Luther Vandross

Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. With eleven consecutive RIAA-certified platinum albums and over 40 million records sold worldwide, Vandross was a highly successful artist. Known as the 'Velvet Voice', he is considered one of the greatest R&B artists by Billboard and one of the 200 greatest singers of all time by Rolling Stone. Vandross received eight Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year in 2004 for 'Dance with My Father'. He also worked as a backing vocalist for numerous artists in the 1970s, including Diana Ross, David Bowie, and Stevie Wonder. In 2021, Vandross was posthumously inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.