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Luther Vandross Was R&B�s Last Great Voice

By Chris Stevens
Black College Wire

It�s rare that an artist�s career crosses into one-name territory, and everyone knows who you�re talking about. The mere mention of this artist�s name evokes feelings of passion, romance and true singing ability, as well as memories of blissful nights with the artist�s music as the soundtrack. That one name is, of course, Luther.

Photo credit: J Records Luther Vandross left a legacy that will go unmatched for some time.

Luther Vandross, the greatest rhythm and blues voice of the last 25 years, passed away July 1 at age 54, never recovering from a stroke he suffered in 2003. He left fans and his peers to mourn the loss of one of the true greats.

While many of us were not around when Luther started his amazing solo career, quite a few kids were born with Vandross� smooth and versatile voice anchoring amazing music production. I know that the beginning of Luther�s solo success coincided with my birth, to hear my mother tell the story.

In the last week of September 1981, Paula Stevens brought home her 7-pound-8-ounce baby boy from the hospital, still in pain from the labor of giving birth to this little guy. However, soon after entering the house, she was re-energized by a new upbeat romance track by a newcomer named Luther Vandross. The song was �Never Too Much,� from the album of the same name. Mom danced with me, who obviously was not paying the least bit of attention, in her arms. From that point on, that was the song that reminded her of her firstborn child, and whenever I hear it, I call her and say, �Mom, our song is on.�

I�m sure we weren�t the only people who felt this way or had certain Luther songs that reminded them of wonderful moments, because the man left behind a legacy that will go unmatched for some time. His reworking of the song Burt Bacharach wrote and Dionne Warwick made famous, �A House is Not a Home,� is a classic example of a singer making a cover song his own. Luther sang, no, he owned that song, courtesy of his amazing runs, especially the scatting. �Are you gonna be/say you�re gonna be/are you gonna be/say you�re gonna be� still are among the smoothest words ever to be sung. Not to mention 1991�s �Here and Now,� a wedding reception staple to this day, along with other classics such as �So Amazing,� the heart-wrenching �Superstar,� and his ode to his late dad, �Dance With My Father.� The great list of Luther Vandross songs can go on forever.

Photo credit: J Records Today's R&B new jacks have a ton of work to do if they ever want to fill Vandross' shoes.

Unfortunately, due to battles with weight and hypertension, his life could not go on forever. He ascended to, and then descended from, the 300-pound mark several times, culminating in the 2003 stroke that left him with a weakened version of the great voice we loved and knew. His weight was one thing that might have prohibited his crossover success from coming earlier in his career, making him another victim of a superficial society that said its romantic kings and queens had to be slim and trim.

Another might have been the question of Vandross� sexuality, but it�s hard to find a Luther fan who gives a damn about that. My mother, who might in fact be the most conservative person I know on that subject, couldn't care less whether Luther was gay. She loved the man�s music, as did so many others.

One thing is for certain: Today�s R&B new jacks have a ton of work to do if they ever want to fill the shoes of Luther Vandross. Luther�s poetic metaphors and implications are totally different from the �Raunch & B� style that most of today�s singers display. You knew that making love was a part of the message; you just wouldn�t get play-by-play from Luther. He left that up to the lovers who used his music as a mood setter.

That is what�s missing in rhythm and blues today. And it will be missing for quite a long time, now that Luther is dancing with his father again. And Luther, as you said in �So Amazing,� we hope to �follow you to the moon and the sky above.�

Chris Stevens is a student at Delaware State University.

Posted July 7, 2005