![]() ![]() When me and Luther hung out, there was bound to be a lot of laughter and fun. We worshipped the back-up vocals of Cissy Houston and the Sweet Inspirations on Aretha and Wilson Pickett records and Luther would always teach me and our other singer friends, their intricate soulful parts. Luther and I grew up like brothers, often eating dinner at each other’s homes after rehearsal but walking around Harlem harmonizing songs by the Temptations and Aretha, – sealed our friendship. Luther’s plan A was to write and produce his own music and be recognized as one of the premier singers of our time. Mind you, he was only 15 years old but was already carving out his standard for musical excellence. He was the first songwriter, vocal arranger, I’d ever met and It was clear that his silky, soulful voice was destined to be on hit records and radio. Seems like we started becoming buddies after the first rehearsal when he proudly showed me his hard cover notebook of lyrics he’d written and sang some of his song ideas. He would be giving out vocal parts and watching them at the same time. I was privileged to be his best friend for 40 plus years, meeting him at 15 yrs old at his sister Ann’s house, who lived across the street from me in the Johnson Projects, East Harlem, NYC. Recommended by a mutual friend, I joined his first vocal group, The Shades of Jade. We usually rehearsed while Luther baby sat his niece and nephew. Along the way he deeply touched millions with his unique vocal delivery, his songwriting and magnificent stage shows and taught those of us who worked closely with him how to endure in life and the music business. The story of Luther Vandross is that of a talented kid from humble beginnings in NYC’s South Bronx – that made it to the top. ![]() ![]() And line by line, I wrote the song that recounts our initial meeting and the many years of working together – When Luther Sings! As if by magic, this lyric came to me “when Luther sings it’s so amazing to be loved”. Last year, when I was writing my solo CD, I wanted to write something that would be a tribute to my dear friend and mentor, Luther Vandross. From 1981- 1987, I was blessed to work with Luther on tour and/or in the studio for Busy Body, The Night I Fell in Love and Give me the Reason. After the original group disbanded, Luther asked me to join him on tour as a background singer/dancer and in the studio. When Norma Jean left to pursue a solo career, I was asked to stay with the group and share lead vocals with Luci Martin. He and I went on the road with Chic to provide background vocals for their first tour. Luther is a co-creator of the Chic vocal sound. That’s when I met Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, Robin Clark, David Lasley, Diva Gray and Norma Jean Wright. One day he called to ask me to sing background on a session for a new group (Chic) that was recording their first album. Before long, I was working with Luther as a session singer. I had no idea that he was auditioning me, grooming me. We would sing and listen to music for hours upon hours and talk about pitch, tone, timbre, articulation and blend. Finally, my life was filled with music, music, music. He took this Georgia girl under his wing teaching me, singing with me. We talked as if we had known each other for a lifetime. A few days later, I got a call from Luther. I fell in love with his sound instantly, but I could never in all of my imaginings believe how fortuitous that brief meeting would be. Luther, Fonzi and Michelle got up to sing. I was wondering who the mystery man was when Fonzi said, I want to introduce you to Luther (Vandross). When I was being introduced to Fonzi and Michelle, I noticed another guy sitting on the side. That’s when Ednah Holt introduced me to Fonzi Thornton and Michelle Cobbs. A chance meeting in a rehearsal studio in New York City changed the trajectory of my life forever. ![]()
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