Luther Ronzoni Vandross was born on 20 April 1951 in a poor Bronx neighbourhood of New York City. His family was immersed in gospel and soul music. His sister sang with a group called The Crests ...

“Luther was deeply touched by all the thoughts and wishes from his fans, family and the hospital.” Vandross suffered a stroke, from which he never fully recovered, on April 16, 2003.

The funeral service for eight-time Grammy winner Luther Vandross hit just the right notes Friday: soulful, joyful and powerful, an echo of the late singer's unforgettable voice.

Vandross, who was 54 when he died a week ago Friday, was a New York City kid who made good – real good. With his one-of-a-kind voice, he sold more than 25 million albums and won eight Grammy Awards.

Singer Luther Vandross Dies The 54-year-old Grammy winner had been in ill health for some time By People Staff Published on July 1, 2005 06:30PM EDT ...