Luther Vandross

Luther Vandross is one of the most successful R&B vocalists in the world, famous for his soulful, romantic ballads and his many collaborations with such stars as Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson. Vandross got his big break in the 1970s, as a back-up singer and session musician/producer with the likes of David Bowie, Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand. His debut solo album, Never Too Much (1981), was the first of many successes, and during the 1980s and '90s he was the dominant male vocalist on the R&B charts, with hits that included the duets "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye" (1983,with Warwick) and "Endless Love" (1994, with Mariah Carey). In April 2003 Vandross suffered a stroke and lapsed into a coma; he had recently completed the album Dance With My Father, which included collaborations with Queen Latifah, Beyoncé Knowles, Foxy Brown and Busta Rhymes. Vandross came out of the coma in June and the album went on to win four Grammys in 2004.