Luther Vandross

Luther Vandross

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. was born on April 20, 1951, at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan's Kips Bay neighborhood, coinciding with General Douglas MacArthur's ticker-tape parade through the city. He was the youngest of four children born to Mary Ida Vandross, a nurse, and Luther Vandross Sr., an upholsterer and singer. Raised in the Alfred E. Smith Houses public housing development on Manhattan's Lower East Side, Vandross demonstrated musical talent from an early age, teaching himself to play piano by ear at age three. His father's death from diabetes when Luther was eight profoundly influenced him, later inspiring the Grammy-winning song "Dance with My Father" in 2003. After his family relocated to the Bronx when he was nine, his older sisters Patricia and Ann introduced him to live performances, taking him to see legendary artists like Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin at the Apollo Theater and Brooklyn venues.

Career Development and Breakthrough

Vandross graduated from William Howard Taft High School in the Bronx in 1969 and briefly attended Western Michigan University before pursuing music full-time. While in high school, he founded the first Patti LaBelle fan club and performed with the group Shades of Jade at the Apollo Theater. He appeared on the pilot episode and subsequent episodes of Sesame Street's first season (1969-1970) as a member of the workshop group Listen My Brother. Throughout the 1970s, Vandross established himself as one of the most sought-after backing vocalists in the industry, contributing to albums by Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, David Bowie, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, and numerous other artists. His songwriting skills emerged during this period, including writing "Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day" for the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz and collaborating with David Bowie on "Fascination" for the Young Americans album.

Solo Success and Artistic Excellence

Vandross achieved his breakthrough as the featured vocalist for the pop-dance act Change in 1980, with the gold-certified album The Glow of Love featuring hits "The Glow of Love" and "Searching." In 1981, he launched his solo career with the album Never Too Much on Epic Records, which established him as a major force in R&B and soul music. The title track reached No. 1 on the R&B charts, and his collaboration with bassist Marcus Miller began a productive songwriting partnership. As a tenor vocalist, Vandross earned the nickname "The Velvet Voice" and was sometimes called "The Pavarotti of Pop" for his exceptional technical abilities and emotional depth. During the 1980s and 1990s, he released a series of successful albums and achieved at least one top 10 R&B hit every year from 1981 to 1994. His production work was equally impressive, notably helming Aretha Franklin's Grammy-winning comeback albums Jump to It (1982) and Get It Right (1983).

Collaborations and Grammy Recognition

Vandross's career featured memorable collaborations with some of music's greatest artists. He recorded 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. His 1991 album Power of Love spawned two top ten pop hits and earned him his first Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. He won a total of eight Grammy Awards throughout his career, with his crowning achievement being the 2004 Song of the Year award for "Dance with My Father," which he co-wrote with Richard Marx. The album Dance with My Father (2003) debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200—his only chart-topping album—and sold 442,000 copies in its first week.

Legacy and Impact

Vandross suffered a severe stroke on April 16, 2003, which affected his speech and singing ability, though he later regained the ability to walk. He made his final public appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on May 6, 2004, before passing away on July 1, 2005, at JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey, at age 54 from a heart attack. Over his career, he achieved eleven consecutive RIAA-certified platinum albums and sold over 40 million records worldwide. Rolling Stone recognized him as one of the 200 greatest singers of all time in 2023, and he was inducted into both the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame and the Grammy Hall of Fame. His influence extends to contemporary artists including John Legend, Ne-Yo, Usher, and D'Angelo, who have cited him as a primary inspiration for modern R&B and soul music. The 2024 documentary Luther: Never Too Much chronicles his extraordinary life and enduring cultural significance.