B music and move the band away from Gospel music. James and the group had a big success, they signed with a records label and they performed everywhere, when James's manager Ben Bart passed away James started to have personal problems that affected not only his career but the group and his loved ones around him. Things got worse after his oldest son Teddy died and James got in trouble with the law, towards the end of the film we see James get himself cleaned up and make things right with Bobby and we also see Bobby and his Wife go to one of James's show and James performs one of his hit songs for them and his fans. Rest in Peace to James Brown and Chadwick Boseman
The Temptations Television Miniseries is a 1998 Biographical Musical Drama about The Temptation's rise to fame and the problems the group had to deal with throughout their careers. We see Otis Williams and Elbridge Bryant put together a group and they are singing for a couple of people on the street and they see another group doing the same thing. Otis notices one of the singers and wants him in his group that's when we find out that it's Melvin Franklin and he ends up joining Otis's group. Throughout the 1960's we see now known as The Distants trying to get a hit song on the radio and trying to find a way to get a record deal, when things don't work out for them some of the members leaves and it's just Otis and Melvin trying to figure out what to do next. Otis and Melvin decided to add Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, and a returning Bryant to their new group and we see them go to Motown Studios to get signs by Berry Gordy but they have to come up with a better name for their group. After coming up with the new group name they perform for Berry and he signs them to a deal.
We see The Temptations had a rough time trying to get a hit but things are not working out for them, after kicking Bryant out of the group and adding David Ruffin things got way better for all of them but when they started to go on tour and making money that's when the problems started. Throughout the years we see different singers join the group and replace some of the original members, the group was able to continue making hit songs but the problems kept going on and we saw some of the members pass away. After a couple of years, the group was able to come together for a reunion tour and The Temptations was put into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but after all of that, we see more of them pass away. Towards the end of the film, we see that Melvin has passed away and everyone shows up to his funeral to show their support to Melvin's mother and Otis. After that scene we see the five original members of The Temptations singing their hit song My Girl for one last time. Rest in Peace to most of the members of The Temptations
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