Song Of The Day: Nell Carter Roars Through “Back In The High Life”

Pretty much every night, my bedtime routine includes hitting up YouTube on TV and watching a few favorite video clips to lead me to slumberland. Earlier this week, I came across a longtime favorite: Broadway and TV star Nell Carter roaring her way through Steve Winwood’s 1986 classic “Back in the High Life.” I’ve always liked the song, but then I experienced Carter’s unbridled expression of strength and sheer will. Filmed for a 1992 TV special – In a New Light: A Call to Action in the War Against AIDS – the Tony Award-winner is a force of nature ripping through the anthem. In the clip, Carter (who self-identified as bisexual) shares for the first time that her brother, Bernard, had actually died from AIDS in 1989. By luck, I was in Los Angeles on tour with A Chorus Line and invited to attend the dress rehearsal for the TV special. I have always remembered being struck by her awesome power onstage. Watch as she builds and builds through the bridge to a gorgeous release at the 2:40 mark. And then that growl at 2:52 gives me life! I’ve literally played this clip hundreds of times. https://youtu.be/iOBgOXjpw4I?si=inTigZMAlGBOX2TA