" Dance with My Father " is a song by Luther Vandross and the title track to his thirteenth studio album . It was released in May 2003 as the album's lead single. With Richard Marx , Vandross wrote the song based on his personal experience. The lyrics recall childhood memories with Vandross's father, who used to dance with him and his mother.
116-423: Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. Throughout his career, he achieved eleven consecutive RIAA-certified platinum albums and sold over 40 million records worldwide. Known as the " Velvet Voice ", Vandross has been recognized as one of the 200 greatest singers of all time (2023) by Rolling Stone , as well as one of
232-467: A Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance . Marx accepted the award on behalf of Vandross, who was unable to attend due to health concerns. At the same event, singer Celine Dion agreed to perform a live rendition of the song in lieu of Vandross, and Marx accompanied her on the piano as she recently lost her father. After the performance, Vandross however accepted the awards on a videotaped speech. With his death in 2005, "Dance with My Father"
348-412: A call and response between the lead and backing vocalists , an especially tense vocal sound, and occasional improvisational additions, twirls, and auxiliary sounds. Soul music is known for reflecting African-American identity and stressing the importance of African-American culture. Soul music dominated the U.S. R&B charts in the 1960s, and many recordings crossed over into the pop charts in
464-409: A " Third British Invasion " or "British Soul Invasion" in the 2000s and 2010s. Neo soul is a blend of 1970s soul-style vocals and instrumentation with contemporary R&B sounds, hip-hop beats, and poetic interludes. The style was developed in the early to mid-1990s, and the term was coined in the early 1990s by producer and record label executive Kedar Massenburg . A key element in neo-soul
580-422: A Grammy for her rendition of "A House Is Not a Home", and Stevie Wonder and Beyoncé won a Grammy for their cover of "So Amazing". On November 21, 2006, saxophonist Dave Koz released a followup to the earlier smooth jazz GRP tribute album, this time on his own Rendezvous Entertainment label, an album called Forever, for Always, for Luther Volume II , also produced by Rex Rideout and Bud Harner. Koz played on all
696-528: A Home ". The song " Never Too Much ", written by him, reached number-one on the R&;B charts. This period also marked the beginning of a songwriting collaboration with bassist Marcus Miller , who played on many of the tracks and would also produce or co-produce a number of tracks for Vandross. The Never Too Much album was arranged by Vandross's high school classmate, Nat Adderley Jr. , a collaboration that would last through Vandross's career. Vandross released
812-621: A Part of Me)" was re-written as " Fascination " with David Bowie for the latter's Young Americans (1975) album, Vandross went on to tour with him as a back-up vocalist in September 1974. Vandross wrote "Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day" for the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz . Vandross also sang backing vocals for artists, including Roberta Flack , Chaka Khan , Ben E. King , Bette Midler , Diana Ross , Carly Simon , Barbra Streisand , David Bowie , Cat Stevens , Gary Glitter , Ringo Starr , Sister Sledge , and Donna Summer , and for
928-452: A Part of Me)", and "The Second Time Around" were relatively successful, their two albums, the self-titled Luther (1976) and This Close to You (1977), which Vandross produced, did not sell enough to make the charts. Vandross bought back the rights to those albums after Cotillion dropped the group, preventing them from being re-released. Both albums were re-released in 2024. Vandross also wrote and sang commercial jingles from 1977 until
1044-514: A Thousand Dances ") and Thee Midniters played brown-eyed R&B music with a rebellious rock and roll edge. Many of these artists drew from the frat rock and garage rock scenes. However, the large Hispanic population on the West Coast began gradually moving away from energetic R&B to romantic soul, and the results were "some of the sweetest soul music heard during the late 1960s and 1970s." Dance with My Father (song) Despite
1160-401: A Woman ". Singer Bobby Womack said, "Ray was the genius. He turned the world onto soul music." Charles was open in acknowledging the influence of Pilgrim Travelers vocalist Jesse Whitaker on his singing style. Little Richard , who inspired Otis Redding , and James Brown both were equally influential. Brown was nicknamed the "Godfather of Soul Music", and Richard proclaimed himself as
1276-554: A cover of Astrud Gilberto 's "Look to the Rainbow". Vandross never married and had no children. His mother outlived all of her four children, and his three elder siblings along with his father all predeceased him due to diabetes and asthma. In 2006, Bruce Vilanch , a friend and colleague of Vandross, told Out magazine, "He said to me, 'No one knows I'm in the life.' ... He had very few sexual contacts". According to Vilanch, Vandross experienced his longest romantic relationship with
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#17327808606111392-501: A diplomat until 1944 when his father died, founded Atlantic Records in 1947 with his friend Herb Abramson . Ertegun wrote many songs for Ray Charles and the Clovers . He even sang backup vocals for his artist Big Joe Turner on the song, "Shake Rattle and Roll". Dominated by Berry Gordy 's Motown Records empire, Detroit's soul is strongly rhythmic and influenced by gospel music. The Motown sound often includes hand clapping ,
1508-494: A distinctive New Orleans soul sound that generated a passel of national hits. Other notable New Orleans hits came from Robert Parker, Betty Harris , and Aaron Neville . While record labels in New Orleans largely disappeared by the mid-1960s, producers in the city continued to record New Orleans soul artists for other mainly New York City and Los Angeles–based record labels—notably Lee Dorsey for New York-based Amy Records and
1624-548: A distinctive sound, which included putting vocals further back in the mix than most contemporary R&B records, using vibrant horn parts in place of background vocals, and a focus on the low end of the frequency spectrum. The vast majority of Stax releases were backed by house bands Booker T & the MGs (with Booker T. Jones , Steve Cropper , Duck Dunn , and Al Jackson ) and the Memphis Horns (the splinter horn section of
1740-466: A duet with Janet Jackson from the movie Mo' Money became a hit. In 1993, he had a brief non-speaking role in the Robert Townsend movie The Meteor Man . He played a hit man who plotted to stop Townsend's title character. Vandross hit the top ten again in 1994, teaming with Mariah Carey on a cover version of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross 's duet " Endless Love ". It was included on
