Luther vandross biography
Luther Vandross Biography, Age, Birthday, Family, Net Worth
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In addition to his success as a solo recording artist, Vandross was in demand as a background vocalist for a number of other artists throughout his career. To help you celebrate his special day, you can learn about this music icon's impressive accomplishments and other fascinating details right here.
Luther Vandross Biography:
BACKGROUND
Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. was born at Bellevue Hospital on April 20, 1951, in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Vandross was the second son among Mary Ida and Luther’s four offspring. His mother was a nurse, while his father was an upholsterer and singer. Vandross grew up in the Lower East Side of Manhattan’s Alfred E. Smith Houses public housing community. When he was three years old and possessed a phonograph, he taught himself to play piano by ear.
At the age of nine, Vandross’s family relocated to the Bronx. Patricia and Ann began bringing him to the Apollo Theatre and a Brooklyn theatre to see Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin. Patricia was a member of the vocal group the Crests and performed on the tracks ‘My Juanita’ and ‘Sweetest One.’ 1969 William Howard Taft High School graduate Luther Vandross attended Western Michigan University for one year before opting out to pursue a career in music. In high school, he led the first Patti LaBelle fan association he founded.
Luther Vandross Early life:
He also performed with the Shades of Jade ensemble at the Apollo Theatre. During his early years in show business, he performed multiple times at Apollo’s renowned amateur night. He participated in the singles ‘Only Love Can Make a Better World’ and ‘Listen My Brother’ while a member of the theatre workshop. In late August 1969, the ensemble performed before tens of thousands of people at the Harlem Cultural Festival. From 1969 to 1970, he appeared with the group in the premiere episode and subsequent episodes of Sesame Street’s first season.
Vandross rose to prominence as a featured singer with the acclaimed pop-dance act “Change,” which was established by French-Italian businessman Jacques Fred Petrus. Vandross was the lead vocalist on their 1980 hits ‘The Glow of Love’ and ‘Searching.’ In a 2001 interview, he described ‘The Glow of Love’ as “the most beautiful song I’ve ever sung.” The song “Never Too Much” topped the R&B charts and marked the beginning of Luther Vandross’ composition partnership with bassist Marcus Miller, who played on many of the tracks and would also produce or co-produce them. The ‘Never Too Much’ album was orchestrated by Nat Adderley Jr., a high school classmate of Luther Vandross. This collaboration would continue throughout Vandross’ career.
Luther Vandross Achivements:
Additionally, he composed, produced, and sang background vocals for Whitney Houston’s 1990 album “I’m Your Baby Tonight” track “Who Do You Love” In the 1990s, additional albums were released, commencing with “Power of Love” in 1991, which produced two top 10 pop hits. In 1991, Vandross received his first Grammy for ‘Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.’ In 1992, he won his second Grammy for ‘Best Male R&B Vocal’ and his song ‘Power of Love’ won the Grammy for ‘Best R&B Song’ in the same year.
2003 saw the publication of Vandross’s album “Dance with My Father.” In its first week, it sold 442,000 copies and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. He and co-writer Richard Marx won the 2004 Grammy Award for ‘Song of the Year’ for the same-titled melody, which was dedicated to Vandross’ childhood memories of dancing with his father. Additionally, the composition earned Vandross his fourth and final award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.The album was his only No. 1 on the Billboard album chart during his entire career.
