Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill Documentary Release Date Announced for Theatrical Release!

By David Hill On Apr 10, 2024

Judee Sill is widely regarded as a folk music icon at present, but she encountered considerable commercial adversity during her lifetime. Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill was a biographical documentary that was exhibited at multiple film festivals in 2022.

Nonetheless, Variety reports that the formal theatrical release of this project is scheduled for later this month. It examines the life and career of the singer.

Aside from that, Judee Sill only released two albums in her lifetime. She was, intriguingly, the first artist to receive a record deal with Asylum, the renowned record label that David Geffen co-founded.

Her distinctive artistic approach, characterized by unorthodox compositional structures and deep classical undertones, distinguished her from her contemporaries. Her music was recognized for its “Southern California vibe of the 1970s.” Furthermore, a cult following developed around Sill due to the recurring somber and melancholy themes in her discography.

An intimate depiction of a unique singer-songwriter from 1970s Los Angeles, according to the official trailer for Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill.

The documentary follows Judee Sill’s life from her turbulent youth, which includes jail time and armed robbery, to her quick ascent to fame in the music industry and her untimely death at a young age. Judee went from living in her car to landing a record deal with Asylum Records and appearing on Rolling Stone’s cover in less than two years.

The description continues, “The film explores Judee’s unique musical style and the inspiring recent rediscovery of her singular music by a new generation of musicians including Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek of Big Thief, Shawn Colvin, and Weyes Blood. As told by Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, David Geffen, and JD Souther — along with Judee herself.”

On April 12, 2024, Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill will be presented in a number of US theaters. It will also be accessible for streaming on Apple TV & Amazon on the same day.

When was Judee Sill born, and how did she spend her early life?

Judee Sill was born in Oakland, California, where she spent the majority of her childhood, on October 7, 1944. The name of her father was Milford “Bun” Sill. Additionally, he owned a tavern and an enterprise that transported exotic animals for use in films.

Judee Sill acquired piano skills in the tavern owned by her father. Regrettably, Milford succumbed to pneumonia at the tender age of eight. She, her mother Oneta, her older sibling Dennis, and herself relocated to Los Angeles following the passing of her father.

Oneta eventually wed the renowned animator of Tom and Jerry, Kenneth Muse. Her mother’s alleged union with Muse was acrimonious, according to reports. There were times when Judee engaged in frequent physical altercations with both individuals.

Judee attended a public secondary school initially. She subsequently enrolled in a private school, where she initiated her criminal activities. It has been reported that she and her male accomplice engaged in armed assaults across a range of establishments, including gas stations and liquor stores. This ultimately resulted in their apprehension, and she was subsequently enrolled in a reform school for some months.

Judee eventually arrived in San Fernando Valley Junior College for a limited period to behold “good music.” During this period, she supported herself by working in a piano bar and performing in the school orchestra. In 1964, however, following the death of her mother, she dropped out of college and vacated Kenneth Muse’s residence. In due course, she initiated psychedelic drug experiments and ultimately established a residence with a drug dealer.

Judee Sill’s addiction to heroin and her view of evil

In the same Rolling Stone interview, the question about the musician’s definition of evil was posed. Sill answered that, for her, evil meant making someone happy by doing something bad, citing her addiction to heroin.

Judee Sill

“I believe that evil finds pleasure in doing bad things.” not merely doing badly, as that is primarily ignorance. However, evil revels in it. Heroin, for instance, has a power of its own that allows it to transform individuals who would otherwise be excellent people into something quite different.

Sill also disclosed that she spent $150 a day on narcotics for three years. She was left penniless and had to battle every day. “I had a $ 150-a-day habit for three years, and I saw what I would do for it; there was no limit,” Sill remarked. “It’s pretty hard to come up with when you’re living on the streets.” And I went all out for it because I wanted to get away from my suffering and agony.

She went on to warn against heroin use because of its serious and nearly irreversible side effects, saying, “But heroin, man, my advice is to avoid it at all costs.” It may also have astral, eternal repercussions.