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WHO YOU GONNA CALL?2019 MUSIC DOCUMENTARYAward winning film maker Fran Strine explores the unbelievable true story of the man who wrote and recorded the global smash hit song Ghostbusters which became a universally recognized pop culture classic. Ray Parker Jr. granted Strine unprecedented access, enabling him to reveal his riveting never-before-told life story. Parker overcame nearly impossible odds growing up on the segregated streets of Detroit in the 1960's to achieve his dream of getting his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, winning a Grammy and receiving a Best Song Oscar nomination. He escaped the violence of the 1967 riots in Detroit and of a racially fueled police beating as a teen by pursuing music as a way out. Practicing the guitar up to 12 hours a day, the tenacious teen managed to meet Marvin Gaye when he was just 15 years old and went on to play on many of the Motown legend's records.Long before his Ghostbusters fame, Parker cut his teeth touring with Stevie Wonder and The Rolling Stones at just 18 years old. He took the equivalent of a real-life master class in songwriting by performing on the Stevie Wonder album The Talking Book. He met Chaka Khan who recorded his very first #1 hit song "You Got the Love." After abruptly interrupting a recording session with Barry White, Parker impressed White by improvising and the duo went on to become the best of friends, with White later recording Parker's hit song "Always Thinking of You." A gifted songwriter and artist, Parker wrote songs and worked as a session musician for the industry's biggest icons, including Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Gladys Knight, Patti Labelle, The Temptations, The Carpenters and The Supremes. Recognizing his talent and his raw star power, music impresario Clive Davis signed Parker to his label Arista Records where his career reached new heights as a music star in his own right, achieving multi-platinum success and an array of chart topping hits in the 1970's and 80's.In this film, Parker opens up and discloses for the first time his own raw, emotional memories of the highs and lows of his life. Clive Davis, David Foster, Lee Ritenour, Boz Scaggs and Herbie Hancock share what it was like to collaborate with Parker, both on stage and off. Film mogul Ivan Reitman, who produced Ghostbusters, tells how he managed to convince Parker to write the "Ghostbusters" theme song on a deadline of just 3 days.The Ghostbusters phenomenon was so massive that it has since overshadowed the rest of Parker's career, leaving millions of fans around the world completely unaware of his rich musical legacy and his contributions to our music history. Who You Gonna Call pulls back the curtain to reveal to today's audiences his now little known yet legendary career. If you were an artist in the 70's and 80's looking for a hit song, who were you gonna call? The answer was Ray Parker Jr. And after watching this film, you will know why. Hear from Ray in his own words what it took for him to get from the streets of Detroit in the 60's to where he is today against all odds and experience the story that defies belief. |