From the aching loneliness in “Don’t Want To Be A Fool” and “Any Love” to the joyful affirmations in “She Loves Me Back” and “So Amazing,” he suitably proved himself a songwriter of distinguished talent.
Even with such talent, what ultimately set Vandross apart from many of his contemporaries was, simply, his integrity. The personification of class in an era that didn’t always espouse it, he never sacrificed his creative or moral standards by singing explicitly about sex. His music certainly inspired and implied genuine romance and passion, yet it never relied upon intimate or gratuitous expression to do so. His exquisite performances of “If Only For One Night” and “I Want The Night To Stay” are prime examples of such sophistication.
Listening to this collection not only confirms the indelible contribution that Vandross made to music, it also offers striking insight as to some of the creative efforts he never finished to his satisfaction. “Ready For Love,” a cloudy-sounding demo discovered on a cassette tape dated 1979-1980, finds Vandross singing in remarkable form to a piano accompaniment.
Also, “There’s Only You,” recorded in 1985, sounds utterly spellbinding, with a metronomic synthesizer underscoring a riveting and ominous vocal. “I’ll be missing you,” Vandross sings as the song ebbs towards its end.
On the day of his memorial service, thousands of mourners braved a New York City rain shower to witness the funeral procession as it rolled past the Apollo Theater in Harlem, on its way to Riverside Church. During the service attended by 2,000 guests, Aretha Franklin sang “Amazing Grace.” And, at the service’s conclusion, the entire congregation rose to sing “The Power Of Love/Love Power,” one of the most familiar songs in the career of Luther Vandross.
Love, Luther represents a lifetime devoted to music. This music inspired people to stand in the rain to pay their last respects to a man they’d likely never met, but with whom they felt a bond. This music inspired the Queen of Soul to sing the most revered of gospel standards, even as she grieved the passing of a friend. This music inspired everyone inside Riverside Church to pay homage to Luther Vandross by singing one of his own songs.
And now, in our own ways, this music can inspire us as well.
Article comments
1 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! This article has been forwarded to the Advance.net websites and Boston.com.
2 - Donald Gibson
Thank you very much, Connie.
3 - Darren Giles
Luther Vandross, a man who inspired a brand new generation of soul music lovers aswell as his uptempo funk numbers.
To me Luther is the complete artist in every sense, a man who has bought together so many friends to be lovers with his pureness and sweet delivery.
To all Luther fans this collection of his lives work is a must.
This is the best ever collection of songs i have ever heard and something i will forever treasure.
Forever, For Always, For Luther.
Rest In Peace Luther.
Darren Giles