For The Love of Doo-Wop: Meet A First-Time Documentary Filmmaker at 82

“You’re Too Old For That” is a regular series that explores inspiring activities being pursued by those over 50 years old who feel you’re never too old to do what lights you up.

I settled in with my friend, a 50-something mom like me, on her sofa, as we queued up Heart & Soul: A Love Story on Amazon Prime. I’d read the previews and got a brief synopsis of the documentary from executive producer Liz Nickles, but I still wasn’t sure what to expect. As the opening harmonies of doo-wop rock filled the living room, I grinned, “This reminds me of my mom.”  “This is the music my dad used to love,” my friend agreed. We paused the movie to share childhood memories and felt the presence of our parents, who would be in their 80s and 90s if they were still alive. Chatting with musician and documentary director Kenny Vance the next day, I found out this reaction was exactly what he intended.

Read: You’re Too Old For That: Rock Star Edition

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“It wasn’t your era; it was your parent’s era. But there was something about it that touched you,” he told me. “It has a lot of emotion to it. I think because of that it touches people.”

By telling the story of early doo-wop artists like Little Anthony and the Imperials, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, and Arlene Smith, Vance helped bridge the gap between generations and filled in often-forgotten pieces of rock and roll history.

Kenny Vance: From Jay and the Americans to capturing history

Many people reading this might remember Kenny Vance as one of the founding members of the 1960s and ‘70s band, Jay and the Americans.

Vance also worked as the music director for Saturday Night Live, and was the music supervisor for well-loved films like Animal House and Eddie & the Cruisers. He’s also spent time in front of the camera, with roles in movies like American Hot Wax, Billy Bathgate, and a number of Woody Allen flicks. But his passion has always been the early era of doo-wop, R&B and rock and roll. “I loved this music as a kid,” he said.

It wasn’t until he returned to the stage in 1992 with the group Kenny Vance and the Planotones that he became inspired to combine his film industry experience with his love for music and begin capturing the stories of doo-wop artists. Performing live put him back in the orbit of historic performers who shaped the sounds of pop, rock, and hip-hop for decades to come.

“I ran into all these musicians that were my heroes as a kid,” Vance said.

He started interviewing artists with only a vague idea in mind to someday produce a documentary. Mostly, he was capturing the footage to preserve their history.

 “This music was like a secret to people,” he said. “But I always felt it was very important. This was the foundational music of America. Everything that came after it was built on this. They were the unsung heroes of rock and roll and never rode the train to success they deserved.”

Hurricane Sandy wipes away footage – but not the dream

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy swept across the East Coast. Vance’s house in Rockaway Beach, Brooklyn, was mostly destroyed. But when he went back to recover what he could, he found some of the footage.

“At that point, I decided I wanted to do the film,” he said.

Throughout the project, Vance said, he earned an informal PhD. in documentary film-making – and, incidentally, the title of oldest first-time American male documentary film director.  One of his biggest surprises, he said, was not getting immediate support from the industry. Because his passion was pure and honest, he thought everyone he contacted would immediately want to be involved.

“That wasn’t exactly the way it went down,” he said. “Every day was another problem that we had to solve. Because it was a labor of love, I kept at it.”

Vance also mentioned monetary frustrations and disappointments surrounding music licensing rights. “The music budget [had to be] huge,” he said.

Major record labels own the rights to most of the music in the movie – roughly 50 songs, in total. Buying those licensing rights wasn’t cheap.

“It made me sad because the people who wrote and performed these songs – the people in the movie – they never got paid for them,” Vance explained. 

“If you’re a dreamer and you get a chance in life, if you’re retired and you have a chance to do something you love, whatever it might be, I would tell people to go for it. I think if you have a purpose you love, you feel no age.”

Kenny Vance, musician & documentary film maker

Critical acclaim, historic accolades

The documentary has 4.8 stars on Amazon and has reviewers and doo-wop fans singing Vance’s praises.

“Calling it a hit film is an understatement,” writes musical artist and radio host Tony Orlando on the WABC MusicRadio blog.

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) awarded Brooklyn-native Vance with the first-ever Documentary Film Festival Legacy Award in February 2026. The Smithsonian Institute, the GRAMMY Museum, and LIMEHOF all hosted screenings of Heart & Soul: A Love Story prior to its streaming release on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, Plex TV, Night Flight Plus and other platforms.

“A lot of museums and colleges are calling us to come speak to their students and music department. Not only is the movie entertaining, it’s historical. It’s an important view into history that never really was told properly,” Vance said.

What’s next for Kenny Vance?

Never one to stop, Vance is working on releasing his next CD and also negotiating international distribution rights for the film, which will include Spanish translation.

His sense of purpose, he said, keeps him going.

“If you’re a dreamer and you get a chance in life, if you’re retired and you have a chance to do something you love, whatever it might be, I would tell people to go for it. I think if you have a purpose you love, you feel no age.”

“You’re Too Old For That” is a regular series that explores inspiring activities being pursued by those over 50 years old who feel you’re never too old to do what lights you up. Are you doing something inspiring? Do you know someone who is pursuing a passion in their older years? If you or someone you know is 50 years old or older and should have their inspiring story told, please email the editors at Nifty 50+