1856-648: A franchise that saw the creation of a record label ( Soul Train Records ) that distributed music by the Whispers , Carrie Lucas , and an up-and-coming group known as Shalamar . Numerous disputes led to Cornelius spinning off the record label to his talent booker, Dick Griffey , who transformed the label into Solar Records , itself a prominent soul music label throughout the 1980s. The TV series continued to air until 2006, although other predominantly African-American music genres such as hip-hop began overshadowing soul on
1972-661: A group, Shades of Jade, that once played at the Apollo Theater . During his early years in show business, he appeared several times at the Apollo's famous amateur night. While he was a member of a theater workshop, Listen My Brother, he was involved in the singles "Only Love Can Make a Better World" and "Listen My Brother". The group performed in front of tens of thousands at the Harlem Cultural Festival in late August 1969. Directly afterward, he appeared with
2088-521: A huge impact on the pop and R&B charts and a huge direct influence on the birth of Funk music. The principal architect of Crescent City's soul was a songwriter, arranger, and producer Allen Toussaint . He worked with such artists as Irma Thomas ("the Soul Queen of New Orleans"), Jessie Hill, Chris Kenner , Benny Spellman, and Ernie K-Doe on the Minit/Instant label complex to produce
2204-961: A lead singer of the group Change , which released the Gold-certified album, The Glow of Love , in 1980 on Warner/RFC Records. After Vandross left the group, he was signed to Epic Records as a solo artist and released his debut solo album, Never Too Much , in 1981. His hit songs include " Never Too Much ", " Here and Now ", " Any Love ", " Power of Love/Love Power ", " I Can Make It Better ", and " For You to Love ". Many of his songs were covers of original music by other artists such as " If This World Were Mine " (duet with Cheryl Lynn ), " Since I Lost My Baby ", " Superstar ", " I (Who Have Nothing) ", and " Always and Forever ". He performed duets such as " The Closer I Get to You " with Beyoncé , " Endless Love " with Mariah Carey , and " The Best Things in Life Are Free " with Janet Jackson of which
2320-644: A lot of lady fans" and "he just didn't want to upset the world". In December 1985, Vandross filed a libel suit against a British magazine after it attributed his 85-pound weight loss to AIDS. He weighed 325 pounds (147 kg) when he started a diet in May of that year. After signing Jimmy Salvemini and having completed his debut album, Roll It , Vandross, Salvemini, and Salvemini's brother and manager Larry decided to celebrate. On January 12, 1986, they were riding in Vandross's convertible on Laurel Canyon Boulevard , in
2436-544: A man while living in Los Angeles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In December 2017, 12 years after his death, Vandross' friend Patti LaBelle confirmed that he was gay. In addition, Vandross was well aware that officially coming out as gay while he was actively making music would have been detrimental to the trajectory of his career, given the majority of his target audience was women seeking some mode of emotional engagement from his words. LaBelle said "[Vandross] had
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#17327808606112552-455: A meditative, deeply personal prayer". At the time of "Dance with My Father"'s release as a single on May 30, 2003, Vandross had been hospitalized due to his suffering from stroke . This timely release of the song gained attention from critics. On his review for the album, David Jeffries of AllMusic wrote that its release "makes the song's references to absent loved ones even more poignant". For Larry Flick of The Advocate , it transformed
2668-407: A new look. Vandross, who had been to only one basketball game in his life, was the new singer, and the video had none of the special effects, like glowing basketballs and star trails, that videos from previous years had. This song version is in use today. J Records released a song in 2006, " Shine "—an upbeat R&B track that samples Chic 's disco song "My Forbidden Lover"—which reached No. 31 on
2784-522: A newfound sophisticated musicality and ambitious lyricism in black pop. Among these musicians were Sly Stone , Stevie Wonder , Marvin Gaye , Curtis Mayfield , and George Clinton . In discussing the progressive soul of the 1970s, Martin cites this period's albums from Wonder ( Talking Book , Innervisions , Songs in the Key of Life ), War ( All Day Music , The World Is a Ghetto , War Live ), and
2900-548: A powerful bassline , strings , brass and vibraphone . Motown Records' house band was the Funk Brothers . AllMusic cites Motown as the pioneering label of pop-soul, a style of soul music with raw vocals, but polished production and toned-down subject matter intended for pop radio and crossover success. Artists of this style included Diana Ross , the Jackson 5 , Stevie Wonder , and Billy Preston . Popular during
3016-469: A recording contract with Epic Records that same year, but he also provided background vocals on "Miracles" and on the new Petrus-created act, the B. B. & Q. Band in 1981. During that hectic year Vandross jump-started his second attempt at a solo career with his debut album, Never Too Much . In addition to the hit title track it contained a version of the Bacharach & David song " A House Is Not
3132-475: A rendition of Michael Jackson 's hit song " Man in the Mirror " at Jackson's 30th Anniversary special, alongside Usher and 98 Degrees . In the spring of 2003, Vandross's last collaboration was Doc Powell 's song "What's Going On", a cover of Marvin Gaye 's seminal 1971 original , from Powell's album 97th and Columbus . In 2003, Vandross released the album Dance with My Father . It sold 442,000 copies in
3248-405: A series of soul ballads characterized by unabashedly sentimental lyrics usually begging forgiveness or asking a girlfriend to come home... He soon became known as "Mr. Pitiful" and earned a reputation as the leading performer of soul ballads. The most important female soul singer to emerge was Aretha Franklin , originally a gospel singer who began to make secular recordings in 1960 but whose career
3364-488: A series of successful R&B albums during the 1980s and continued his session work with guest vocals on groups like Charme in 1982. Many of his earlier albums made a bigger impact on the R&B charts than on the pop charts. During the 1980s, two of Vandross's singles reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&;B charts: "Stop to Love", in 1986, and a duet with Gregory Hines —"There's Nothing Better Than Love." Vandross