AWARDS
GRAMMY AWARDS
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1991: Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “Here and Now”
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1992: Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “Power of Love”
Best R&B Song “Power of Love/Love Power” -
1997: Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “Your Secret Love”
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2004: Song of the Year “Dance With My Father”
Best R&B Album “Dance With My Father”
Best R&B Vocal Performance by Duo or Group “The Closer I Get to You” (duet w/Beyonce)
Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “Dance With My Father”
GRAMMY NOMINATIONS
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1982: (2) Best New Artist, Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “Never Too Much”
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1983: (1) Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “Forever, For Always, For Love”
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1986: (1) Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “The Night I Fell In Love”
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1987: (2) Best R&B Song, Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “Give Me the Reason”
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1989: (2) Best R&B Song, Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “Any Love”
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1990: (1) Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “She Won’t Talk to Me”
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1992: (1) Best R&B Vocal Performance by Duo or Group “Doctor’s Orders” w/Aretha Franklin
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1993: (1) Best R&B Vocal Performance by Duo or Group “The Best Things in Life Are Free” w/Janet Jackson
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1994: (1) Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “How Deep Is Your Love”
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1995: (4) Best Pop Vocal Performance-Male “Love The One You’re With”
Best Pop Collaboration w/Vocals “Endless Love” w/Mariah Carey
Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “Always and Forever”
Best R&B Album Songs -
1997: (2) Best R&B Song “Your Secret Love”
Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “Your Secret Love” -
1998: (1) Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “When You Call On Me/Baby That’s When I Come Runnin’”
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1999: (2) Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “I Know”
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance “I Know” -
2003: (1) Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance “Any Day Now”
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2004: (1) Best R&B Song “Dance With My Father”
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2007: (1) Best R&B Vocal Performance-Male “Got You Home” (posthumous)
AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS
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Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, Winner (7): 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2002, 2003
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Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Winner (2): 1992 Power of Love
2003 Dance With My Father
AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATIONS
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1986: (2) Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist
Favorite Soul/R&B Album The Night I Fell In Love -
1988: (1) Favorite Soul/R&B Album Give Me The Reason
NAACP IMAGE AWARDS
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Outstanding Male Artist, Winner (3): 1999, 2002, 2004
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Outstanding Album of the Year, Winner (1): 2004 Dance With My Father
ADDITIONAL HONORS
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2008: #54 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time
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2010: Named one of NPR’s (National Public Radio) 50 Greatest Voices
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2014: Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
TIMELINE
April 20, 1951
Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. is born to Luther Sr., an upholsterer, and Mary Ida, a nurse, in New York City. When Luther is eight years old, his father dies suddenly.
1964
Luther decides to become a singer after hearing Dionne Warwick sing the Bacharach-David songbook at Brooklyn’s Fox Theatre.
1967
At William Howard Taft High School, Luther meets singers Robin Clark and Diane Sumler.
Luther forms Shades of Jade during a summer program for gifted high school students at Fordham University called Upward Bound. Carlos Alomar plays guitar for the Shades during that earliest incarnation.
Luther first meets Fonzi Thornton at his sister Ann’s house in East Harlem, New York.
Luther makes four appearances at the Apollo Theater’s brutal Amateur Night competition, but never wins.
The Shades of Jade that appeared on Apollo Amateur Night consisted of Luther Vandross, Fonzi Thornton, Bruce Wallace, Gayle Matthews and Brenda West. The group earns second place twice and is never booed off the stage.
1969
Luther joins the Listen My Brother Revue, and later recruits Robin Clark, Diane Sumler, Fonzi Thornton, Bruce Wallace and Carlos Alomar to join the group. Listen My Brother appears onSesame Street in the first two years of the show.
1973
Luther contributes vocals and writes a song for Delores Hall’s RCA debut (credited as Luther Van Dross). He also composes “Everybody Rejoice” for “The Wiz.”
1974
Carlos Alomar invites Luther and Robin Clark to the sessions for David Bowie’s Young Americans album. Bowie hires Luther on the spot and then reworks Luther’s “Funky Music (Is A Part Of Me)” as his own “Fascination.” Luther goes on tour with Bowie.
1975
On Bowie’s recommendation, Bette Midler hires Luther to sing on her new record and he makes an immediate impression on producer Arif Mardin. Luther records with Ben E. King, Chaka Khan, Carly Simon, Roberta Flack and the Average White Band.
1976
Luther forms the group Luther, and releases a self-titled album on Atlantic’s Cotillion label.
1977
The group Luther releases a second album, This Close To You, and is then dropped by Cotillion. Luther sings on the demo for Chic’s “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah).” He later sings on Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” and “Lost In Music.”
1978
Luther sings on Quincy Jones’ Sounds… And Stuff Like That!! with Patti Austin and Gwen Guthrie.
1979
Luther leads the chorus on “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)” by Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand, then sings backup for Cher, Evelyn “Champagne” King and several studio groups.
1980
Luther finds success on Urban Contemporary radio with his vocals on “Searching” and “The Glow Of Love” for the studio band Change. While on tour with Roberta Flack, she implores Luther to follow his joy. He produces several songs and shops them to major labels.
