'She said, 'No, you're getting too comfortable (in the background). Vandross credited singer Roberta Flack for prodding him to move into the spotlight after listening to one of his future hits, 'Never Too Much.' 'She started crying,' he recalled.

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.

'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.īut he happily toiled in the musical background for years before he would have his first hit. 'I'm more into poetry and metaphor, and I would much rather imply something rather than to blatantly state it,' he said. 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 was never compared to anyone in terms of sound.' Vandross' style harkened back to a more genteel era of crooning. '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. 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. It was the first time a Vandross album had topped the charts in its first week of release. 1 on the Billboard charts while Vandross remained hospitalized from his stroke. Vandross was a four-time Grammy award winner for Best Male R&B Performance, 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. He made women swoon with his silky yet forceful tenor, which he often revved up like a motor engine before reaching his beautiful crescendos. He was arguably the most celebrated R&B balladeer of his generation. 'Because' - he broke into his familiar hit - 'I believe in the power of love.' Vandross, in addition to his stroke, battled weight problems for years while suffering from diabetes and hypertension. 'Remember, when I say goodbye it's never for long,' said a weak-looking Vandross. 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. Since suffering a 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. Grammy award winner Luther Vandross, whose deep, lush voice on hits like 'Here and Now' and 'Any Love' sold more than 25 million albums while providing the romantic backdrop for millions of couples worldwide, died Friday. What is your favorite Luther Vandross song? Released in 2003, ∽ance With My Father became the fast-selling album of Vandross' career, selling some two million copies. And despite being nominated for five awards for ∽ance With My Father, and ultimately winning four, his condition left him unable to attend the 2004 Grammies. In 2004, he captured four Grammys as a sentimental favorite, including best song for the bittersweet ∽ance With My Father.Īfter the stroke, he was forced to spend several weeks in a hospital before he transferred to a rehabilitation facility. Cavanaugh did not release the cause of death. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, N.J., said hospital spokesman Rob Cavanaugh. Vandross' deep, lush voice on hits like 'Here and Now' and 'Any Love' sold more than 25 million albums and provided a romantic backdrop for millions of couples worldwide. Grammy-winning singer Luther Vandross died Friday at age 54. R&B legend faced setback after a stroke in 2003

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