Vandross Still Hospitalized, Releasing New Album Next Week

Luther slowly regaining consciousness, undergoing mild physical therapy:

The album Luther Vandross considers the best of his career hits stores Tuesday – with no videos, television interviews or concerts to trumpet its arrival. With the 52-year-old singer yet to regain full consciousness after an April 16 stroke, there is virtually none of the normal promotional hoopla surrounding the release of “Dance With My Father.”

Which raises an uncomfortable question – how do you promote the work of an incapacitated artist?

Record companies don’t have such problems when the artist is dead. Last year, an Aaliyah disc released after her plane crashed sold more than a million copies. Selena’s English-language debut, released after she was slain by her former fan club president, debuted at No. 1. And the estate of Tupac Shakur puts out albums so often, some doubt that he’s really dead. [AP]

Yes, the undead are so much more difficult than the dead.

“We’re just in effect releasing the music; the rest will take care of itself,” said label founder Clive Davis, a legendary music mogul. “I think the music will tell its own story.”

Davis could have delayed the disc’s release, but he said that was never an option.

“I think (Vandross) was very much at a creative peak. He felt that it was the best album he had ever recorded,” he said. “Everyone knows that he wanted his music to be out.”

But which music? Also on Tuesday, Vandross’ former label is releasing “The Essential Luther Vandross,” featuring classic hits like “Here and Now” and “A House Is Not a Home.”

You can check out the single and two other tracks from the new CD at the Vandross site here. I frankly find the song pretty sappy, although who can really complain about a song written for a guy’s father, who died when he was seven? I’m just not that much of a Quiet Storm kind of person, I imagine. So anyway, speedy recovery, Luther.