3480-569: A sound, it’s also a look. It comes with fashion that breaks barriers and shows creativity. The whole aesthetic is art, from the sound to the look. Neo-soul is a blend of music and culture and its impact in the music industry is timeless. Its impact can still be seen and felt across many genres and artists. Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in the late 1960s out of the British mod subculture in Northern England and
3596-491: A successful pop music career. Furthermore, his 1962 recording of " Bring It On Home To Me " has been described as "perhaps the first record to define the soul experience". Jackie Wilson, a contemporary of both Cooke and James Brown, also achieved crossover success, especially with his 1957 hit " Reet Petite ". He even was particularly influential for his dramatic delivery and performances. Husband-wife duo Ike & Tina Turner emerged as "leading exponents" of soul music in
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3712-506: A three Saturday morning animated PSA spots. The 1989 compilation album The Best of Luther Vandross... The Best of Love included the ballad " Here and Now ", his first single to chart in the Billboard pop chart top ten, peaking at number six. In 1990, Vandross wrote, produced and sang background for Whitney Houston in a song titled "Who Do You Love" which appeared on her album I'm Your Baby Tonight . That year, he guest starred on
3828-622: A tribute to Vandross as he sat in the audience during the Soul Train Awards . Johnny Gill , El DeBarge , and Kenny Lattimore provided background vocals. On July 27, 2004, GRP Records released a smooth jazz various artists tribute album, Forever, for Always, for Luther , including ten popular songs written by Vandross. The album featured vocal arrangements by Luther and was produced by Rex Rideout and Bud Harner. Rideout had co-authored songs, contributed arrangements and played keyboards on Vandross's final three albums. The tribute album
3944-400: A version of this song on his Your Secret Love album in 1996. In 1985, Vandross first spotted the talent of Jimmy Salvemini, who was 15 at the time, on Star Search . He thought Salvemini had the perfect voice for some of his songs and contacted him. He was managed by his brother, Larry Salvemini. A contract was negotiated with Elektra Records for $ 250,000 and Vandross agreed to produce
4060-474: A wheelchair. He later regained the ability to walk. At the 2004 Grammy Awards , Vandross appeared in a pre-taped video segment to accept his Song of the Year Award for "Dance With My Father", saying, "When I say good-bye, it's never for long, because I believe in the power of love " (Vandross sang the last six words). His mother, Mary, accepted the award in person on his behalf. His last public appearance
4176-454: Is R&B or soul music performed by white artists. The meaning of blue-eyed soul has evolved over the decades. Originally the term was associated with mid-1960s white artists who performed soul and R&B that was similar to the music released by Motown Records and Stax Records . The Righteous Brothers, the Rascals , Spencer Davis Group, Steve Winwood , Van Morrison & Them, and
4292-525: Is brown-eyed soul , or soul music or R&B created and performed mainly by Latinos in Southern California during the 1960s, continuing through to the early 1980s. The genre of soul music occasionally draws from Latin , and often contains rock music influences. This contrasts with blue-eyed soul, soul music performed by non-Hispanic white artists. Ritchie Valens , one of the original pioneers of brown-eyed soul music, also became one of
4408-408: Is a heavy dose of Fender Rhodes or Wurlitzer electric piano "pads" over a mellow, grooving interplay between the drums (usually with a rim shot snare sound) and a muted, deep funky bass. The Fender Rhodes piano sound gives the music a warm, organic character. Notable artists include Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, and Erykah Badu. Also newer artists like H.E.R and Sza are influenced by Neo Soul. Neo Soul
4524-447: Is a tribute to his father, Luther Vandross Sr., who died due to complications of diabetes . Vandross was eight when his father died. According to Marx, writing the song was emotional for Vandross because it is "a subject matter [Vandross] hadn't written before". On the backdrop of strings and interplay of piano and drums, Vandross recalls fond memories with his late father who used to dance with his mother. Mary Ida, his mother, says, "I
4640-399: Is full of deep lyrics and soulful sounds that resonate with listeners. Neo Soul has had a lasting impact on the music industry, Along with a deep soulful sound, it also includes very soulful lyrics that touch on topics of love and even loss. This genre comes from African American culture and is connected to genres like gospel and blues. Fashion is also very important to this genre. It’s not just
4756-540: The Billboard R&;B chart. The song was originally slated to be released on the soundtrack to the movie, The Fighting Temptations , but it was shelved. A later remix of the song peaked at No. 10 on the Club Play chart. "Shine" and a track titled "Got You Home" were previously unreleased songs on The Ultimate Luther Vandross (2006), a greatest hits album on Epic Records /J Records/ Legacy Recordings that
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4872-563: The English Midlands , based on a particular style of soul music with a heavy beat and fast tempo. The phrase northern soul was coined by a journalist Dave Godin and popularised through his column in Blues and Soul magazine. The rare soul records were played by DJs at nightclubs , and included obscure 1960s and early 1970s American recordings with an uptempo beat, such as those on Motown and smaller labels, not necessarily from
4988-680: The Northern United States . Many artists in various genres of electronic music (such as house , drum n bass , UK garage , and downtempo ) are heavily influenced by soul, and have produced many soul-inspired compositions. The impact of soul music was manifold; internationally, white and other non-black musicians were influenced by soul music. British soul and Northern soul , rare soul music played by DJs at nightclubs in Northern England, are examples. Several terms were introduced, such as " blue-eyed soul ", which
5104-681: The civil rights movement . Soul also became popular worldwide, directly influencing rock music and the music of Africa . It had a resurgence in the mid-to late 1990s with the subgenre neo soul , which incorporated modern production elements and hip hop influences. The genre emerged from the power struggle to increase black Americans' awareness of their African ancestry, as a newfound consciousness led to new styles of music that boasted pride in being black. Soul music primarily combines elements of gospel, R&B and jazz . Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps and extemporaneous body movements, are an important hallmark of soul. Other characteristics are
