Luther Vandross
|
|
Luther Vandross (born Luther Ronzoni Vandross April 20, 1951 in New York, New York) is an American R&B singer. He started his singing career in the 1970s as a back-up vocalist for artists such as David Bowie (who discovered him and put him on his Young Americans album), Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Donna Summer, Bette Midler, Chic, and Barbra Streisand. He eventually made his breakthrough as a guest singer with the group Change. The first song of his to become a hit was "Searching."
It was only in the 1980s that Vandross' career skyrocketed, with albums such as Forever, for Always, for Love and Give Me The Reason. When Vandross produced his 1989 greatest hits album, The Best of Luther Vandross...The Best Of Love, he ended up hitting the Top Ten for the first time with the ballad Here And Now.
More albums followed into the 1990s (beginning with 1991's Power Of Love), and Vandross hit the Top Ten again in 1994 with a duet featuring Mariah Carey, a cover of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross's title song to the film Endless Love. A second greatest hits album, released in 1997, compiled most of his '90s hits.
Diabetes runs in his family, according to his mother Mary Vandross. His father Luther Sr. died of complications of diabetes when he was five years old. In 2003, Vandross released the album Dance With My Father in memory of his father. The title track, which was dedicated to the memory of Luther Vandross, Sr., won Luther and his co-writer Richard Marx the 2004 Grammy Award for Song of the Year.
He has been inspired by Aretha Franklin, with whom he has produced many albums for. Vandross did many remakes of old songs, such as "Since I Lost My Baby" (originally recorded by The Temptations), "Superstar (Until You Come Back to Me)" (originally recorded by The Carpenters and most recently recorded by Ruben Studdard), "Love Won't Let Me Wait" (originally recorded by Major Harris), "Always and Forever" (originally recorded by Heatwave), "Knocks Me Off My Feet" (originally recorded by Stevie Wonder), and "Lovely Day" (originally recorded by Bill Withers). He later inspired his J Records labelmate Ruben Studdard, the American Idol of 2003 who later updated the song "Until You Come Back to Me."
There has been many questions regarding Vandross' sexuality, mainly due in part of his working relationship with producer Marcus Miller. Rumors have flown since the 1980's saying that Vandross is gay. So far, the rumors have not been proven true.
He is currently recovering from a stroke which he suffered shortly after the release of Dance With My Father.
| Contents |
Discography
Albums
- 1981 "Never Too Much" #19 US, US Sales: 2,000,000
- 1983 "Forever, For Always, For Love" #20 US, #23 UK (charted in 1987), US Sales: 1,000,000
- 1983 "Busy Body" #32 US, US Sales: 1,000,000
- 1985 "The Night I Fell in Love" #19 US, #19 UK, US Sales: 2,000,000
- 1986 "Give Me the Reason" #14 US, #3 UK, US Sales: 2,000,000
- 1988 "Any Love" #9 US, US Sales: 1,000,000
- 1989 "The Best of Luther Vandross: The Best of Love" (compilation) #26 US, #14 UK, US Sales: 3,000,000
- 1991 "Power of Love" #7 US, #9 UK, US Sales: 2,000,000
- 1993 "Never Let Me Go" #6 US, #11 UK, US Sales: 1,000,000
- 1994 "Songs" #5 US, #1 UK, US Sales: 2,000,000
- 1995 "This Is Christmas" #28 US, US Sales: 1,000,000
- 1995 "The Greatest Hits 1981-1995" (compilation) #12 UK
- 1996 "Your Secret Love" #9 US, #14 UK, US Sales: 1,000,000
- 1997 "One Night with You: The Best of Love, Volume 2" (compilation) #44 US, US Sales: 500,000
- 1998 "I Know" #26 US, US Sales: 500,000
- 1998 "Always & Forever: The Classics" (compilation)
- 1999 "Greatest Hits" (compilation), US Sales: 500,000
- 2000 "Super Hits" (compilation)
- 2001 "Luther Vandross" #6 US, US Sales: 1,000,000
- 2001 "The Ultimate Luther Vandross" (compilation)
- 2003 "Dance with My Father" #1 US, US Sales: 2,000,000
- 2003 "The Essential Luther Vandross" (compilation) #154 US, #18 UK
- 2003 "Live 2003 at Radio City Music Hall" #22 US
Hit singles
- from "Never Too Much"
- 1981 "Never Too Much" #33 US
- from "Busy Body"
- 1983 "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye" #27 US
- from "The Night I Fell in Love"
- 1985 "'Til My Baby Comes Home" #29 US
- from "Give Me the Reason"
- 1986 "Stop to Love" #15 US, #24 UK (1987 release)
- 1987 "I Really Didn't Mean It" #16 UK
- 1987 "So Amazing" #33 UK
- 1988 "Give Me the Reason" (re-issue) #26 UK
- 1988 "I Gave It Up (When I Fell in Love)" #28 UK
- from "Any Love"
- 1988 "Any Love" #31 UK
- 1989 "She Won't Talk to Me" #30 US, #34 UK
- from "The Best of Luther Vandross: The Best of Love"
- 1989 "Here and Now" #6 US
- 1989 "Never Too Much" (remix) #13 UK
- from "Power of Love"
- 1991 "Don't Want to Be a Fool" #9 US
- 1991 "Power of Love - Love Power" #4 US
- from "Mo' Money" soundtrack
- 1992 "The Best Things in Life Are Free" (with Janet Jackson and special guests BBD & Ralph Tresvant) #10 US, #2 UK
- from "Never Let Me Go"
- 1993 "Little Miracles (Happen Every Day)" #28 UK
- 1993 "Heaven Knows" #34 UK
- 1993 "Love Is on the Way" #38 UK
- from "Songs"
- 1994 "Endless Love" (with Mariah Carey) #2 US, #3 UK
- 1995 "Always and Forever" #20 UK
- 1995 "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" #22 UK
- non-album-related remix singles
- 1995 "Power Of Love - Love Power" (remix) #31 UK
- 1995 "The Best Things in Life Are Free" (remix) (with Janet Jackson) #7 UK
- from "Your Secret Love"
- 1996 "Your Secret Love" #14 UK
- from "Luther Vandross"
- 2001 "Take You Out" #26 US
- from "Dance with My Father"
- 2004 "Dance with My Father" #38 US, #21 UK