Designated the “heartbeat” of R&B during the 1980s and 1990s, Luther Vandross led a productive singing and song writing life.
At age 30, he finally recorded his first solo album with the No. 1 R&B and “Top 20” pop chart maker, “Never Too Much”. He continued steadily with such albums as “Forever, for Always, for Love” in 1982 and “Give Me the Reasons” (1986), but it wasn’t until 1989 that he had his first “Top 10” single with “Here and Now” (No. 6), which finally placed him securely on the love song pedestal. Such other No. 1 R&B singles would include “Stop to Love”, “There’s Nothing Better than Love” and “Any Love”.
The 1990s seemed, career-wise, stronger than ever again with a Top 40 hit duetting with Mariah Carey in 1994 on “My Endless Love” and the release of his No. 1 R&B signature version of “Always and Forever” (1994).
On camera film and TV acting appearances include a cameo in Robert Townsend’s motion picture The Meteor Man (1993) and episodes of “Beverly HIlls 90210 (as himself) and “Touched by an Angel.” A documentary, Luther Vandross: Always and Forever (1994), is also available. Throughout his career, Luther continued to write and produce for other artists including Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick, Teddy Pendergrass, Cheryl Lynn and Aretha Franklin. Following his massive April 2003 stroke, he made a phantom return to the spotlight with the release of his 2003 CD “Dance With My Father”, which was recorded prior to his illness. At the awards show, the absent Luther was rewarded with four Grammys, including song of the year. The success also gave him his first No. 1 album on the pop chart and four NAACP Image Awards.
The beloved 54-year-old musician died at JFK Medical Centre in Edison, New Jersey, of his lingering complications and was survived by his Evangelist mother, Mary Ida Vandross, who was instrumental in promoting her son’s last work to Grammy glory following his severe debilitation.
Luther Vandross Biography / Wiki
| Name | Luther Vandross |
| Also Know | Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. |
| Gender | Male |
| Known For | Acting |
| Place of Birth | New York City, New York, USA |
| Date of Birth | April 20, 1951 |
| Age(as in 2023 Feb) | 54 |
| Deathday | 2005-07-01 |
Luther Vandross Acting Movies
| Movie Name | Character | Release Date | Overview |
| Luther Vandross: Always And Forever – An Evening Of Songs | Himself | 2005-08-29 | An evening of songs with Luther Vandross performing live at the Royal Albert Hall in 1994 and 1995…. |
| Luther Vandross: Live at Wembley | 1988-01-01 | Music & Musicals, Contemporary R&B, Urban & Dance – Grammy-winning R & B artist Luther Vandross shines on hits such as “A House Is Not… | |
| Marcus Miller – Master Of All Trades | Self | 2006-11-12 | A 2hr concert shot at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood in 2006. A truly unique musical event/biopic from the Grammy Award winning producer and musici… |
| An Audience with the Spice Girls | Self (Performer) | 1997-11-29 | The Spice Girls perform in front of a celebrity, and predominantly female audience, as well as answering questions about their lives and their rise to… |
| Intimate Portrait: Natalie Cole | 1999-01-08 | One hour television documentary about the life and career of singer Natalie Cole which originally aired on Lifetime Television in 1998. Includes inter… | |
| …Sings Musicals | Self (archive footage) | 2012-01-15 | BBC archive performances from musicals, including Ella Fitzgerald singing Mack the Knife, Captain Sensible performing a classic from South Pacific and… |
| The 7th Annual Soul Train Christmas Starfest | Self | 2004-12-04 | An extremely unique celebration of Christmas for the young and hip and the young at heart…. |
| The Meteor Man | Jamison | 1993-08-06 | One night Jefferson Reed gets hit in the chest by a souped-up chunk of meteor. So he can fly, but he’s scared of heights. He can master the informatio… |
| Fertile La Toyah Video Magazine #2: The Kinky Issue! | 1994-01-01 | Prostrate probing interviews! Live action murder! Naked people! Tired death-rockers! And more! Much more!!… | |
| Burt Bacharach: One Amazing Night | Self | 1998-04-15 | One Amazing Night is a 1998 live tribute show performed by artists such as Dionne Warwick, Elvis Costello, Luther Vandross, Sheryl Crow and others to … |
| Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration | Self | 2001-11-13 | The Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special was a 2001 New York City revue show by Michael Jackson. It took place on September 7, 2001 and September… |
| The Making and Meaning of ‘We Are Family’ | Self | 2002-01-09 | Featuring inverviews from: Afrika Bambaataa, Ashford & Simpson, Jackson Browne, Kim Burell, Taylor Dayne, Carmen Electra, Faith Evans, Roberta Flack, … |
| Motown 40: The Music is Forever | Self | 1998-02-15 | Archival music performances and contemporary interviews cover some of the history of Motown Records and Productions…. |
| Voices That Care | Self – Choir Member | 1990-02-28 | Behind the scenes making of the charity single “Voices That Care”…. |
| Night of 100 Stars III | Self | 1990-05-21 | A celebrity benefit for The Actors’ Fund of America, featuring music, songs, dance and comedy…. |
Credit: TMDB
Checkout The More Celebrities Profiles in Biography World