Luther Vandross dead at 54

Luther Ronzoni Vandross, the silky-voiced R&B crooner who spun romance into hits like “Here and Now" and “Any Love,” died from complications resulting from a stroke on July 1, 2005 at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, N.J. He was 54.

With a smooth, soulful delivery, the admired singer/songwriter/producer has sold in excess of 30-million records worldwide, winning eight Grammys, numerous Soul Train, BET, NAACP Image and American Music Awards. He ranked as one of the most successful R& B singers of the 1980s and broke through to even wider commercial success in 1989 with The Best of Luther.

In 1972, a song Vandross wrote, “Everybody Rejoice,” was included in the Broadway musical The Wiz. But his biggest early break came when he landed a job as a backup singer for David Bowie and created vocal arrangements for the hit album Young Americans. Luther soon became a sought-after backup vocalist and arranger.

His 1981 debut, Never Too Much, reached the top of the R&B charts and sold more than a million copies. Through the '80s, he recorded a string of platinum albums. His last album, Dance With My Father received four Grammy Awards (including Song of the Year for the title track) and has generated worldwide sales exceeding 3-million copies. Luther was also a prolific writer and producer for such musical icons as Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross.

Born in New York City in 1951, Luther was the youngest of four children. He leaves to cherish and celebrate his life, legacy, and wonderful memories a loving and devoted mother, Mary Ida Vandross, nine nieces as well as eight great nephews, three great nieces and a circle of close friends and colleagues, his musical family and millions of loyal, supportive fans.

Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.