5220-562: The " Motown sound ", a more rhythmic and pop -friendly style that originated from the eponymous label; Southern soul , a driving, energetic variety combining R&B with southern gospel music influences; Memphis soul , a shimmering, sultry style; New Orleans soul , which emerged from the rhythm and blues style; Chicago soul , a lighter gospel-influenced sound; and Philadelphia soul , a lush orchestral variety with doo-wop -inspired vocals. Soul music has its roots in traditional African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues and as
5336-493: The "King of Rockin' and Rollin', Rhythm and Blues Soulin ' ", because his music embodied elements of all three, and since he inspired artists in all three genres. Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson also are often acknowledged as soul forefathers. Cooke became popular as the lead singer of the gospel group the Soul Stirrers , before controversially moving into secular music. His recording of " You Send Me " in 1957 launched
5452-524: The "first clear evidence of soul music shows up with the "5" Royales , an ex-gospel group that turned to R&B and in Faye Adams , whose "Shake A Hand" becomes an R&B standard". Important innovators whose recordings in the 1950s contributed to the emergence of soul music included Clyde McPhatter , Hank Ballard , and Etta James . Ray Charles is often cited as popularizing the soul music genre with his series of hits, starting with 1954's " I Got
5568-572: The 1940s and '50s occasionally used the term as part of their names. The jazz style that originated from gospel became known as soul jazz . As singers and arrangers began using techniques from both gospel and soul jazz in African-American popular music during the 1960s, soul music gradually functioned as an umbrella term for African-American popular music at the time. According to the Acoustic Music Organization,
5684-603: The 1960s which were unable to connect with the mainstream market. Nevertheless, soul has been a major influence on British popular music since the 1960s including bands of the British Invasion , most significantly the Beatles . There were a handful of significant British blue-eyed soul acts, including Dusty Springfield and Tom Jones . In the 1970s Carl Douglas , the Real Thing and Delegation had hits in
5800-615: The 1960s, the style became glossier during the 1970s and led to disco . In the late 2000s, the style was revisited by contemporary soul singers such as Amy Winehouse , Raphael Saadiq (specifically his 2008 album The Way I See It ) and Solange Knowles (her 2008 album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams ). The terms "deep soul" and "Southern soul" generally refer to a driving, energetic soul style combining R&B 's energy with pulsating southern United States gospel music sounds. Memphis, Tennessee , label Stax Records nurtured
5916-711: The 1960s. Their debut single " A Fool in Love " crossed over to the pop charts in 1960. They earned a Grammy nomination for their song " It's Gonna Work Out Fine " in 1962. Along with the Kings of Rhythm and the Ikettes , they toured the Chitlin’ Circuit as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Writer Peter Guralnick is among those to identify Solomon Burke as a key figure in the emergence of soul music, and Atlantic Records as
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#17327808606116032-470: The Blowfish , Jaheim , John Legend , Mint Condition , Ne-Yo , Ruben Studdard , and Usher . Stokley Williams , the lead singer of Mint Condition, has said that he has "studied Luther for such a long time because he was the epitome of perfect tone." On his influence, John Legend has said, "All us people making slow jams now, we was inspired by the slow jams Luther Vandross was making." In 2008, Vandross
6148-814: The Dells and Billy Stewart . Curtis Mayfield not only scored many hits with his group, the Impressions , but wrote many hit songs for Chicago artists and produced hits on his own labels for the Fascinations , Major Lance , and the Five Stairsteps . Based primarily in the Philadelphia International record label, Philadelphia soul (or Philly Soul) had lush string and horn arrangements and doo-wop -inspired vocals. Thom Bell , and Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff are considered
6264-694: The Grass Roots were famous blue-eyed soul musicians in the 1960s. The term continued to be used in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly by the British media to refer to a new generation of singers who adopted elements of the Stax and Motown sounds. To a lesser extent, the term has been applied to singers in other music genres that are influenced by soul music. Artists like Hall & Oates , David Bowie , Teena Marie , Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds , Frankie Valli , Christina Aguilera , Amy Winehouse and Adele are known as blue-eyed soul singers. Another term
6380-561: The Hot 100 chart (#7 R&B/#4 Adult Contemporary ), while the second single, "Got a Date" was a moderate hit (#45 R&B/#15 Club Play). Vandross wrote and produced "It's Hard for Me to Say" for Diana Ross from her Red Hot Rhythm & Blues album. Ross performed the song as an a cappella tribute to Oprah Winfrey on her final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show . She then proceeded to add it to her successful 2010–12 " More Today Than Yesterday: The Greatest Hits Tour . Vandross also recorded
6496-534: The Isley Brothers ( 3 + 3 ). Isaac Hayes 's 1969 recording of " Walk on By " is considered a "classic" of prog-soul, according to City Pages journalist Jay Boller. Later prog-soul music includes recordings by Prince , Peter Gabriel , Meshell Ndegeocello , Joi , Bilal , Dwele , Anthony David , Janelle Monáe , and the Soulquarians , an experimental black-music collective active during
6612-538: The Mar-Keys , trumpeter Wayne Jackson and saxophonist Andrew Love ). "Memphis soul" is a shimmering, sultry style of soul music produced in the 1960s and 1970s at Stax Records and Hi Records in Memphis, Tennessee . It featured melancholic and melodic horns, Hammond organ , bass, and drums, as heard in recordings by Hi's Al Green and Stax's Booker T. & the M.G.'s . The latter group also sometimes played in
6728-829: The Meters . More versatile groups such as War , the Commodores , and Earth, Wind and Fire became popular around this time. During the 1970s, some slick and commercial blue-eyed soul acts like Philadelphia's Hall & Oates and Oakland's Tower of Power achieved mainstream success, as did a new generation of street-corner harmony or "city-soul" groups such as the Delfonics and the historically black Howard University 's Unifics . The syndicated music/dance variety television series Soul Train , hosted by Chicago native Don Cornelius , debuted in 1971. The show provided an outlet for soul music for several decades, also spawning
