Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, And Ben E. King Song “Stand By Me” To Be Focus Of J. Kevin Swain Documentary To Release In 2025
16.11.2023 - 16:33
/ deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: More than a hit song, “Stand By Me,” by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and Ben E. King, has transcended the notion of a “standard”—it’s been recorded more than 1,000 times and has made more appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 chart than any other song.
Music and media producer Spencer Proffer and his music-anchored production company Meteor 17 have been selected to produce the authorized feature-length documentary about the iconic song and its significant global impact for over six decades. Emmy and Grammy nominated director J. Kevin Swain — who has directed music videos and other projects for and with Mary J. Blige, Wynton Marsalis, Queen Latifah — has been selected by Proffer to bring the story of the song to the screen.
As part of the film, Emmy and Grammy winning producer, composer, musical director and musician Steve Jordan will produce a new version of the song. Jordan has worked with artists including Keith Richards, John Mayer and The Verbs.
The yet-to-be-named cinematic project follows Proffer’s critically acclaimed documentaries The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie, which debuted in 2022, and Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback, a documentary about the making of Elvis Presley’s seminal 1968 “Comeback Special” through the lens of legendary television producer-director Steve Binder, which debuted this year to critical praise and strong audience engagement. Both films premiered as Paramount+ originals following limited global theatrical releases.
Proffer says the film will, for the first time, powerfully reveal and share the deepest meanings behind the song and its impact on popular culture, while highlighting moments in world history that are as relevant now as they were in