Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. was an American soul and R&B singer,songwriter,and record producer. Throughout his career,he achieved eleven consecutive RIAA-certified platinum albums and sold over 40 million records worldwide. Known as the "Velvet Voice",Vandross has been recognized as one of the 200 greatest singers of all time (2023) by Rolling Stone,as well as one of the greatest R&B artists by Billboard. In addition,NPR named him one of the 50 Great Voices. He was the recipient of eight Grammy Awards,including Song of the Year in 2004 for a track recorded not long before his death,"Dance with My Father". In 2021,he was posthumously inducted into the National Rhythm &Blues Hall of Fame.
"The Best Things in Life Are Free" is a duet between American singers Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson,recorded for the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced soundtrack to the 1992 American film Mo' Money,starring Damon Wayans. The song was composed by Jam,Lewis,Michael Bivins,Ronnie DeVoe,Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch. The song was released as the soundtrack's lead single on May 12,1992,by Perspective Records and A&M Records. Additionally,the song was remixed by David Morales,Frankie Knuckles,and CJ Mackintosh. The duet became a major hit in several countries,peaking at number two in Australia and the United Kingdom,number six in Ireland and New Zealand,number eight in Canada and Germany,and number 10 in the United States. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
"I Will Remember You" is a song written by Sarah McLachlan,Séamus Egan and Dave Merenda. The original inspiration came from Seamus Egan's instrumental song,"Weep Not for the Memories",which appeared on his album A Week in January (1990). McLachlan and Merenda added lyrics and modified the melody for her version. The song first appeared on the soundtrack for the movie The Brothers McMullen in 1995 and was released the same year,when it peaked at number 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 in Canada. It was also featured on McLachlan's 1996 remix album,Rarities,B-Sides and Other Stuff. The Rarities version of the song has three verses,the first of which is omitted during live performances,as heard on her 1999 album Mirrorball.
"Islands in the Stream" is a song written by the Bee Gees and recorded by American country music artists Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. Named after an Ernest Hemingway novel,it was released in August 1983 as the first single from Rogers's album Eyes That See in the Dark. The song was originally written for Marvin Gaye or Diana Ross in an R&B style but later reworked for the duet by Rogers and Parton. The Bee Gees released a live version of the song in 1998 and a studio version in 2001.
"But You Know I Love You" is a song written by Mike Settle,which was a 1969 pop hit for Kenny Rogers and The First Edition,a group that included Settle and Kenny Rogers. The song also became a major country hit by Bill Anderson in 1969. In 1981,a cover version of "But You Know I Love You" by singer Dolly Parton topped the country singles charts.
"You Don't Know Me" is a song written by Eddy Arnold and Cindy Walker in 1955. "You Don't Know Me" was first recorded by Arnold that year and released as a single on April 21,1956,on RCA Victor. The best-selling version of the song is by Ray Charles,who took it to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1962,after releasing the song on his number 1 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. The first version of the song to make the Billboard charts was by Jerry Vale in 1956,peaking at number 14 on the pop chart. Arnold's version charted two months later,released as an RCA Victor single,47–6502,backed with "The Rockin' Mockin' Bird",which reached number 10 on the Billboard country chart. Cash Box magazine,which combined all best-selling versions at one position,included a version by Carmen McRae that never appeared in the Billboard Top 100 Sides listing.
William Harold Dean Jr. is an American country music singer and songwriter.
"Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and singer/actress Diana Ross. It is Richie's first single after leaving Commodores. In this ballad,the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by Luther Vandross with R&B-pop singer Mariah Carey,and also by country music singer Shania Twain. Richie's friend Kenny Rogers also recorded the song. Billboard has named the original version as the greatest song duet of all time.
"We've Got Tonite" is a song written by American rock music artist Bob Seger,from his album Stranger in Town (1978). The single record charted twice for Seger,and was developed from a prior song that he had written. Further versions charted in 1983 for Kenny Rogers as a duet with Sheena Easton,and again in 2002 for Ronan Keating.
"Through the Years" is a song written by Steve Dorff and Marty Panzer,and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Rogers. It was released in December 1981 as the fourth single from the album Share Your Love.
"House of Love" is a song by American Christian music singer Amy Grant,recorded as a duet with country singer Vince Gill. It was released in November 1994 as the second single from her House of Love album in the United States and the fourth and final single from the album in the United Kingdom.
"Lady" is a song written by Lionel Richie and first recorded by American country music artist Kenny Rogers. It was released in September 1980 on the album Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits.
"Make No Mistake,He's Mine" is a song written by Kim Carnes,recorded as a duet with Barbra Streisand in 1984. The duet was subsequently recorded as "Make No Mistake,She's Mine" by Ronnie Milsap and Kenny Rogers in 1987. Both versions of the song charted.
"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.
"What About Me?" is a 1984 song written by Kenny Rogers,producer David Foster,and singer-songwriter Richard Marx,and recorded by Rogers,Kim Carnes,and James Ingram as a trio song from Rogers' 1984 album of the same name. It was the lead single from the album and reached at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number one on the US Adult Contemporary chart,Marx's first number one hit as a songwriter.
Richard Noel Marx is an American adult contemporary and pop rock singer-songwriter. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
Love Language is the eighth album by R&B/soul singer Teddy Pendergrass. It was his first record for Asylum Records after being a longtime artist on Philadelphia International Records. It did much better on the Billboard 200 than his last two records,peaking at number 38. He had not reached the top 40 on the album charts since 1981's It's Time for Love. The album was composed and produced by Michael Masser,with the exception of the track You're My Choice Tonight,which was produced by Luther Vandross and featured Cissy Houston on background vocals and as "Solo Female Voice".
"Always and Forever" is an R&B song written by Rod Temperton and produced by Barry Blue. It was first recorded by the British-based multinational funk-disco band Heatwave in 1976. Released as a single on December 3,1977,the song is included on Heatwave's debut album Too Hot to Handle (1976) and has been covered by numerous artists,becoming something of a standard.
"Crazy in Love" is a song by songwriters Even Stevens and Randy McCormick;it was first recorded by Joe Cocker on his 1984 album Civilized Man. The song was covered by American pop artist Kim Carnes in 1988 and released as the second single from her album View from the House. Carnes' version peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and number 68 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles &Tracks chart.
Rex Benson is an American songwriter and music publisher most associated with Country music.
