{blackbabes} Judith Hill is breaking out in '20 Feet From Stardom'

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Judith Hill is making the long trip from background singer to the position in the spotlight at the front of the stage.

The 29-year-old artist is featured in the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, which looks at the talented back-up singers who are the unsung heroes of the music industry.

Yet Hill, who was one of the standout performers in The Voice this season, is showing all the signs of moving onto her own artistic solo career.

"She's the one who is trying to make it," says 20 Feet From Stardom director Morgan Neville. "She's heading into a brave new world and she is the whole package. If I was a betting man, I would put money on her."

It's a solid bet. Hill is the daughter of professional musicians, wrote her first song at age 4 and went on to become one of the most sought-after background singers in the business, singing with stars such as Rod Stewart, Josh Grobin, Stevie Wonder and Elton John.

Hill caught her biggest break when she was chosen to sing background for Michael Jackson during the star's ill-fated This Is It tour in 2009. The short-lived opportunity gave Hill a chance to see a musical legend up close as they rehearsed for the tour.

"I could see him stressed. And there was a lot of stuff going on. And he was quite thin. So I was worried about him in that sense," Hill recalls. "But when he gave 100% it was like, 'Oh my God, it's Michael Jackson.' "

She never anticipated that tragedy was just around the corner. "I was thinking that God knows what the show is going be like when he kicks it into gear," says Hill. "There was no question that he was going to kill it."

Jackson died after suffering acute cardiac arrest in June 2009.

"The first part was shock and disbelief. I felt that for a very long time," said Hill. "The whole world just stood still when he passed. We were right in middle of that hurricane."

Hill memorably sang Heal the World at Jackson's memorial service and found herself caught up in the swirl that followed Jackson's death.

"America got to know me initially from that and that was so bittersweet. I was thrust into the public eye in such an abnormal way," says Hill. "We had lost this great icon. But at the same time, Michael Jackson truly changed my life."

It wasn't sudden success. While many of her new fans expected Hill to simply step out with a new album, she continued to pay her dues as a background singer.

"People have this idea, this perception, especially after Michael Jackson, that I was flying (on) private jets," says Hill. "The life of a singer is you have to pay your bills. You have to take a gig."

Hill was able to showcase herself as a contestant on The Voice. All the judges — Adam Levine, Shakira, Usher and Blake Shelton — clamored to work with her during her televised audition. She chose to work with Levine and excelled on the show until her elimination in May, which shocked many fans.

Hill sees the show as a positive experience because millions were able to see her in the spotlight.

"The Voice gave me a chance to show people the side of me that is an artist," says Hill. "People didn't know what that would look like or sound like. It allowed people to see that potential."

Hill is working to land a recording contract and hopes to have a solo album out in 2014. She wrote music for Spike Lee's film Red Hook Summer and her fame from both The Voice and 20 Feet From Stardom are only helping her cause.

"Everything is moving in the right direction, it's all very exciting," says Hill. "That 20 feet is getting a whole lot smaller. Stay tuned."