6844-476: The Meters for New York–based Josie and then LA-based Reprise. Chicago soul generally had a light gospel-influenced sound, but the large number of record labels based in the city tended to produce a more diverse sound than other cities. Vee Jay Records , which lasted until 1966, produced recordings by Jerry Butler , Betty Everett , Dee Clark , and Gene Chandler . Chess Records , mainly a blues and rock and roll label, produced several major soul artists, including
6960-587: The Salvemini family was supportive of Vandross, but later filed a wrongful death suit against him. The case was settled out of court with a payment to the Salvemini family of about $ 630,000. Roll It was released later that year. Vandross had diabetes and hypertension . On April 16, 2003, he had a severe stroke at his home in New York City and was in a coma for nearly two months. The stroke affected his ability to speak and sing and caused him to require
7076-625: The U.S., United Kingdom, and elsewhere. Many prominent soul artists, including Ray Charles , Sam Cooke , Otis Redding , James Brown , Aretha Franklin , and various acts under the Motown label, such as The Supremes and The Temptations , were highly influential in the genre's development and all gained widespread popularity during this time. By 1968, the soul music genre had begun to splinter. Some soul artists moved to funk music, while other singers and groups developed slicker, more sophisticated, and in some cases more socially conscious varieties. By
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#17327808606117192-684: The U.S., including New York City, Detroit, Chicago, Memphis , New Orleans , Philadelphia , and Muscle Shoals, Alabama (the home of FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios ) became noted for different subgenres of the music and recording styles. By 1968, while at its peak of popularity, soul began to fragment into different subgenres. Artists such as James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone evolved into funk music, while other singers such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield and Al Green developed slicker, more sophisticated and in some cases more politically conscious varieties of
7308-540: The UK. American soul was extremely popular among some youth sub-cultures like the mod , Northern soul and modern soul movements, but a clear genre of British soul did not emerge until the 1980s when several artists including George Michael , Sade , Simply Red , Lisa Stansfield and Soul II Soul enjoyed commercial success. The popularity of British soul artists in the U.S., most notably Amy Winehouse , Adele , Estelle , Duffy , Joss Stone and Leona Lewis , led to talk of
7424-684: The Vandellas , and the Jackson Five . Hits were made using a quasi-industrial " production-line " approach. The producers and songwriters brought artistic sensitivity to the three-minute tunes. Brian Holland , Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland were rarely out of the charts for their work as songwriters and record producers for the Supremes , the Four Tops and Martha and the Vandellas . They allowed important elements to shine through
7540-626: The album Songs , a collection of songs which had inspired Vandross over the years. He also appears on " The Lady Is a Tramp " released on Frank Sinatra 's Duets album. At the Grammy Awards of 1997 , he won his third Best Male R&B Vocal for the track "Your Secret Love". A second greatest hits album, released in 1997, compiled most of his 1990s hits and was his final album released through Epic Records. After releasing I Know on Virgin Records, he signed with J Records . His first album on Clive Davis 's new label, titled Luther Vandross ,
7656-497: The album. He contacted his old friends – Cheryl Lynn, Alfa Anderson (of Chic), Phoebe Snow and Irene Cara – to appear on the record. Jimmy Salvemini's album, Roll It , was released in 1986. Vandross also sang the ad-libs and background vocals , along with Syreeta Wright and Philip Bailey, in Stevie Wonder 's 1985 hit " Part-Time Lover ". In 1984, he voiced a cartoon character named Zack for ABC's Zack of All Trades ,
7772-452: The bands Mandrill , Chic and Todd Rundgren 's Utopia . Before his solo breakthrough, Vandross was part of a singing quintet named Luther in the late 1970s. The quintet consisted of former Shades of Jade members Anthony Hinton and Diane Sumler, as well as Theresa V. Reed, and Christine Wiltshire , signed to Cotillion Records . Although the singles "It's Good for the Soul", "Funky Music (Is
7888-495: The day. They tended to have smaller ensembles marked by expressive gospel-tinged vocals. Brass and saxophones were also used extensively. Stax Records , founded by siblings Estelle and James Stewart, was the second most successful record label behind Motown Records . They were responsible for releasing hits by Otis Redding , Wilson Pickett , the Staple Singers , and many more. Ahmet Ertegun, who had anticipated being
8004-466: The dense musical texture. The rhythm was emphasized by handclaps or tambourine . Smokey Robinson was another writer and record producer who added lyrics to " The Tracks of My Tears " by his group the Miracles , which was one of the most important songs of the decade. Stax Records and Atlantic Records were independent labels that produced high-quality dance records featuring many well-known singers of
8120-695: The development of neo-soul around 1994. Berry Gordy 's successful Tamla/Motown group of labels was notable for being African-American owned, unlike most of the earlier independent R&B labels. Notable artists under this label were Gladys Knight & the Pips , the Supremes , the Temptations , the Miracles , the Four Tops , the Marvelettes , Mary Wells , Jr. Walker & the All-Stars , Stevie Wonder , Marvin Gaye , Tammi Terrell , Martha and
8236-439: The early 1970s, soul music had begun to absorb influences from psychedelic rock and progressive rock , among other genres, leading to the creation of psychedelic soul and progressive soul . Prominent soul artists of this era include Marvin Gaye , Stevie Wonder , Curtis Mayfield , Isaac Hayes , Al Green , and Bill Withers . Neo soul , which adopted hip hop influences, emerged around 1994. Other subgenres of soul include
8352-483: The early 1980s, for companies including NBC , Mountain Dew , Kentucky Fried Chicken , Burger King , and Juicy Fruit . He continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 1970s. His aforementioned song "Everybody Rejoice", sometimes called "A Brand New Day", was used in a Kodak commercial during the mid-1970s. In 1978, Vandross sang lead vocals for Gregg Diamond 's disco band, Bionic Boogie, on
8468-499: The evolution of soul music, although their recordings were considered more in a pop music vein than those of Redding, Franklin and Carr. Although stylistically different from classic soul music, recordings by Chicago -based artists are often considered part of the genre. By the early 1970s, soul music had been influenced by psychedelic rock and other genres. Artists like James Brown led soul towards funk music, which became typified by 1970s bands like Parliament-Funkadelic and
