Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. was born in New York City on April 20, 1951. He was the second son born to Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Sr. and Mary Ida Vandross, and the youngest of four children.

Luther’s father, an upholsterer, died when Luther was still a boy, leaving his mother, a nurse, to support the family.

While in high school, Luther developed an affinity for the legendary Motown label's all-female acts, and for the gospel-soul sounds of artists like Aretha Franklin and Cissy Houston. Dreaming of a career in music, he briefly attended Western Michigan University.

A career in music seemed predestined for the New York native; both his parents were singers, and his sister, Patricia, was part of a 1950s group called the Crests.

In 1972, a song Luther wrote, "Everybody Rejoice," was included in the Broadway musical "The Wiz." But his biggest early break came when he landed a job as a backup singer for the British glam-rock artist David Bowie, who later hired him to work on vocal arrangements for the album "Young Americans."

Luther soon became a sought-after backup singer and arranger, working for artists from Bette Midler to Barbra Streisand, and he helped pay the bills as an anonymous performer of commercial jingles.

In the late 1970's, he recorded under different names and with a variety of groups, including Bionic Boogie and Change, and sang on the Chic hit "Dance, Dance, Dance."

He finally signed a contract with Epic Records, which released his 1981 debut, "Never Too Much," which reached the top of the R&B charts and sold more than one million copies, effectively sparking his career as a star.

Through the 1980's, he released a string of hit albums, including "Forever, for Always, for Love," "Busy Body" and Any Love."

Luther Vandross had become a superstar with black audiences, but he often appeared frustrated about the difficulty of crossing into wider pop stardom.

"I didn't buy blond wigs; I didn't walk differently," he once told a reporter in 1995. "One of the things I admire most about, let's say, Aretha, is that she got crossover success based on her own terms, own talent, own approach."

He did broaden his audience further with the 1991 album "Power of Love," and through the 1990's he performed hit duets with the pop stars Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey.

Luther won a Grammy for best R&B male vocal performance in 1991 for "Here and Now," two in 1992 for co-writing the song "Power of Love" and performing on the album of the same name, and another in 1997 for his performance of "Your Secret Love."

Luther's supple tenor and smooth delivery drew ecstatic swoons from his fans,though he continued to keep a low profile following a stroke on April 16, 2003. Yet he did appear on videotape at the annual Grammy telecast in 2004, when he was a sentimental favorite to win several awards.

Luther won four grammys that night, including best song for "Dance With My Father," a bittersweet reflection on his youth. He delivered his acceptance speech on the video. "Remember, when I say goodbye, it's never for long," he said, breaking into a signature hit, "because I believe in the power of love."

Luther appeared on Oprah Winfrey's show later that year, when she visited him as he underwent rehabilitation.

It's estimated that Luther Vandross has sold 30 million albums throughout his music career. His "Dance With My Father" album on J Records made its debut at No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

Luther was ranked as one of the most successful R&B singers of the 1980's and broke through to even wider commercial success in 1989 with "The Best of Luther Vandross, the Best of Love," which included the new song "Here and Now," his first Top 10 hit.

Luther's style harkened back to a more genteel era of crooning, with his soft pillow talk and songs that spoke to heartfelt emotions.

In his own words, he characterized his approach, as "More poetic and metaphoric, than rather blatantly stating the obvious."

Upon his timely passing, Luther's publicist, Jeff O'Conner, said he received condolence calls Friday from music luminaries such as Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones.

Singer Roberta Flack, on tour in Japan, said she was mourning the loss of her friend of more than 20 years. "He was a musician who couldn't help but give you all he had," she said by telephone. "He was the kind of guy who was born to do what he did musically and let the world know about it. He was not born to keep it smothered in the chest."

Rev. Al Sharpton states, "He was an icon. People got married to his music. You can almost chart your life based on what Luther records you were listening to when you were dating."

Several artists at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans Friday spoke warmly of the vocalist:

John Legend said, "I'm gonna try to give a hand to Luther Vandross one more time". "All us people making slow jams now, we was inspired by the slow jams Luther Vandross was making."

Aretha Franklin spoke of his loss onstage before singing “Precious Memories,” while Alicia Keys said a few words in his memory before dedicating her hit single, “If I Ain’t Got You.”

Alicia Keys affirms, "I'm happy to say I can call him my friend. I think he's such a wonderful man that's left behind such a beautiful legacy. That's something that will truly inspire generations to come. We will absolutely miss him."

Ruben Studdard said of Vandross backstage: "Luther was a big influence on me. I'm blessed to be able to have seen him do his thing and have him influence me musically. I love him. He has been and continues to be a great inspiration to me. He will be truly missed."

Patti LaBelle offered: "He was one of the greatest voices that ever sang a song. He was one of the sweetest men I have ever known. And he was one of the best friends I have ever had. I'm so happy that his legacy will live on forever. ... Luther was one of a kind and will never be forgotten. I miss him more than words could ever say."

The Rev. Jesse Jackson described Luther Vandross as "a voice of rare vintage." "In the tradition of Nat Cole, he was a singular male voice of an artist who brought a great sense of dignity to his art."