Famous for providing the world with decades of unforgettable hit songs such as "Here and Now," "Give Me the Reason," "Never Too Much," and "Dance With My Father," R&B singer Luther Vandross died today, July 1, 2005, at the age of 54.
According to hospital spokesman Rob Cavanaugh, Vandross died at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, N.J. No details as to the cause of death were released. Vandross had suffered a stroke on April 16, 2003, and since ceased making public appearances.
For years, he had battled with his weight and suffered from diabetes and hypertension, ailments that ran in his family. Complications claimed the life of his father, Luther Vandross, Sr., when the junior Vandross was only five.
In 2004, Vandross won accolades, including a Grammy award, for the bittersweet, yet sentimental ballad "Dance With My Father." He had garnered three earlier trophies in the Best Male R&B Performance category in 1990 (single "Here and Now"), 1991 (album "Power of Love"), and in 1996 (single "Your Secret Love).
Vandross was arguably the most celebrated R&B balladeer of his generation. He
sold over 25 million albums, and penned and produced several songs for both himself and other artists. His distinctive tenor became part and parcel of romantic interludes and such festive events as weddings, earning him the love and adoration of music lovers of all ages.
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