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the song. The album earned White signed with the label as a solo act, despite her declining condition, before they achieved success with than an observer, singing back- debut album was released in June
two Grammys. White’s career took releasing a single, “Lonely Girl,” with 1979’s Minnie the final record “Sixteen Candles”), and Vandross ground vocals, serving as a vocal 1976. It did not sell well enough
him from the ghetto to interna- under the alias Andrea Davis. completed during her lifetime himself began playing the piano at arranger, and co-writing the song to reach the charts, but the tracks
tional success with 106 gold and 41 -- she died in L.A. on July 12 of the age of three and took lessons at “Fascination” with Bowie. The ses- “It’s Good for the Soul,” “Funky
platinum albums, 20 gold and ten In 1968, Riperton was installed as that year. Unreleased vocal tracks five, although he remained a large- sion resulted in the album Young Music (Is a Part of Me),” and “The
platinum singles, with worldwide the lead vocalist of the psychedelic with new instrumental backing ly self-taught musician. After the Americans, released in March Second Time Around” reached the
sales in excess of 100 million. soul band the Rotary Connection, comprised 1980’s posthumous col- death of his father in 1959 when 1975, and Vandross also went on R&B Top 40. Reed and Wiltshire
which debuted that year with a lection Love Lives Forever. he was eight years old, he was tour with Bowie in September 1974 dropped out, and the remaining
White, who suffered from hyper- self-titled LP on Cadet Concepts; raised by his mother, who moved as both backup singer and opening trio made a second Luther album,
tension and chronic high blood the singles “Amen” and “Lady the family to the Bronx. While at- act. Meanwhile, Vandross’ 1972 This Close to You (April 1977), with
pressure, was hospitalized for Jane” found a home on under- tending William Howard Taft High composition “Everybody Rejoice Vandross given top billing, while
kidney failure in September of ground FM radio, but the group School, he formed a vocal group, (A Brand New Day)” was featured Hinton and Sumler were credited
2002. He was undergoing dialysis failed to make much of an impres- Luther Vandross Shades of Jade, with friends Carlos in the Broadway musical The Wiz, as featured soloists. The title song
treatment, but the combination sion on mainstream outlets. While Luther Vandross was one of the Alomar, Robin Clark, Anthony which opened a run of 1,672 per- reached the R&B charts, but that
of illnesses proved too much and still a member of the Connection, most successful R&B artists of the Hinton, Diane Sumler, and Fonzi formances on January 5, 1975. (It wasn’t enough to keep Cotillion
he died July 4, 2003 at a West Hol- Riperton mounted a solo career; 1980s and ‘90s. Not only did he Thornton. All five, along with 11 was later made into a 1978 film.) from dropping the group, which
lywood hospital. By the time of his teaming with producer/arranger score a series of multi-million- other teenage performers, were The show starred Stephanie Mills, then broke up. (Vandross acquired
death, Barry White had achieved Charles Stepney and her husband/ selling albums containing chart- also part of a musical theater who used Vandross as a back- the rights to the Luther recordings
a near-universal acclaim and composer Richard Rudolph, she topping hit singles and perform workshop, Listen, My Brother, ground singer on her 1975 album and saw to it that they remained
popularity that few artists achieve issued her brilliant debut, Come sold-out tours of the U.S. and organized by the Apollo Theater Movin’ in the Right Direction. (He out of print.)
and even fewer within their own to My Garden, in 1970, but again around the world, but he also took in Harlem that recorded a single, also sang, uncredited, on Gary Glit-
lifetime. ~ commercial success eluded her charge of his music creatively, writ- “Listen, My Brother”/”Only Love ter’s self-titled 1975 album.) Meanwhile, Vandross continued
grasp. After the Rotary Connection ing or co-writing most of his songs Can Make a Better World,” and doing sessions. In 1977, he ap-
dissolved in the wake of 1971’s Hey and arranging and producing his appeared on the initial episodes Through Bowie, Vandross met peared on albums by Nils Lofgren
Minnie Riperton Love, she and Rudolph took a two- records. He also performed these of the children’s television series Bette Midler, who hired him to (I Came to Dance), Geils (aka the
arrange vocals for her Broadway J. Geils Band; Monkey Island), the
year sabbatical in Florida before
relocating to Los Angeles, where functions for other artists, pro- Sesame Street in 1969. After gradu- revue Bette Midler’s Clams on Average White Band and Ben E.
