Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive Platinum albums and eight Grammy Awards, including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four different times. In 2004, Vandross won a total of four Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for a song recorded not long before his death, "Dance with My Father".
"Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and pop icon singer/actress Diana Ross. In this ballad, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by Luther Vandross with fellow R&B singer Mariah Carey and also by country music singer Shania Twain. Richie's friend Kenny Rogers has also recorded the song. Billboard has named the original version as the greatest song duet of all time.
Dance with My Father is the thirteenth and final studio album by American R&B/soul singer Luther Vandross. It was released by J Records on June 10, 2003 in the United States. The album, especially its title track, was dedicated to Vandross' late father and features production credits from Nat Adderley Jr., Shep Crawford, and Marcus Miller as well as guest appearances by singer Beyoncé, R&B trio Next, and rappers Foxy Brown, Queen Latifah, and Busta Rhymes.
"Excuse Me Miss" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z. It released on February 4, 2003, as a single for his seventh studio album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse (2002). It was also written alongside producers the Neptunes, whose Pharrell Williams sings the hook in falsetto voice (uncredited). The lyrics refer to love at first sight. It contains a more mature sound in comparison of his previous songs about women such as "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "I Just Wanna Love U ". The song samples Prince's 1990 song "Walk Don't Walk," the 2001 hit, "Take You Out" by Luther Vandross as well as "Big Poppa" by the Notorious B.I.G.
"Never Too Much" is the debut song written, composed, produced, and performed by Luther Vandross. The R&B song was released in 1981, as the lead single from Vandross's debut album of the same name. The title track hit number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, reached number four on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, and peaked at number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"I Can Make It Better" is a song by American recording artist Luther Vandross. It was released in 1996 as the second single from his tenth and platinum album, Your Secret Love (1996). The song reached number 15 on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and peaked in the top fifty on the UK Singles Chart. A music video was also produced to promote the single.
The Essential Luther Vandross is a greatest hits album by American singer Luther Vandross, released on March 5, 2002 in the UK and June 10, 2003 in the US, by Sony Music and Legacy Recordings as part of The Essential Series. The two-disc compilation features thirty-five tracks from Vandross's recording catalog. The collection contains R&B and pop hit songs spanning from Vandross earlier albums to the later—Dance with My Father, a Grammy win for Best R&B Album.
"Going in Circles" is a song written by Jerry Peters and Anita Poree, and originally performed by The Friends of Distinction on their 1969 album Grazin', reaching number 15 on the U.S. Hot 100, and number three on the R&B chart. The song has since been covered numerous times by other artists, including Isaac Hayes and Luther Vandross. In addition, the song's co-composer, Jerry Peters released his own version of the tune on his 1972 solo album Blueprint for Discovery. The Friends of Distinction's original version is an R.I.A.A. Certified Million-Seller.
The Ultimate Luther Vandross is a greatest hits album by American R&B/soul singer Luther Vandross, released in 2001. The compilation was re-released in 2006 with a different track listing, along with two previously unreleased songs. The unreleased cut "Got You Home" which appears on the 2006 edition of the compilation, earned Vandross a posthumous nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards in 2007.
"The Closer I Get to You" is a romantic ballad performed by singer-songwriter Roberta Flack and soul musician Donny Hathaway. The song was written by James Mtume and Reggie Lucas, two former members of Miles Davis's band, who were members of Flack's band at the time. Produced by Atlantic Records, the song was released on Flack's 1977 album Blue Lights in the Basement, and as a single in 1978. It became a major crossover hit, becoming Flack's biggest commercial hit after her success with her 1973 solo single, "Killing Me Softly with His Song". Originally set as a solo single, Flack's manager, David Franklin, suggested a duet with Hathaway, which resulted in the finished work.
"So Amazing" is a 1983 song by Dionne Warwick. It was written by Luther Vandross and Marcus Miller and produced by the former for her studio album How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye (1983). Three years later, Vandross himself covered the song for his fifth studio album Give Me the Reason (1986). Released as a single, it entered the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart and earned a Soul Train Music Award nomination in 1988.
Love Songs is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Luther Vandross. It was released by Sony Music Entertainment unit J Records on January 29, 2009.
"Stop to Love" is a song by American recording R&B/soul artist Luther Vandross. Released in 1986 as the lead single from his album Give Me the Reason. It was his first number-one single on the R&B chart since "Never Too Much" in 1981. The upbeat single was also a crossover hit, peaking at number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100.
Love, Luther is a four disc box set chronicling the musical career highlights of Luther Vandross. Promoted by the single "There’s Only You," the set includes unreleased demos, full-length album versions of Vandross' hit songs, and several of his productions for other artists.
Ivan Hampden Jr. is an American jazz and R&B drummer, composer, and record producer. He was Luther Vandross’ tour and session drummer from 1987 to 2003.
"Your Secret Love" is a song by American recording artist Luther Vandross, released in August 1996 as the lead single in support of his tenth studio album, Your Secret Love (1996). The single peaked at No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Nights in Harlem" is a song by American recording artist Luther Vandross, released July 14, 1998. It was written by Vandross along with Fonzi Thornton and Rex Rideout for his eleventh studio album I Know (1998). The uptempo song served as the album's lead single. Following its release, it peaked number 4 on Billboard's Adult R&B Songs.
"Heaven Knows" is a 1993 song by American singer-songwriter Luther Vandross, released as the second single from his eight studio album, Never Let Me Go (1993). It peaked in the top 30 on both Billboard's Hot R&B Singles and the Hot Dance Club Play, and also at thirty-three on the Hot Adult Contemporary Singles chart.
Wayne K. Garfield was an American composer, collaborating songwriter, vocalist, social entrepreneur, community activist, and producer, who was born in 1952 in New York City. He co-founded of the music collective Change, which launched the career of Luther Vandross with the hit song "The Glow of Love" which became #1 on the Billboard Dance/Disco Chart in the summer of 1980.In addition, Garfield’s songs appear on Platinum-Plus recordings by Luther Vandross, J. Cole, Now! 7, and Janet Jackson. Garfield was an active participant in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and internationally as a player representative. Among his successful clients were NBA Summer League standout, Chedney Gray and Jimmy Baxter, who in 2006 was the recipient of the France basketball league’s Sixth Man of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.
