R & B Legend Luther Vandross Dead at 54

Luther Vandross performing a tribute to George Harrison at the American Music Awards in 2002


Luther Vandross was a master of soulful, heartfelt ballads that topped the R & B charts. Many are unaware that Luther sang background vocals on David Bowie's Young American album and opened for him on the subsequent tour. Luther was rejected by the powers that be (music labels) and funded his own album of his unique blend of R & B. 2 million copies later the doors were opened. Luther was signed and kept his personal integrity.

By the end of the 1980s Vandross had nearly two dozen smash singles, including "Give Me the Reason," "Stop to Love" and "There's Nothing Better Than Love," made with Gregory Hines. Arguably his most memorable hit was the 1989 classic, "Here and Now," which has become a wedding staple.
The momentum carried into the 1990s, with Vandross recording "The Best Things In Life Are Free," a pop duet with Janet Jackson that hit the Top 10 and No. 1 on the R&B charts.
He followed that in 1994 with "Endless Love," a duet with Mariah Carey that reached No. 2 on the pop charts.
"I was Luther from day one, from the day I began, and I think that's a very important thing," he once said. "I think that's what sustained my career for so long is that when I start, you know it's me."
Vandross struggled with health and image problems, claiming that he lost 100 pounds -- 13 times. He suffered from hypertension and diabetes, which killed two siblings and his father, but refused to slow down until his stroke two years ago.
Of "Dance With My Father," he once said that title song "was very emotional for me and, yes, it is based on my own experience.
"It's not just about losing one's father, but about missing someone who is gone -- for whatever reason -- and the longing you feel for that moment in the past when you were together," he said.
More at CNN.

I hope Luther is dancing with his father now.