Black Music Icons Who Deserve Biopics: Fans' Top Picks

Last year, director Lee Daniels teased that he is helping Grammy-award-winning songstress Mariah Carey bring her story to the big screen. Fans believe he will be directing an official film adaptation of the singer’s best-selling memoir. This news came along a long list of biopic announcements, including a Madonna self-directed feature, Zendaya starring as Ronnie Spector, and the announcement of “Square Biz” singer Teena Marie’s biopic being in development just this month.

With Hollywood wanting to reflect on the legacies of many musicians, several music fans have expressed whose story they’d love to see on the big screen. There are several musicians who not only broke color barriers with their music, but left a lasting impact on the industry.

So, we asked several music fans their thoughts on which Black musician’s story they’d love to see on film.

Stevie Wonder

A repetitive answer was that of the “eighth wonder of the world,” or most notably, Stevie Wonder.

The musician is considered one of the most influential musicians, with his soulful croons and exceptional songwriting, he has inspired artists worldwide with his skill. When you think of timeless classics, you can’t help but think of his most notorious album Song In The Key Of Life. He was a Motown prodigy that has worked and inspired huge industry names like Beyoncé, Prince and many more.

Not only is his music a beautiful blend of harmony to your ear, he’s used his gift to speak on several civil rights topics including racism, apartheid and campaigning to have Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday become a national holiday.

Jodeci

Deemed as one of the most influential male groups of the 1990’s, many R&B fans have been “Feenin'” for their story to be told.

The R&B quartet consisted of DeVanté Swing, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci, and JoJo and they signed with Uptown Records in 1990. Their debut album Forever My Lady gave them three Billboard No. 1 hits including favorites like “Stay,” “Come and Talk to Me,” and the albums title track.

Fans believe seeing their early beginnings and their influence on other male groups at the time would be an inspiring story that shows the groups highs and lows while still remaining one of the most influencial bands in the 20th century and beyond.

Prince

The Artist Forever Known as Brilliance, many fans of Prince have expressed wanting deeper insight on the musicians personal, wild life.

Known notoriously for hits like “Purple Rain,” “Raspberry Beret,” and several other, Prince crossed genres and boundaries with his music. He played nearly a dozen instruments and had a vast vocal range of high pitched falsettos to low baritone notes. In his 40-year careerm he released nearly 40 albums in jazz, blues and funk.

His deep passion for his artistry often overshadows the privacy of his personal life. Though an incomplete memoir of the star has been released, fans want a deeper insight into the world of Prince.

Teddy Pendergrass

Teddy Pendergrass was a soul and R&B powerhouse whose rise to fame began in a group with Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes in 1972. The group brought classic hits like “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” and “I Miss You”

In 1977, Pendergrass went solo and gave sultry ballads like “Close The Door,” “Turn Off The Lights,” and “Love T.K.O.” His sex appeal was at an all time high in the late 1970s, often performing concerts for women-only crowds.

By 1982, Pendergrass was involved in a car crash while driving his new Rolls-Royce that left him paralyzed from the chest down. Still, years later, after recovery he scored another No. 1 hit with “Joy” in 1988.

Sam Cooke

Commonly referred to as the “King of Soul,” Sam Cooke has left a lasting mark on the music industry and is seen as one of the most influential soul artists of all time.

During the span of his career, he released 29 singles that charted the Top 40 on Billboard. He became a crossover artist with major pop sucess between 1957 and 1964 with hits like “You Send Me’ and “Cupid.” In 1964, Cooke released a single that became one of his most influential works, “A Change Is Gonna Come,” which talked about the struggle of Black Americans and the Civil Rights Movement.

In December of 1964, Cooke’s life was cut short after he was shot and killed at the Hacienda Motel by the motel’s manager, Bertha Franklin. Cooke had come to the hotel that night with Elisa Boyer, a woman accompanying him at the time. Boyer claimed that Cooke had attempted to rape her and grabbed his things by mistake and ran to the lobby of the hotel. Franklin told police that Cooke came to the office looking for Boyer, banging on Franklin’s office door.

According to Franklin, a struggle ensued where she eventually grabbed a gun and shot him, piercing his heart.

The story of Cooke’s tragic end has always been muddied. Though Franklin claimed to shoot Cooke in self-defense, witnesses who saw his body said he had several injuries and broken limbs. On the lack of investigation, Muhammad Ali said that if Cooke had been “Frank Sinatra, the Beatles or Ricky Nelson, the FBI would be investigating.”

Phyllis Hyman

An unsung songstress in jazz, blues and R&B with a career spanning the 1970s to the early ’90s, Phyllis Hyman was known for her sultry, expansive range. She is most notably known for songs such as “You Know How To Love Me,” and “Don’t Wanna Change the World.”

Many music fans believe her sound is one that has often been overlooked and want a deeper insight into her life.

In 1995, Hyman, who struggled with bipolar disorder and depression, died by suicide.

Rick James

The complex, wild life of rock and funk star Rick James has been one that many fans have said they’d love to see in theatres.

James received mainstream success in the early 1980s with his most successful album, Street Song,s which included defining hits like “Super Freak,” and “Give It To Me Baby. He is also known for discovering “Portuguese Love” singer Teena Marie, whose budding career skyrocketed after meeting him.

The funk legend had a terrible addiction to hard drugs and alcohol and before becoming famous, dabbled in a life of crime. His escapades he sang about in his music were a reflection of the wild life he lived.

Patti LaBelle

The “Godmother of Soul” didn’t receive her title by just having a distinguishable sound. Patti LaBelle was a pioneer in soul, funk, blues and R&B. The icon has had a lasting legacy from her punk, funk band LaBelle, to her sultry and expansive solo career. She has collaborated with several shining stars, along with a long-standing career in acting.

Recounted as one of the most influential female singers of our time, it is no wonder fans want to see her story reflected and honored on the big screen.

Beyoncé

It’s a wonder why Beyoncé, one of the biggest superstars of this generation, doesn’t have a memoir, let alone a movie of her early career in the works. Several fans speculate that it is because the singer is still breaking barriers in her career. However, many others still would love a biopic or even a documentary depicting a young Beyoncé through her early career that transcended her into the Queen Bey that she is today.

Donny Hathaway

Renowned singer and father to Grammy-award-winning artist Lalah Hathaway, Donny Hathaway is often described as a soul legend.

With popular songs such as “For All We Know,” “A Song for You,” and several collaborations with Roberta Flack, such as “The Closer I Get To You;” Hathaway is known for his unique, powerful vocal cadence and emotion depicted in his songs.

Hathaway was a pianist and by the age of three, was already a professional gospel singer. He produced songs for artists like Aretha Franklin and the Staples Singers and is often noted for his eclectic range with a soul gospel sound.

“When I think of music, I think of music in its totality, complete,” Donny said in an interview on his live album These Songs for You. “From the lowest blues to the highest symphony, you know, so what I’d like to do is exemplify each style of as many periods as I can possibly do.”

In 1971, Hathaway was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, which led to hospitalizations and several hallucinations. At one point, he believed that white people were trying to get in his head and steal his music.

In 1979, Hathaway’s body was found outside a New York hotel, below his 15th-floor room. His death was ruled a suicide at just 33 years old.