April 20, 1951- The Sad Song Of Luther Vandross
Slick, overproduced, modern R&B is not my favorite genre, but there is no denying the luscious, lustrous instrument that was the voice of Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. He was the premier male R&B singer of his era. He won 8 Grammys including for Song Of The Year in 2004, for the touching Dance With My Father.
Vandross started as a much in demand, first-rate backup session singer, adding luster & depth to the songs of Diana Ross, Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Todd Rundgren, Donna Summer, Bette Midler, Chic, & Barbra Streisand. Vandross toured with David Bowie in 1974 & sang backing vocals on the Young Americans album. He was mentored by Roberta Flack, who saw in Vandross the makings of a truly great artist. He was well liked & respected in the industry.
Vandross had a series of well reviewed, strong selling solo albums & collaborations in the 1980s, 1990s & early aughts. Yet, his career was vexed by questions about his sexuality. He was never romantically linked in the media with any women. He never explicitly denied being gay, but he never publicly acknowledged it either. He claimed that he was too busy with his career, & “it was not what he wanted.” Vandross’ homosexuality was an open secret in the music biz, but his name is never seems mentioned in the lists of Great Gay Artists.
Vandross suffered terribly from diabetes & hypertension. His weight was up & down wildly throughout his career. Remember when MTV was a network that showed music videos? In the 1980s & 1990s, I was always shocked that I could not recognize Vandross from song to song, between hefty Vandross in a caftan or sleek Luther in a suit with cinched waist & shoulder pads. He was handsome, nudging towards pretty. In 2003, Vandross suffered a stroke at his home in Manhattan. Except for accepting his 2004 his that Song Of The Year Grammy in 2004, he was never seen in public again. On the YouTube video of the awards, Vandross states:
“Whenever I say goodbye, it’s never for long because I believe in the power of love.”
Vandross took that final bow in July 2005. He was just 54 years old. Reports stated that he had never fully recovered from the 2003 stroke. He left this world peacefully, surrounded by family & friends. He would have been 64 years old today. I cannot imagine that he would not have still been recording today, possibly in his best voice, & possibly out & proud, with a special guest role on Empire.
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