8584-795: The featured Luther Vandross tracks, which were recorded by various smooth jazz artists. On April 20, 2021, Google celebrated his 70th birthday with a Google Doodle of an animated clip that plays Vandross's song " Never Too Much ". Soul music See also: Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues . Soul music became popular for dancing and listening, and U.S. record labels such as Motown , Atlantic and Stax were influential in its proliferation during
8700-523: The first brown-eyed soul artists to bring traditional Latin music and rock and roll influences into the genre. Latino groups on the East and West Coast also drew from the funk -influenced Philadelphia soul, or "Philly" soul . The West Coast Latin rock scene continued to influence brown-eyed soul artists as well. Inspired by Valens, 1960s and 1970s bands such as Cannibal & the Headhunters (" Land of
8816-576: The first week and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. The title track of the same name, which was dedicated to Vandross's childhood memories of dancing with his father, won Vandross and his co-writer, Richard Marx , the 2004 Grammy Award for Song of the Year . The song also won Vandross his fourth and final award in the Best Male R&;B Vocal Performance category. The album
8932-717: The founders of Philadelphia soul, which produced hits for Patti LaBelle , the O'Jays , the Intruders , the Three Degrees , the Delfonics , the Stylistics , Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes , and the Spinners . By the 1970s, African-American popular musicians had drawn from the conceptual album-oriented approach of the then-burgeoning progressive rock development. This progressive-soul development inspired
9048-476: The genre. However, soul music continued to evolve, informing most subsequent forms of R&B from the 1970s-onward, with pockets of musicians continuing to perform in traditional soul style. Mitchell's Hi Records continued in the Stax tradition of the previous decade, releasing a string of hits by Green, Ann Peebles , Otis Clay , O.V. Wright and Syl Johnson . Bobby Womack , who recorded with Chips Moman in
9164-733: The greatest R&B artists by Billboard . In addition, NPR named him one of the 50 Great Voices . He was the recipient of eight Grammy Awards , including Song of the Year in 2004 for a track recorded shortly before his death, " Dance with My Father ". In 2021, he was posthumously inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame . Vandross worked as a backing vocalist in the 1970s, and appeared on albums by artists such as Roberta Flack , Donny Hathaway , Todd Rundgren , Evelyn Champagne King, Judy Collins , Chaka Khan , Bette Midler , Diana Ross , David Bowie , Ben E. King , Stevie Wonder , and Donna Summer . He later became
9280-416: The group in the pilot episode and other episodes of the first season of Sesame Street during 1969–1970. Vandross added backing vocals to Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway in 1972, and worked on Delores Hall's Hall-Mark album (1973). He sang with her on the song "Who's Gonna Make It Easier for Me", which he wrote, and he contributed another song, "In This Lonely Hour". After his song "Funky Music (Is
9396-423: The harder-edged Southern soul style. The Hi Records house band ( Hi Rhythm Section ) and producer Willie Mitchell developed a surging soul style heard in the label's 1970s hit recordings. Some Stax recordings fit into this style but had their own unique sound. The New Orleans soul scene directly came out of the rhythm and blues era, when such artists as Little Richard , Fats Domino , and Huey Piano Smith made
9512-416: The hybridization of their respective religious and secular styles – in both lyrical content and instrumentation – that began in the 1950s. The term "soul" had been used among African-American musicians to emphasize the feeling of being an African-American in the United States. According to musicologist Barry Hansen , Though this hybrid produced a clutch of hits in the R&B market in the early 1950s, only
9628-419: The influence of psychedelic soul continued on and remained prevalent through the 1970s. In the early 1960s, small soul scenes began popping up around the UK. Liverpool in particular had an established black community from which artists such as Chants and Steve Aldo emerged and go on to record within the British music industry. As a result, many recordings were commercially released by British soul acts during
9744-544: The key record label . Burke's early 1960s songs, including " Cry to Me ", " Just Out of Reach " and "Down in the Valley" are considered classics of the genre. Guralnick wrote: Soul started, in a sense, with the 1961 success of Solomon Burke's "Just Out Of Reach". Ray Charles, of course, had already enjoyed enormous success (also on Atlantic), as had James Brown and Sam Cooke — primarily in a pop vein. Each of these singers, though, could be looked upon as an isolated phenomenon; it
9860-482: The label, but it was not until after the hospitalization that J Records permitted the airplay, following the song being featured in Boston Public on April 28, 2003. "Dance with My Father" became one of the most requested songs at the time, spawning "a number of weepy phone calls and requests". In February 2004, "Dance with My Father" earned Vandross and Marx a Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Vandross
9976-493: The lack of promotion due in part to Vandross's hospitalization, "Dance with My Father" became one of the most requested songs at the time. During the 2004 Grammy Awards , "Dance with My Father" earned Vandross the Song of the Year and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance accolades. Vandross wrote "Dance with My Father" with Marx, based on his personal experience. Considered by Vandross as his "career song", "Dance with my Father"
10092-562: The late 1960s, continued to produce soul recordings in the 1970s and 1980s. In Detroit , producer Don Davis worked with Stax artists such as Johnnie Taylor and the Dramatics . Early 1970s recordings by the Detroit Emeralds , such as Do Me Right , are a link between soul and the later disco style. Motown Records artists such as Marvin Gaye , Michael Jackson , Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson contributed to
10208-418: The late 1990s and early 2000s. Psychedelic soul, sometimes known as "black rock", was a blend of psychedelic rock and soul music in the late 1960s, which paved the way for the mainstream emergence of funk music a few years later. Early pioneers of this subgenre of soul music include Jimi Hendrix , Sly and the Family Stone , Norman Whitfield , and Isaac Hayes . While psychedelic rock began its decline,
