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1-13 of 13
- Music Artist
- Actor
- Music Department
Designated the "heartbeat" of R&B during the 1980s and 1990s, Luther Vandross led a productive singing and songwriting life before 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 eight years old. 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 the 1958 single "Sixteen Candles".
In high school, Luther formed his own musical group and first started to write and compose. His first big songwriting break came with "Everybody Rejoice (Can You Feel a Brand New Day)", which was used for the Broadway stage and film productions of "The Wiz". He also sang in the film's choir selections. In the 1970s, while still working his way up, Luther voiced commercial jingles (Kentucky Fried Chicken) and provided backup vocals on tour and in session work for such notables as David Bowie, Chaka Khan, Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, Bette Midler and Donna Summer. After performing with a short-lived singing group called "Luther", which was formed to include the talented musicians Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, who later formed the group, Chic, Luther returned to the background and took part in various projects for Quincy Jones and others. Insisting on creative control, Luther had a difficult time finding the right contract for himself in record-making.
At age 30, he finally recorded his first solo album with the No. 1 R&B and "Top 20" pop chartmaker, "Never Too Much". He continued steadily with such albums as "Forever, for Always, for Love" (1982) and "Give Me the Reasons" (1986), but it wasn't until 1989 that he had his first "Top 10" single with "Here and Now" (No. 6), which finally placed him securely on the love song pedestal. Such other No. 1 R&B singles would include "Stop to Love", "There's Nothing Better than Love" and "Any Love".
A minimalist stylist whose eloquent, velvety renditions were accentuated by spot-on phrasing and effortless vocal control, his image quickly led to such unwelcome sobriquets as "master of bedroom music" and the restrictive label of being a "ladies only" act. He was also besieged by a wealth of other personal and health problems. A binge eater, his weight fluctuated through his career with his 6' 3" frame handling a diversity of 190 to 340 pounds at various stages, aggravated by constant career pressures and a roller coaster personal and romantic life.
The never-married crooner was besieged by persistent reports that he was gay (he never denied or acknowledged the reports), rumors that threatened his ladies' man career. Moreover, Luther suffered from a mild form of diabetes, the disease that took the life of his father. In 1986, he was the driver in automobile crash that killed one passenger (a close friend) with a charge of vehicular manslaughter finally reduced to reckless driving (speeding).
The 1990s seemed, career-wise, stronger than ever again with a Top 40 hit dueting with Mariah Carey on "Endless Love" (1994) and the release of his No. 1 R&B signature version of "Always and Forever" (1994).
On camera, film and television acting appearances include a cameo in Robert Townsend's film The Meteor Man (1993) and episodes of "Beverly Hills: 90210" (as himself) and "Touched by An Angel". A documentary, Luther Vandross: Always and Forever (1994), is also available. Through his career, Luther continued to write and produce for other artists including Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick, Teddy Pendergrass, Cheryl Lynn and Aretha Franklin. Following his massive April 2003 stroke, he made a phantom return to the spotlight with the release of his CD "Dance With My Father" (2003), which was recorded before his illness. At the awards show, the absent Luther was rewarded with four Grammy Awards, including song of the year. The success also gave him his first No. 1 album on the pop chart and four NAACP Image Awards.
The beloved 54-year-old musician died of a heart attack on July 1, 2005 at the JFK Medical Center in Edision, New Jersey, and was survived by his Evangelist mother, Mary Ida Vandross, who was instrumental in promoting her son's last work to Grammy glory following his severe debilitation.- Ann Evers was born on 6 September 1915 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for Riders of the Black Hills (1938), Police Bullets (1942) and Beauty for the Asking (1939). She was married to Seton I. Miller. She died on 4 June 1987 in Edison, New Jersey, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Phoebe Snow was born on 17 July 1950 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Running with Scissors (2006), Kicking and Screaming (1995) and Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom (2008). She was married to Philip Kearns. She died on 26 April 2011 in Edison, New Jersey, USA.- Actor
- Writer
Ira Lewis was born on 27 August 1932 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Loose Cannons (1990), Chinese Coffee (2000) and Looking for Richard (1996). He died on 4 April 2015 in Edison, New Jersey, USA.- Sean Reilly was born on 19 March 1983 in Summit, New Jersey, USA. He died on 27 January 2009 in Edison, New Jersey, USA.
- Al'Khan Edwards was born in 1980. He died on 17 March 2006 in JFK Medical Center, Edison, New Jersey, USA.
- Barbara Smith Conrad was born on 11 August 1937 in Atlanta, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for The Metropolitan Opera Presents (1977), Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years (1977) and When I Rise (2010). She died on 22 May 2017 in Edison, New Jersey, USA.
- Susan J Robinson was born on 24 May 1952 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. Susan J was a producer, known for Kids Are People, Too (1978). Susan J died on 15 January 2019 in Edison, New Jersey, USA.
- Additional Crew
Marvin Pakula was born on 28 August 1923 in New York City, New York, USA. Marvin is known for Rocky King, Detective (1950). Marvin died on 12 August 2019 in Edison, New Jersey, USA.- Poet John Anthony Ciardi was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 24, 1916. He graduated from Tufts University (then called Tufts College) in 1938 and got his M.A. from the University of Michigan the next year. His first volume of poetry, "Homeward to America", was published in 1940, to critical acclaim. He was an English instructor at the University of Kansas City from 1940-42, when he left to join the US Army Air Force during World War II. After the war's end he returned to his teaching job, but in 1946 he moved back to Boston and taught at Harvard University. He joined the faculty of Rutgers University in New Jersey in 1953, becoming a Professor of English there in 1956.
In addition to his volumes of poetry he also wrote poems and verse for children, in addition to translating "The Inferno" of Dante Alighieri's "The Divine Comedy". In 1956 he became poetry editor of The Saturday Review. He left his position at Rutgers in 1961 to pursue his writing career full time.
Be died of a heart attack in Edison, New Jersey, on March 30, 1986. - Jubar Croswell was born on 10 July 1980 in New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Warriors (2005). He died on 23 September 2010 in Edison, New Jersey, USA.
- The son of a Baptist minister, Charles Mercer was a 1939 graduate of Brown University and served in U.S, Army Intelligence in World War II and during the Korean Conflict. Starting as a reporter for the Washington Post, Mercer subsequently wrote a column about television programs for the Associated Press. He also wrote seventeen novels (including "Rachel Cade", which sold three million copies) and twelve nonfiction books which were primarily aimed at young adults. In 1979, he retired from G. P. Putnam's Sons as Vice President and Senior Editor of Young Adult Books.
- Haklar Dezso was born on 23 May 1933 in Magyarlak, Hungary. He was an actor, known for Doubt (2008). He was married to Helen Windisch Haklar. He died on 13 August 2011 in Haven Hospice, JFK Medical Center, Edison, New Jersey, USA.