Luther Vandross R.i.p

[Guest]

Sad to have to say that LUTHER VANDROSS has passed away. The news has been confirmed by J RECORDS.

Derek

[Guest]

Just read that Luther Vandross has passed away

[Guest OSCARP]

Unfortunately this is true, just 54

[Epic]

How Sad.

Don't care what sort of soul floats your boat - we have lost a legend.

One of the "truly great" voices of soul.

RIP Luther.

[Guest]

Awful.

Perhaps the finest singer of the last 25 years.

'This close to you' was one of the tracks played during our wedding. My wife, who was on a high after seeing Al Green tonight, has just gone to bed in tears.

[Simon T]

"Never too much".........

[Guest remus]

"Never too much".........

link

"Since I lost my baby"........

[Guest]

"Since I lost my baby"........

link

Dont wanna be a fool,cant believe it,RIP

[Mike]

Very sad news indeed

Was wondering, if anyone like to put a few words together, as in with more of a personal touch, maybe such as effects his tracks had on you and so on, think be bit more worthwhile and can use on front page

maybe more fitting than the usual posting of a press release

Feel free to post up or email and can feature it in articles

[chrissie]

Sad to have to say that LUTHER VANDROSS has passed away. The news has been confirmed by J RECORDS.

Derek

link

A sad loss to the music world, and at such a young age (and to some of us that still is young)

QoF

xx

[Makemvinyl]

A sad loss to the music world, and at such a young age (and to some of us that still is young)

QoF

xx

link

Sweetsoul and all included wish to add our own best wishes

to the family and freinds and colleagues of Luther Vandross

always fondly remembered,go with soul

KTF

Doug,Jacko and Jez ( Sweetsoul club) Newark Notts,UK

[Nickg]

Ever since I heard Soul Sam play "Never Too Much" at St Ives all-dayer in god knows when, Luther has been one of my heroes, the Busy Body album is still one of my all time faves.

I'm gutted

Nick

[Guest Richard Bergman]

Sad news all though I never really cared for his music

RIP Luther

Edited July 2, 2005 by Richard Bergman

[Guest]

Oh its is so sad what a big loss.

This is Dreadful news. But we will forever celebrate his life and his music.

Luther Vandross has Died.

From Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Grammy award winner Luther Vandross, whose deep, lush voice on such hits as "Here and Now" and "Any Love" sold more than 25 million albums while providing the romantic backdrop for millions of couples worldwide, died Friday. He was 54.

Vandross died at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, N.J., said hospital spokesman Rob Cavanaugh. He did not release the cause of death but said in a statement that Vandross "never really recovered from" a stroke two years ago.

Since the stroke in his Manhattan home on April 16, 2003, the R&B crooner stopped making public appearances -- but amazingly managed to continue his recording career. In 2004, he captured four Grammys as a sentimental favorite, including best song for the bittersweet "Dance With My Father."

Vandross, who was still in a wheelchair at the time, delivered a videotaped thank you.

"Remember, when I say goodbye it's never for long," said a weak-looking Vandross. "Because" -- he broke into his familiar hit -- "I believe in the power of love."

Vandross also battled weight problems for years while suffering from diabetes and hypertension.

He was arguably the most celebrated R&B balladeer of his generation. He made women swoon with his silky yet forceful tenor, which he often revved up like a motor engine before reaching his beautiful crescendos.

Jeff O'Conner, Vandross' publicist, called his death "a huge loss in the R&B industry. He was a close friend of mine and right now it's shocking."

O'Conner said he received condolence calls Friday from music luminaries such as Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones.

Singer Roberta Flack, on tour in Japan, said she was mourning the loss of her friend of more than 20 years.

"He was a musician who couldn't help but give you all he had," she said by telephone. "He was the kind of guy who was born to do what he did musically and let the world know about it. He was not born to keep it smothered in the chest."

Vandross was a four-time Grammy winner in the best male R&B performance category, taking home the trophy in 1990 for the single "Here and Now," in 1991 for his album "Power of Love," in 1996 for the track "Your Secret Love" and a last time for "Dance With My Father."

The album, with its single of the same name, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts while Vandross remained hospitalized from his stroke. It was the first time a Vandross album had topped the charts in its first week of release.

In 2005, he was nominated for a Soul Train Music Award for a duet with Beyonce on "The Closer I Get To You."

Vandross' sound was so unusual few tried to copy it; even fewer could.

"I'm proud of that -- it's one of the things that I'm most proud of," he told The Associated Press in a 2001 interview. "I was never compared to anyone in terms of sound."

Vandross' style harkened back to a more genteel era of crooning. While many of his contemporaries and successors belted out tunes that were sexually charged and explicit, Vandross preferred soft pillow talk and songs that spoke to heartfelt emotions.

"I'm more into poetry and metaphor, and I would much rather imply something rather than to blatantly state it," he said. "You blatantly state stuff sometimes when you can't think of a a poetic way to say it."

A career in music seemed predestined for the New York native; both his parents were singers, and his sister, Patricia, was part of a 1950s group called the Crests.

But he happily toiled in the musical background for years before he would have his first hit. He wrote songs for projects as varied as a David Bowie album ("Fascination") and the Broadway musical "The Wiz" ("Everybody Rejoice (Brand New Day)"), sang backup for acts such as Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand, and even became a leading commercial jingle singer.

[Pete S]

Meant absolutely nothing to me whatsoever and hated his music. RIP though.

[Chalky]

Dont wanna be a fool,cant believe it,RIP 

link

One of my all time fave 70's soul tracks Ken. R.I.P.