10324-470: The latter two were hit songs in his career. The tribute album So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross , was released shortly after his death. Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. was born on April 20, 1951, at Bellevue Hospital , in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan , New York City. His birth occurred concurrently with General Douglas MacArthur 's ticker-tape parade throughout the same city. He
10440-403: The lead singer. In a 2001 interview with Vibe , Vandross said "The Glow of Love" was "the most beautiful song I've ever sung in my life." Both songs were from Change's debut album, The Glow of Love . Vandross was originally intended to perform on their second and highly successful album Miracles in 1981, but declined the offer as Petrus didn't pay enough money. Vandross's decision led to
10556-460: The lead vocals on the group Mascara's LP title song "See You in L.A." released in 1979. Vandross also appeared on the group Charme's 1979 album Let It In . Vandross made his career breakthrough as a featured singer with the vaunted pop-dance act Change , a studio concept created by French-Italian businessman Jacques Fred Petrus . Their 1980 hits, "The Glow of Love" (by Romani, Malavasi and Garfield) and "Searching" (by Malavasi), featured Vandross as
10672-540: The most adventurous white fans felt its impact at the time; the rest had to wait for the coming of soul music in the 1960s to feel the rush of rock and roll sung gospel-style. According to AllMusic, "Soul music was the result of the urbanization and commercialization of rhythm and blues in the '60s." The phrase "soul music" itself, referring to gospel-style music with secular lyrics, was first attested in 1961. The term "soul" in African-American parlance has connotations of African-American pride and culture. Gospel groups in
10788-433: The most successful acts in this era include Smokey Robinson, Jeffry Osbourne, Peabo Bryson , Chaka Khan , and Larry Graham . After the decline of disco and funk in the early 1980s, soul music became influenced by electro music . It became less raw and more slickly produced, resulting in a style is known as contemporary R&B , which sounded very different from the original rhythm and blues style. The United States saw
10904-509: The north section of Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. Vandross was driving at 50 mph (80 km/h) in a 35 mph (56 km/h) zone when he veered across the double yellow center line of the two lane street, turned sideways and collided with the front of a southbound car, then swung around and hit another car head on. Vandross and Salvemini were rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center . Larry Salvemini, who
11020-661: The pop charts in the U.S. Otis Redding was a huge success at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. The genre also became highly popular in the UK, where many leading acts toured in the late 1960s. "Soul" became an umbrella term for an increasingly wide variety of R&B-based music styles – from the dance and pop-oriented acts at Motown Records in Detroit , such as the Temptations , Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder , to " deep soul " performers such as Percy Sledge and James Carr . Different regions and cities within
11136-501: The service. Vandross was entombed at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey . Possessing a tenor vocal range, Vandross was commonly referred to as "The Velvet Voice", and was sometimes called "The Best Voice of a Generation". He was also regarded as the " Pavarotti of Pop" by many critics. Vandross has been cited as an inspiration by a number of other artists, including 112 , Boyz II Men , D'Angelo , Hootie &
11252-399: The show beginning in the 1980s. As disco and funk musicians had hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s, soul went in the direction of quiet storm . With its relaxed tempos and soft melodies, quiet storm soul took influences from fusion and adult contemporary . Some funk bands, such as EW&F, the Commodores and Con Funk Shun would have a few quiet storm tracks on their albums. Among
11368-526: The song into "a haunting composition rife with subtext". Although Vandross was unable to promote the latest project, "Dance with My Father" was able to reach number one on music stations. For instance, it achieved top position in WLTW , which was one of the first stations in the United States to play the track. Before his stroke, Vandross wrote to WLTW's program director, informing him of what he considered to be his "career song". The director asked permission from
11484-582: The song titled "Hot Butterfly". Also in 1978, he appeared on Quincy Jones 's Sounds...and Stuff Like That!! , most notably on the song "I'm Gonna Miss You in the Morning" along with Patti Austin . Vandross also sang with the band Soirée and was the lead vocalist on the track "You Are the Sunshine of My Life"; he also contributed background vocals to the album along with Jocelyn Brown and Sharon Redd , each of whom also saw solo success. Additionally, he sang
11600-452: The soundtrack to the 1987 film Made in Heaven . In October 2015, Sony Music released a re-configured edition of its The Essential Luther Vandross compilation containing three unreleased songs: "Love It, Love It" (which made its premiere a year prior on the UK compilation The Greatest Hits ), a live recording of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with Paul Simon and Jennifer Holliday , and
11716-509: The television sitcom 227 . More albums followed in the 1990s, beginning with 1991's Power of Love which spawned two top ten pop hits. He won his first Grammy award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 1991 . He won his second Best Male R&B Vocal in the Grammy Awards of 1992 , and his track "Power of Love/Love Power" won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in the same year. In 1992, " The Best Things in Life Are Free ",
11832-482: The vocal group The Crests and was featured on the songs "My Juanita" and "Sweetest One". Vandross graduated from William Howard Taft High School in the Bronx in 1969, and attended Western Michigan University for one and a half semesters before dropping out to continue pursuing a career in music. While in high school, Vandross founded the first Patti LaBelle fan club, of which he was president. He also performed in
11948-420: Was amazed at how well Luther remembered his father, how we used to dance and sing in the house. I was so surprised that at 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 years of age, he could remember what a happy household we had." Barry Walters of Rolling Stone magazine qualifies the memories invoked in the lyrics as painful and private, adding that when Vandross asks God to return his father, it "turn a potentially maudlin song into
