AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Luther Vandross

Artist:Luther Vandross
Song:Here and Now
Album:Greatest Hits





Luther Vandross was already a successful songwriter, producer and arranger when he became one of the most successful R & B crooners of the 80s. Here and Now was one of his biggest hits in 1989. He was born Apr. 20, 1951 in New York City. He taught himself to play piano by ear. His dad died when Vandross was 8 years old and Vandross dedicated Dance With My Father to him. His older sister Pat Vandross was a one time member of The Crests. In the 70s, Vandross was a studio singer. His big break came when David Bowie hired him to sing on the 1975 album Young Americans and then took him on tour. Now he was really in demand. He released two unsuccessful albums with his group Luther. In 1980 he was a member of Change and sang lead on their number one dance hit The Glow Of Love. Vandross left Change over money and then signed with Epic Records. He had immediate success with his 1981 debut album Never Too Much. The single Never Too Much topped the R & B Singles chart and was a top 40 pop hit. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. His success continued mostly on the R & B charts with hits like Stop To Love. But he finally had his first pop top ten when Here and Now reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989. The song was released as a bonus track on the 1989 album The Best Of Luther Vandross...The Best Of Love. The song was written by Dionne Warwick's son David L. Elliott and Terry Steele. Steele is best known as lead singer of the group Hiroshima. Vandross' other top ten pop hits were Power Of Love/Love Power and Don't Want To Be A Fool. Vandross left Epic in 1996 when he started to fade. This budget comp is the best selection of his Epic hits. After one album for Virgin, Vandross signed with J Records and recorded his final two CDs there. Like his dad, Vandross suffered from diabetes and had weight problems. He suffered a stroke on Apr. 6, 2003 and that ended his career. He died on July 1, 2005 at age 54. But that voice still has a lot of power and that's how Luther Vandross will be remembered. Here's the video for Here and Now by Luther Vandross.