Luther Vandross

Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was a highly acclaimed American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. He enjoyed a successful career, marked by eleven consecutive RIAA-certified platinum albums and the sale of over 40 million records worldwide. Vandross, known as the "Velvet Voice," has been recognized as one of the greatest singers of all time by Rolling Stone (2023) and one of the greatest R&B artists by Billboard. NPR also honored him as one of the 50 Great Voices. Vandross was a recipient of eight Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year in 2004 for "Dance with My Father," a track recorded shortly before his passing. In 2021, he was posthumously inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.



During the 1970s, Vandross worked as a backing vocalist, contributing to albums by renowned artists such as Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, Todd Rundgren, Judy Collins, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Ben E. King, Stevie Wonder, and Donna Summer. He later became the lead singer of the group Change, which released the Gold-certified album "The Glow of Love" in 1980. Following his departure from the group, Vandross signed with Epic Records as a solo artist and released his debut solo album, "Never Too Much," in 1981.



Vandross' catalog of hit songs includes "Never Too Much," "Here and Now," "Any Love," "Power of Love/Love Power," "I Can Make It Better," and "For You to Love." Many of his tracks were covers of original music by other artists, such as "If This World Were Mine" (a duet with Cheryl Lynn), "Since I Lost My Baby," "Superstar," "I (Who Have Nothing)," and "Always and Forever." His duets, including "The Closer I Get to You" with Beyoncé, "Endless Love" with Mariah Carey, and "The Best Things in Life Are Free" with Janet Jackson, were all chart-topping successes. The tribute album "So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross" was released shortly after his passing.


Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. was born on April 20, 1951, at Bellevue Hospital in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. His birth coincided with General Douglas MacArthur's ticker-tape parade in the same city. Luther was the fourth child and second son of Mary Ida Vandross and Luther Vandross Sr. His father worked as an upholsterer and singer, while his mother was a nurse. Luther was raised in Manhattan's Lower East Side, specifically in the Alfred E. Smith Houses public housing development. At the age of three, Luther, who had his own phonograph, taught himself to play the piano by ear.


Tragically, Luther's father passed away due to diabetes when Luther was just eight years old. In 2003, Luther paid tribute to his father by writing the song "Dance with My Father" based on childhood memories and his mother's recollections of the family singing and dancing together. After his father's death, Luther's family moved to the Bronx when he was nine. Luther's sisters, Patricia "Pat" and Ann, introduced him to the vibrant music scene, taking him to the Apollo Theater and a theater in Brooklyn to see performances by Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin. Patricia herself sang with the vocal group The Crests and was featured on songs like "My Juanita" and "Sweetest One."


Luther Vandross graduated from William Howard Taft High School in the Bronx in 1969. He briefly attended Western Michigan University for one and a half semesters before deciding to drop out and focus on pursuing a career in music.


During his time in high school, Luther Vandross not only pursued his passion for music but also actively engaged in the music community. He founded the first Patti LaBelle fan club while in high school and served as its president. Additionally, Luther performed with a group called Shades of Jade, and they had the opportunity to play at the historic Apollo Theater. His early years in show business included multiple appearances at the Apollo's renowned amateur night.


While involved in a theater workshop called Listen My Brother, Luther contributed to the group's singles "Only Love Can Make a Better World" and "Listen My Brother." The group had a notable performance in front of tens of thousands at the Harlem Cultural Festival in late August 1969. Following this, Luther Vandross appeared with the group in the pilot episode and other episodes of the first season of Sesame Street during 1969–1970. This early exposure helped shape his path in the music industry.


Luther Vandross continued to make significant contributions to the music industry during the 1970s. Here are some notable aspects of his career during that period:

1. Backing Vocals: Vandross provided backing vocals for various artists, including Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway in 1972. He also contributed his vocal talents to Delores Hall's "Hall-Mark" album in 1973.
2. Collaboration with David Bowie: Vandross co-wrote the song "Funky Music (Is a Part of Me)," which was later re-written as "Fascination" for David Bowie's "Young Americans" album in 1975. Vandross subsequently toured with Bowie as a backup vocalist in September 1974.
3. The Wiz: Vandross wrote the song "Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day" for the 1975 Broadway musical "The Wiz."
4. Session Work: Vandross lent his backing vocals to numerous artists and bands, including Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, Ben E. King, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, David Bowie, Cat Stevens, Gary Glitter, Ringo Starr, Sister Sledge, Donna Summer, Mandrill, Chic, and Todd Rundgren's Utopia.
5. Luther (Band): Before his solo breakthrough, Vandross was part of a singing quintet named Luther in the late 1970s. The group released two albums, "Luther" (1976) and "This Close to You" (1977), and had some successful singles, including "It's Good for the Soul" and "Funky Music (Is a Part of Me)."
6. Commercial Jingles: Vandross wrote and sang commercial jingles for various companies, including NBC, Mountain Dew, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, and Juicy Fruit, from 1977 until the early 1980s.
7. Bionic Boogie: In 1978, Vandross sang lead vocals for Gregg Diamond's disco band, Bionic Boogie, on the song titled "Hot Butterfly."
8. Quincy Jones Collaboration: Vandross appeared on Quincy Jones's album "Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!" in 1978, notably on the song "I'm Gonna Miss You in the Morning" alongside Patti Austin.
9. Other Collaborations: Vandross contributed lead vocals to the group Mascara's LP title song "See You in L.A." released in 1979 and appeared on the group Charme's 1979 album "Let It In."

Vandross made his career breakthrough as a featured singer with the vaunted pop-dance act Change, a studio concept created by French-Italian businessman Jacques Fred Petrus. Their 1980 hits, "The Glow of Love" and "Searching," featured Vandross as the lead singer. In a 2001 interview with Vibe, Vandross said "The Glow of Love" was "the most beautiful song I've ever sung in my life." Both songs were from Change's debut album, The Glow of Love.


Vandross was originally intended to perform on their second and highly successful album Miracles in 1981, but declined the offer as Petrus didn't pay enough money. Vandross's decision led to a recording contract with Epic Records that same year, but he also provided background vocals on "Miracles" and on the new Petrus-created act, the B. B. & Q. Band in 1981. During that hectic year Vandross jump-started his second attempt at a solo career with his debut album, Never Too Much. In addition to the hit title track, it contained a version of the Bacharach & David song "A House Is Not a Home."


The song "Never Too Much," written by him, reached number-one on the R&B charts. This period also marked the beginning of songwriting collaboration with bassist Marcus Miller, who played on many of the tracks and would also produce or co-produce a number of tracks for Vandross. The Never Too Much album was arranged by Vandross's high school classmate, Nat Adderley Jr., a collaboration that would last through Vandross's career.

Discography

Here is a list of Luther Vandross's main albums:

1. Never Too Much (1981)
2. Forever, for Always, for Love (1982)
3. Busy Body (1983)
4. The Night I Fell in Love (1985)
5. Give Me the Reason (1986)
6. Any Love (1988)
7. Power of Love (1991)
8. Never Let Me Go (1993)
9. Songs (1994)
10. This Is Christmas (1995)
11. Your Secret Love (1996)
12. I Know (1998)
13. Luther Vandross (2001)
14. Dance with My Father (2003)

These albums cover Vandross's works released in different periods throughout his career. Additionally, there are many compilation albums, singles, and special project recordings. Luther Vandross is remembered as an artist who left a lasting impact on the music world with his extensive musical repertoire and impressive voice.

References

1.  Barker, Andrew (June 3, 2014). "Luther Vandross Receives Star on Walk of Fame". Variety. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
2. ^ "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. January 1, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
3. ^ Billboard Staff (November 12, 2015). "The 35 Greatest R&B Artists of All Time". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
4. ^ "Vandross' Funeral Soulful and Powerful". Yahoo! News. July 8, 2005. Archived from the original on April 28, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2006.
5. ^ "Obituary: Luther Vandross". BBC News. July 1, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2006.^ Jump up to:
6. a b c d e f g h i Walters, Barry (April 1987). "Soul God". Spin. Vol. 3, no. 1. Spin Media LLC. pp. 31–33, 97. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
7. ^ Seymour 2004, p. 16 cdd
8. ^ "Luther Vandross' Mother Thanks Fans For Prayers; Says Singer Is Making Progress". Jet. Vol. 103, no. 21. Johnson Publishing Company. May 19, 2003. pp. 16–17. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 20, 2014.