Supply: Bryan Bedder / Getty
Lifetime’s Voices of a Lifetime collection continues to captivate audiences with its highly effective storytelling, spotlighting the journeys of musical legends who’ve formed the trade. Saturday, February 1, at 8/7c, the collection presents Can You Really feel the Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story, a completely approved biopic chronicling the rise of Lisa Lisa, the Latin freestyle icon who paved the way in which for artists like Selena Gomez and Jennifer Lopez. The collection concludes on Saturday, February 8, with Robin Roberts Presents I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story, which delves into the lifetime of the legendary disco queen.
Lisa Lisa’s Legacy and Triumph
For Lisa Lisa, the chance to convey her story to the display was a very long time coming. “I used to be satisfied, really,” she admits. “Tracy ‘Twinkie’ Chook (government producer) stored coming into my DMs for like 5, six years. And I used to be like, I don’t know. I don’t know. Persistence is all the pieces.”
Her biopic showcases her groundbreaking profession, but it surely additionally doesn’t shrink back from the private ache she endured, together with a tough first marriage. Reflecting on her previous, she shares, “I jumped within the marriage too quick as a result of I felt like I wished to develop up. I wished to be out of all people’s management and I felt that marriage was the factor to do.” Nevertheless, she quickly realized the fact of her state of affairs. “It was instantly after the marriage. It was the management and never permitting me to do issues that I wished to do.”
Giovanni Cristoff, who portrays Lisa Lisa’s first husband Javi, sheds mild on the character’s poisonous affect. “Javi… he’s the explanation why she fell down right into a destructive gap,” he explains. “Whenever you get success, actually take note of who’s in your neighborhood as a result of it took Javi to mainly break her.” He describes the character’s manipulative nature: “Javi did that by being very gaslighting, so much. He mainly pressured her to marry him in the midst of a dinner evening within the Pump Room in Chicago.”
Gloria Gaynor’s Highly effective Story
Following Lisa Lisa’s story, Voices of a Lifetime will have fun one other trailblazing artist—Gloria Gaynor, the voice behind the timeless anthem “I Will Survive.”
The ‘First Woman of Disco’ simply defied her 81 years as she went on stage to carry out the movie’s theme tune which she wrote
Gaynor (born Fowles) stated of her enduring disco traditional: ‘It simply addresses the human situation, you realize, it celebrates the tenacity of the human spirit and simply pumps you up. It simply makes you’re feeling like I can do that.’
She advised GMA, she recalled a fan in Italy advised her that she was able to go house and ‘finish my life. ‘However now that I heard you sing that tune I do know the place my energy can come from, and I don’t should die,”‘ Gloria recalled her saying.
‘After all we have been each standing there in a puddle [of tears],’ Gaynor continues.
Gaynor- who was an government producer shares, ‘If I can uplift, encourage, empower anyone else to make it by means of the tough instances of their lives by exhibiting how I did it and exhibiting that it may be performed – then it’s price it.’
Lance Gross, who portrays Gaynor’s ex-husband and supervisor Linwood Simon in a tumultuous marriage, describes his function as complicated. “Effectively, I wouldn’t say he was a nasty husband. I’d simply say he’s an advanced character. He was an advanced particular person, however by means of the analysis, I imagine that Linwood was appearing out in love and safety for Gloria, and it simply affected individuals in a sure means.”
He acknowledges the emotional toll of their relationship. “Sure, they did have a divorce, he broke her coronary heart. Yeah. Any failed relationship? There’s heartbreak although, proper?”
Gaynor left her marriage of 26 years describing that as “liberating.” The wedding was painful she revealed, saying that he usually disregarded her wants. She wished to have kids, and he didn’t, however she “swallowed no matter he stated and did no matter he stated and simply let him have his means.”
Lance Gross on What’s Subsequent
Past his work on I Will Survive, Gross continues to remain busy. “We’ve got one other season of Tyler Perry’s Home of Payne premiering on BET quickly.” And when requested what he’ll survive in 2025, he humorously states, “I’m going to say Trump.” He provides, “I’m going to outlive Trump. God bought me.”
Gross additionally shares a private victory, revealing his dedication to self-improvement by means of the “75 Onerous” problem. “I’ve form of kicked my unhealthy behavior, however sweet is my unhealthy behavior. I really like sweet like bitter sweet, however proper now I’m doing 75 Onerous, which is a problem for 75 days the place you hand over, you eat wholesome. So there’s been no sweet. So I’m doing good. I’m on day 28. I’m good. I’m doing good.”
A Should-Watch Sequence
With Can You Really feel the Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story and I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story, Lifetime’s Voices of a Lifetime continues to spotlight the resilience and triumphs of musical legends. Lisa Lisa’s groundbreaking success and Gloria Gaynor’s enduring legacy remind us all the energy of perseverance, music, and self-discovery.
You’ll be able to catch the carpet interviews within the video above.
Supply: Jazmyn Summers / Jazmyn Summers
Interview by Jazmyn Summers. Photographs and video by Melissa Nyomi Stoll of Melshotya You’ll be able to hear Jazmyn each morning on “Jazmyn within the Morning “on Sirius XM Channel 362 Grown People Jamz and subscribe to Jazmyn Summers’ YouTube. Observe her on Fb and Instagram.