Tributes flow for Luther

TRIBUTES continued to pour in yesterday for Grammy-winning soul singer and songwriter Luther Vandross who died on Friday in hospital.

He was 54. Vandross suffered a serious stroke two years ago.He was about to relaunch his career.Soul giants including Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack paid tribute to Vandross.Flack praised her pal of more than 20 years, saying: “He was a musician who couldn’t help but give you all he had.He was born to do what he did.”His publicist Jeff O’Connor said Aretha, Michael Jackson, Patti LaBelle and Quincy Jones had phoned with condolences.Despite suffering a major stroke he carried on recording, winning four Grammys for his final album ‘Dance With My Father’.Luther, who got his first big break as a backing singer for David Bowie in the 1970s, had battled hypertension and diabetes for years before his stroke.”There are vocalists, and then there’s Luther,” Motown singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson told Rolling Stone magazine in 1990.”Luther’s in a class by himself.”- AgenciesVandross suffered a serious stroke two years ago. He was about to relaunch his career.Soul giants including Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack paid tribute to Vandross.Flack praised her pal of more than 20 years, saying: “He was a musician who couldn’t help but give you all he had.He was born to do what he did.”His publicist Jeff O’Connor said Aretha, Michael Jackson, Patti LaBelle and Quincy Jones had phoned with condolences.Despite suffering a major stroke he carried on recording, winning four Grammys for his final album ‘Dance With My Father’.Luther, who got his first big break as a backing singer for David Bowie in the 1970s, had battled hypertension and diabetes for years before his stroke.”There are vocalists, and then there’s Luther,” Motown singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson told Rolling Stone magazine in 1990.”Luther’s in a class by himself.”- Agencies