Luther Ronzoni Vandross was born in New York in 1951, the youngest of four children. Marvin had it, Sam Cooke had it,” Ritz said.
He had this kind of cry in his voice which is penetrating.
“I think Luther is like Frank Sinatra, in that he’s got this 18-karat gold depression in his voice,” said author and music historian David Ritz. With his wide vocal range and production acumen, Vandross quickly became a pacesetter, paving the way for a new generation of male singers, including Babyface and Freddie Jackson, laying bare their emotions in a sensitive manner. He repeated a word until he breathed new meaning into it. He concentrated on coaxing the emotion out of a song, stretching a line or fragment of verse. Influenced by a cross-section of African American music styles from gospel to classic R&B, and bridging the gap between classic soul and post-disco R&B, the singer, songwriter and producer broadened the definition of contemporary soul singing. With a cluster of hits - including “Never Too Much,” “Here and Now,” “Power of Love/Love Power,” “Don’t Want to Be a Fool” and “Endless Love,” a duet with Mariah Carey, Vandross was considered one of the leading romantic singers of his generation. Vandross stood out in a crowded field of garden-variety pop balladeers, overproduced records and pat sentiments, distinguishing himself in the 1980s as a singer of eloquence and restraint. We lost Luther very early because of his medical condition, but his legacy will be a powerful legacy.” Jesse Jackson, a friend of Vandross, on Friday described him as “a boy so mellow, so powerful a boy of rare, rare vintage. Luther was deeply touched by all the thoughts and wishes from his fans.” “Throughout his illness, Luther received excellent medical care and attention from his medical team. “As you know, Luther Vandross suffered a stroke two years ago, which he never fully recovered from,” the statement said. “Luther Vandross had a peaceful passing under the watchful eye of friends, family and the medical support team,” according to a statement released Friday by the hospital. “I warned him, ‘You’re going to kill yourself.’ He said, ‘I want to give them the best that’s in me. “I asked him, just before he took sick, ‘What are you trying to do? Why are you working so hard?’ ” his mother, Mary Ida Vandross, recalled last year after the Grammy show. A month later, he was given four NAACP Image Awards. The highly emotional finale featured Vandross expressing his appreciation to fans for their support and to Grammy voters for the recognition. During last year’s Grammy ceremony, a video tribute to Vandross, featuring many of his peers dancing with their fathers as the song played, brought the music industry crowd to its feet.