The tragic 1979 death of 31-year- viding them with hits as well. He ating from high school that year,
old Minnie Riperton silenced one she sang on Stevie Wonder’s Ful- was, however, equally well known Vandross attended Western Michi- the Half Shell, which played ten King (Benny and Us), Andy Pratt
of soul music’s most unique and fillingness’ First Finale and toured for his distinctive interpretations gan University, but dropped out af- weeks at the Minskoff Theater (Shiver in the Night), Ringo Starr
unforgettable voices -- blessed with as a member of his backing unit of classic pop and R&B songs, ter a year and returned home. He starting on April 14, 1975. Midler (Ringo the 4th), and Chic (Chic). He
an angelic five-octave vocal range, Wonderlove. reflecting his knowledge and ap- spent the next few years working also introduced him to her record also entered the lucrative world of
she scored her greatest commercial Wonder agreed to co-produce preciation of the popular music of at odd jobs while trying to break producer, Arif Mardin, at Atlantic writing and singing commercial
success with the chart-topping pop Riperton’s 1974 album Perfect his youth. Possessed of a smooth, into the music business. Records, and Vandross began to jingles, and before long was the
get steady work as a background musical voice of everything from
ballad “Lovin’ You.” Riperton was Angel, which contained the inter- versatile tenor voice, he charmed In 1973, Vandross got two of his singer and vocal arranger. In 1976, telephones, fast food, and bever-
born in Chicago on November 8, national blockbuster “Lovin’ You”; millions with his romantic music. compositions, “In This Lovely he appeared on albums by Midler ages to various branches of the U.S.
1947; as a youth she studied music, the record made her a household Hour” and “Who’s Gonna Make It (Songs for the New Depression), military on radio and television.
drama, and dance at the city’s Lin- name, although subsequent LPs Vandross was born in New York Easier for Me,” recorded by Delo- the Brecker Brothers Band (Back And the recording sessions con-
coln Center and later contemplated like 1975’s Adventures in Paradise City on April 20, 1951, and grew res Hall on her album Hall-Mark, to Back), Roy Buchanan (A Street tinued. In 1978, he appeared on
a career in opera. Her pop career and 1977’s Stay in Love failed to up in the Alfred E. Smith housing singing the latter song with her as Called Straight), Andy Pratt (Reso- albums by Garland Jeffreys (One
began in 1961 when she joined the repeat its success. By this time, projects in lower Manhattan. Both a duet. In 1974, though uncredited, lution), and Judy Collins (Bread Eyed Jack), Carly Simon (Boys in
local girl group called the Gems, however, commercial woes were of his parents, Luther Vandross, he sang background vocals on Mag- and Roses). He also put together the Trees), Roy Buchanan (You’re
signing to the famed Chess label the least of Riperton’s concerns -- Sr., an upholsterer, and Mary gie Bell’s Queen of the Night, and a vocal quintet called Luther, con- Not Alone), Quincy Jones (Sounds...
to release a handful of singles as diagnosed with breast cancer, she Ida Vandross, a nurse, sang, and in August of the same year Carlos sisting of himself, former Shades and Stuff Like That!!), Norma Jean
well as lend backing vocals to acts underwent a mastectomy in 1976, they encouraged their children Alomar, who had become David of Jade members Anthony Hinton (Norma Jean), T. Life (That’s Life),
including Fontella Bass, the Dells, later becoming a spokesperson for to pursue music as a career. Van- Bowie’s guitarist, invited him to and Diane Sumler, Theresa V. Reed, Roberta Flack (Roberta Flack), Od-
and Etta James. After graduating the American Cancer Society and dross Sr.’s older sister Patricia Van attend a Bowie recording session and Christine Wiltshire, which yssey (Hollywood Party Tonight),
high school, Riperton went to work earning a Society Courage Award Dross was an early member of the at Sigma Sound Studios in Phila- signed to Atlantic’s Cotillion Re- the soundtrack to the movie ver-
at Chess as a receptionist; follow- from then-President Jimmy Carter. Crests in the mid-’50s (appearing delphia. He quickly became more cords subsidiary. Their self-titled sion of The Wiz, Chic (C’est Chic),
ing the Gems’ dissolution, she also Riperton continued performing on their early singles, but leaving
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