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                  Luther
                  Vandrosss
                  
                  
(1951-2005)
               
               

                  

               
            
         
         
         

            

               

                  

               
               

                  

               
               

                  
 
               
               

                  
 
                     

                        

                           

                              

                           
                           

                              

                              
                           
                        
                        

                           

                              
 
                           
                           

                              

                                 

                                    

                                       

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Luther
                  Vandross- (1951-2005)
                  
                  
Luther
                  Vandross is best known as a smooth-voiced rhythm
                  and blues singer, songwriter, and producer with a
                  unique and hard to imitate sound. He was born in
                  New York City in 1951 and died in John F. Kennedy
                  Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey on July 1,
                  2005.
                  
                  
Vandross'
                  father died while Luther was at the young age of
                  five, so he and his four siblings were raised by
                  their mother, a nurse. The family was quite
                  musical, and his sister sang in the group The
                  Crests, who recorded the hit, Sixteen
                  Candles. As a teenager, Vandross was drawn to
                  the music of female Gospel and Motown acts such as
                  Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin and Cissy
                  Houston.
                  
                  
He
                  joined a vocal group which performed at the Apollo
                  Theater at the age of 13, and had an eclectic
                  career as a producer, songwriter, and singer, both
                  backup and lead, in his climb to fame.
                  Vandross
                  served as a producer of the album Soul
                  Christmas in 1968, and sang backup on the
                  Quincy Jones album, Best, in 1969. Vandross
                  appeared on the very first episode of the
                  children's television show Sesame Street as
                  a member of a theater workshop group in October of
                  1969.
                  
                  
The 1972
                  Broadway musical The Wiz, included Vandross' song,
                  "Everbody Rejoice," but his first big break in
                  entertainment came when he left New York as a
                  background singer on David Bowie's hit album,
                  Young Americans. He toured with Bowie as a
                  backup singer and also served as the tour's opening
                  act. Bowie was at the height of his fame in the
                  early 1970s, and Vandross' association with him and
                  his touring band brought him invaluable publicity
                  and exposure.
                  
                  
His time
                  as a big star was still some time away however, and
                  to make a living, he continued to perform as a
                  background singer for singers such as Roberta
                  Flack, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, and
                  Barbra Streisand. He also sang and wrote commercial
                  jingles for television advertising, such as the
                  U.S. Army's "Be All That You Can Be," and Kentucky
                  Fried Chicken's "We Do Chicken Right."
                  
                  
 
                  
                  
 
                  
                  

               
            
         
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Citation
                                 
                                 

                                    

                                 
                              
                           
                            Lee, R. "Biofiles: Luther Vandross
                           (1951-2005)"
                           
                           
http://www.biofiles.historyguy.com/vandross_luther.html
                            
                        
                     
                  
                   
               
            
            

               

                  

                     

                        

                           
Family
                        
                     
                     

                        

                           

                              

                                 

                                    
Mary
                                    Ida Vandross.
                                    --Mother
                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    

                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    

                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    

                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    
 
                                       
                                       

                                 
                              
                           
                            
                        
                     
                     

                        

                           
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Biography
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                                    and review by Richie Unterberger
                                    of the All Music
                                    Guide
                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    
Luther
                                    Vandross--Biography
                                    on Wikipedia
                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    

                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    

                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    

                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    

                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    

                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    

                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    

                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    

                                 
                              
                              

                                 

                                    

                                 
                              
                           
                            
                        
                     
                     

                        

                           
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