1981
Epic Records signs Luther Vandross and releases the self-produced Never Too Much. Now the toast of the town, he’s profiled in New York Magazine and performs his first solo set at New York’s super-sophisticated Savoy Theater, opening for Chaka Khan.
1982Luther releases his second album, Forever, For Always, For Love, a million-seller. Headlining New York’s Radio City Music Hall, Luther performs two sold-out shows.
1983
Luther produces Aretha’s Jump To It album and the title track to Dionne Warwick’s How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye. He also duets with Cheryl Lynn on a cover of “If This World Were Mine.” Luther releases his third album, Busy Body, which goes Platinum.
1985
Luther releases his fourth album, The Night I Fell In Love, which sells more than 2 million copies. He contributes vocals to Stevie Wonder’s No. 1 hit “Part Time Lover” and joins Patti LaBelle on her first NBC television special, The Patti LaBelle Show.
1986
Luther’s fifth album, Give Me The Reason, begins its march to double platinum.
1987
Luther writes and produces “It’s Hard For Me To Say” for Diana Ross.
1988
Luther performs 65 dates during a three-month tour, grossing $12.8 million and becoming one of music’s top live attractions. He co-hosts the first annual Soul Train Awards show. His sixth album, Any Love, reaches No. 9 in the national Top Ten.
1989
The Best of Luther Vandross… The Best of Love charts for 51 consecutive weeks in Billboard and sells over 3 million copies. “Here And Now,” written by Dionne Warwick’s son David Elliott, becomes Luther’s first Top 10 pop single.
Luther sells out 10 nights at London’s Wembley Arena.
1990
“Here And Now” wins Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards — his first Grammy win after nine nominations.
Luther produces the song “Who Do You Love” for Whitney Houston’s third album, I’m Your Baby Tonight.
1991
Luther is profiled in The New York Times Magazine as his new album Power of Love sells more than a million copies, becoming his eighth consecutive Platinum album.
In Los Angeles, June 1st is declared “Luther Vandross Day.”
1992
Luther’s “Power of Love/Love Power” wins Best R&B Song, and the album Power of Lovewins Best Male R&B Vocal Performanace at the Grammy Awards.
1993
Luther records “The Lady Is A Tramp” for Frank Sinatra’s Duets album.
1994
Luther records the album Songs, including the No. 2 pop single “Endless Love,” a duet with Mariah Carey. The album sells 2 million copies.
1995
Luther releases the holiday album This Is Christmas.
1997
“Your Secret Love,” the title track from Luther’s twelfth consecutive platinum album, wins Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards.
Luther sells out Madison Square Garden and releases his second hits retrospective, One Night With You: The Best of Love, Vol. 2.
1998
Luther releases I Know, his only album for the Virgin music label.
2000
Luther is honored on BET’s Walk of Fame.
2001
Luther signs with J Records and releases the Platinum album Luther Vandross.
2003
In February, Luther records a series of sold-out shows at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. In April he performs “One Shining Moment” at the NCAA tournament finals in New Orleans.
On April 16, Luther suffers a massive stroke related to his lifelong struggle with obesity, hypertension and diabetes.
“Dance With My Father” debuts at No.1 in Billboard.
Musicians everywhere celebrate Luther’s legacy. J Records releases So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute To Luther Vandross. GRP and Rendezvous release two volumes of smooth jazz performances (Forever, For Always, For Luther) while Twista scores a big hit with “Slow Jamz” by referencing Luther’s “A House Is Not A Home.”
2004
Luther appears on screen at the Grammy Awards as his co-writer Richard Marx accepts the Song of the Year award for “Dance With My Father.” The album Dance With My Father is also named Best R&B Album, and the tracks “Dance With My Father” and “The Closer I Get To You,” his duet with Beyonce, win in R&B vocal categories.
Oprah Winfrey broadcasts an interview with Luther from his rehabilitation facility.
July 1, 2005
Luther Vandross dies at age 54 at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. Days later, a funeral procession passes the Apollo Theater before the service at Manhattan’s Riverside Church. Mourners include Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Cissy and Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys and Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Patti LaBelle reads from a poem by Luther’s mother: “God gave you love to sing to the world…”