Luther Vandross

Designated the "heartbeat" of R&B during the 1980s and 1990s, Luther Vandross led a productive singing and songwriting life prior to this preeminence. The soul balladeer's strong commitment to the art of music continued on its Grammy-winning course, even after an acute stroke in 2003 left him severely incapacitated and unable to continue public appearances. Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. was born in Manhattan, New York on April 20, 1951, the baby of four children. His father, also named Luther, was an upholsterer who died of diabetes when the singer was just 8. Despite this sadness, his mother, a practical nurse, made sure that music was prevalent in the Vandross household, particularly gospel, soul and doo-wop. Luther was influenced by his older sister Patricia, who became a member of a doo-wop group called The Crests, and scored with "16 Candles", a 1958 hit. In high school, Luther formed his own musical group and first started to write and compose. His first big songwriting break ca