12064-440: Was at the helm as producer for Aretha Franklin's Gold-certified, award-winning comeback album Jump to It . He also produced the follow-up album, 1983's Get It Right . In 1983, the opportunity to work with his main musical influence, Dionne Warwick , came about with Vandross producing, writing songs, and singing on How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye , her fourth album for Arista Records . The title track duet reached No. 27 on
12180-513: Was eight years old. In 2003, Vandross wrote the song " Dance with My Father " and dedicated it to him; the title was based on his childhood memories and his mother's recollections of the family singing and dancing in the house. His family moved to the Bronx when he was nine. His sisters, Patricia "Pat" and Ann, began taking Vandross to the Apollo Theater and to a theater in Brooklyn to see Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin . Patricia sang with
12296-433: Was his only career No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. The video for the title track features various celebrities alongside their fathers and other family members. The second single released from the album, " Think About You ", was the number one Urban Adult Contemporary Song of 2004 according to Radio & Records . In 2003, after the televised NCAA Men's Basketball championship, CBS Sports gave " One Shining Moment "
12412-492: Was in the passenger seat, was killed in the collision. Vandross suffered three broken ribs, a broken hip, several bruises and facial cuts. Jimmy Salvemini, who was in the back of the car, had cuts, bruises and contusions. Vandross faced vehicular manslaughter charges as a result of Larry's death, and his driving license was suspended for a year. There was no evidence that Vandross was under the influence of alcohol or other drugs; he pleaded no contest to reckless driving. At first,
12528-447: Was later revitalized by her recordings for Atlantic. Her 1967 recordings, such as " I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) ", " Respect " (written and originally recorded by Otis Redding), and " Do Right Woman, Do Right Man " (written by Chips Moman and Dan Penn ), were significant and commercially successful recordings. Soul music dominated the U.S. African-American music charts in the 1960s, and many recordings crossed over into
12644-657: Was mixed by Ray Bardani, who recorded and mixed most of Luther's music over the years. It featured an ensemble of smooth jazz performers, many of whom had previously worked with Vandross. On September 20, 2005, the album So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross was released. The album is a collection of some of his songs performed by various artists, including Patti LaBelle , Stevie Wonder , Aretha Franklin , Mary J. Blige , Usher , Fantasia , Beyoncé , Donna Summer , Alicia Keys , Elton John , Celine Dion , Wyclef Jean , Babyface , John Legend , Angie Stone , Jamie Foxx , and Teddy Pendergrass . Aretha Franklin won
12760-520: Was on May 6, 2004, on The Oprah Winfrey Show . Vandross died on July 1, 2005, at the JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey , at the age of 54 due to complications of a stroke. Vandross's funeral was held at Riverside Church in New York City on July 8, 2005. Aretha Franklin , Patti LaBelle , Stevie Wonder , Dionne Warwick and Cissy Houston were among the speakers and singers at
12876-557: Was only with the coming together of Burke and Atlantic Records that you could begin to see anything even resembling a movement. Ben E. King also achieved success in 1961 with " Stand By Me ", a song directly based on a gospel hymn. By the mid-1960s, the initial successes of Burke, King, and others had been surpassed by new soul singers, including Stax artists such as Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett , who mainly recorded in Memphis, Tennessee , and Muscle Shoals, Alabama . According to Jon Landau : Between 1962 and 1964 Redding recorded
12992-525: Was ranked No. 54 on Rolling Stone magazine's List of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Mariah Carey stated in several interviews that standing next to Vandross while recording their duet "Endless Love" was intimidating. In 2010, NPR included Vandross in its 50 Greatest Voices in recorded history, saying Vandross represents "the platinum standard for R&B song stylings." The announcement was made on NPR's All Things Considered on November 29, 2010. In 1999, Whitney Houston sang Vandross's "So Amazing" as
13108-419: Was released August 22, 2006. On October 16, 2007, Epic Records/J Records/Legacy Recordings released a 4-disc boxed set titled Love, Luther . It features nearly all of Vandross's R&B and pop hits throughout his career, as well as unreleased live tracks, alternate versions, and outtakes from sessions that Vandross recorded. The set also includes "There's Only You", a version of which had originally appeared on
13224-809: Was released in 2001, and it produced the hits "Take You Out" (#7 R&B/#26 Pop), and "I'd Rather" (#17 Adult Contemporary/#40 R&B/#83 Pop). Vandross scored at least one top 10 R&B hit every year from 1981 to 1994. In 1997, Vandross sang the American national anthem, " The Star-Spangled Banner ", during Super Bowl XXXI at the Louisiana Superdome , New Orleans , Louisiana. He made two public appearances at Diana Ross's Return to Love Tour : at its opening in Philadelphia at First Union Spectrum and its final stop at Madison Square Garden on July 6, 2000. In September 2001, Vandross performed
13340-545: Was the fourth and youngest child, as well as the second son of Mary Ida Vandross and Luther Vandross Sr. His father was an upholsterer and singer, and his mother was a nurse. Vandross was raised in Manhattan's Lower East Side in the Alfred E. Smith Houses public housing development . At the age of three, having his own phonograph , Vandross taught himself to play the piano by ear. His father died of diabetes when Luther
13456-1099: Was the last top 40 hit for Luther Vandross in the United States, peaking at number 38. The song also peaked at 21 in the UK Singles Chart . On August 29, 2009, the song re-entered the UK top 40 after a performance of the song on The X Factor by Joe McElderry . While Vandross was hospitalized, a music video was shot for the single. Hosting famous friends of his and fans alike, the clip features musicians, singers, actors and sport stars. The video features childhood snapshots of Vandross. Celebs who made cameos are Monica , Beyoncé , Brian McKnight , Johnny Gill , Stevie Wonder , Garcelle Beauvais , Damon Wayans , Holly Robinson Peete , Whitney Houston , Jason Kidd , Master P , Lil Romeo , Babyface , Morris Chestnut , Ashanti , Celine Dion , Nona Gaye , Patti LaBelle , Ruben Studdard , Brandy , Quincy Jones , Wyclef Jean , Wayne Brady and Shaquille O'Neal . "Dance with My Father" has been released in various cover versions , appearing on many albums and music media formats. Among
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