It's not that it is a gift

It is what you do with it.

And that's the message in the most incredible documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, which took the 2014 Oscar for the best documentary.

"Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now." imdb.com

Some stay in the background. Some get one record, win a grammy and go back to the background. All are passionate about their music and it is the music and being the best they can be as much as stardom and money, although they all need to make decisions to survive.

We have heard everyone of them. They are known by our favourite singers who know and appreciated them and appear: Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Bette Midler. We see them sing behind Ray Charles, Michale Jackson, Joe Crocker...and more.

There's a lesson for writers here as well. We may be talented but talent doesn't necessarily bring recognition or at least huge amounts of a best seller. If we as writers can love producing the written word as much as these women love their music, then we have lived fulfilled lives. We make the most of our talent, develop our craft. But whether we are singers or writers, we can put our work out there and hope the world see its. From the moment we let go of it, we have no more control and in both singing and writing, it is matter of chance against the universe we inhabit.

Here's some you tubes

Judith Hill (who was also on The Voice.)
Darlene Love
Lisa Fisher