The year 1986 also brought tragedy into Luther’s life. Seated in the audience was his idol, Dionne Warwick, and at the end of his beautiful and stirring performance, she is seen wiping away tears. I will never forget Luther’s televised performance at the 1986 NAACP’s Image Awards where he sang A House Is Not a Home in front of a star-studded audience. Luther’s dreamy duet If this World Were Mine with songstress Cheryl Lynn is an example of perfectly matched vocals singing an unabashedly romantic song. He also worked with his idol, Dionne Warwick, both writing and producing her 4th album on Arista. Luther produced the comeback album for Aretha Franklin, Jump to It, that put “the Queen of Soul” right back on top of the charts. He began to produce as well as write for other artists. The same year Luther signed with the hot recording label, he produced his first solo album, the now classic Never too Much.Īfter Luther’s wildly successful debut album reached number one on the R&B charts his career catapulted. He immediately signed with Epic Records in 1981 under Clive Davis, who also had Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston on the label. After a contract dispute with the group’s European financier could not be settled, Luther decided not to proceed with a second album for the group. He became the lead singer of the group “Change” and it was on their first album that The Glow of Love and Searching became dance hits on the pop charts. The 80’s were Luther’s breakthrough era as a performer. In 1978, he was a vocalist on the critically acclaimed Quincy Jones album, Sounds… and Stuff Like That, along with such mega talents as Chaka Khan, Patti Austin and Valerie Simpson. Luther gained some measure of success singing commercial jingles for companies like Mountain Dew, KFC, Burger King, and Juicy Fruit. He also tried his hand at producing, and writing songs. Luther and his adoring mother, Mary Idaĭuring the 1970’s, Luther was a backup singer for various artists such as Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, and Donna Summer. He actually appeared three times at the theater’s legendary “Amateur Night” competition and lost three times. As a teen, Luther’s sisters introduced him to entertainment venues like Harlem’s Apollo Theater where he quickly became enamored with singing and performing.
LUTHER VANDROSS LOVE IS ON THE WAY HOW TO
It was apparent Luther was a child prodigy of sorts because he taught himself how to play the piano at only age 3. passed away from diabetes complications, the Vandross family moved to the Bronx Luther was 8-years-old at the time. was born in the Kips Bay section of Manhattan on Aphe was the youngest of four children born to Mary Ida, a nurse, and Luther, Sr., a singer and upholsterer. The masterpiece included his timeless remake of the Dionne Warwick classic, A House is Not a Home, a beautiful and heartfelt rendition that made me fall in love with him. round-the-way beauty shop when I first heard, Never Too Much which was Luther’s first self-titled work. The year was 1981 I was at a Newport News, VA. As I gathered my thoughts to write this feature on him, I immediately recalled being introduced to his album during my college years. In the African American community when the name “Luther” is uttered, everyone knows who we’re referring to, the great avatar of romance, Luther Vandross.