Luther Vandross - Profile

Luther Ronzoni Vandross (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times. He won four Grammy Awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the track "Dance With My Father", co-written with Richard Marx.

Vandross had diabetes, a disease that ran in his family, as well as hypertension. On April 16, 2003, just four days before his 52nd birthday, Vandross suffered a stroke in his home in Manhattan.

He appeared briefly on videotape at the 2004 Grammys to accept his Song of the Year award, where he said, "Whenever I say goodbye it's never for long because I believe in the power of love". Other than an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he was never seen in public again. Vandross died on July 1, 2005 at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey at the age of 54. The cause of his death was never publicly released.

His funeral was in New York City on July 8, 2005. After two days of viewing, Vandross was laid to rest in George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.

Quick Info
Birth name Luther Ronzoni Vandross
Born April 20, 1951, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
Died July 1, 2005, Edison, New Jersey, United States
Genre(s) R&B, soul, quiet storm, soft rock rap
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, record producer
Years active 1968–2005
Label(s) Cotillion, Epic, Virgin, J, Legacy
Website www.luthervandross.com