Birth name: Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr
Date of birth: 20 April 1951
Place of birth: New York City
Died: 1 July 1995
Record labels: Cotillion/Epic/Virgin/J/Legacy
Career highlights: Eight-time Grammy Award winner, 10 successive US platinum albums Highest charting singles: The Best Things In Life Are Free, number two, 1992, Endless Love, number three, 1994 

Luther Vandross came from a musical family in the Bronx, and was already learning to play piano at three years old. 

Often dubbed the sexiest soul singer, he started singing in a string of vocal groups in the early 60s and by 1969 had appeared on the Quincy Jones album Best.

Then in 1975 Vandross wrote Everybody Rejoice for the Broadway musical of the same name, and co-wrote David Bowie’s hit single Fascination. He also sang backing vocals for Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Chic, Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand, before going it alone.

To start off with he penned many tunes for adverts, including the KFC We Do Chicken Right jingle, and earned himself a cool $600,000 per year in the process.

During the 80s he became the reigning king of R&B romance, and knew exactly how to wow the ladies, as proven by the hit singles Never Too Much and The Glow Of Love. During the years that followed he dueted with Aretha Franklin and Mariah Carey.

Then, suffering from acute diabetes, Vandross tragically suffered a stroke and died on 1 July 1995 at his home in Manhattan.