Photo: Unknown / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Luther Vandross had a voice I would describe as velvet with a heartbeat. Plenty of singers hit prettier high notes or flashier runs, but nobody made a ballad feel as safe and warm as Luther did. Eleven consecutive platinum albums and 25 million records prove he was commercially huge, yet the numbers undersell his real legacy: he turned romantic R&B into something almost devotional. I also admire the craftsman behind the crooner, writing and producing his own material with obsessive care. His death in 2005 left a hole nobody has filled. When I need consoling at midnight, his records still do the work.
Overview
Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. ( VAN-drohss; April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer. Over his career, he achieved eleven consecutive RIAA-certified platinum albums and sold over 25 million records worldwide.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Luther Vandross
- Name (Japanese)
- ルーサー・ヴァンドロス
- Reading
- るーさー・ゔぁんどろす
- Born
- April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Rabbit
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer / singer-songwriter / record producer / composer / actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- William Howard Taft High School
- University
- Western Michigan University
Awards & achievements
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Singer — see all → · Singer-songwriter — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.