Source: LaDawn Black Show/ Freckle Face Productions Inc. / other
Wednesday’s show was all about celebrating the music and life of Luther Vandross. Here are some interesting facts that I found online:
- When Vandross was born, the doctor asked his mother what the child`s first and middle names were. She had already picked Luther for a first name but hadn`t thought of a middle name; there happened to be a box of Ronzoni spaghetti on the table next to her bed, so she told the doctor that his middle name was Ronzoni, and that is the name on his birth certificate.
- The youngest of all his siblings, he was also the last one to die. His mother out-lived all of her children.
- Luther’s mother almost didn’t give birth to him. She had a ruptured appendix and was rushed to the hospital. When the doctor asked his father which one of them to save, he told the doctor to save his wife. Fortunately, she came through the operation successfully and Luther was born, prematurely, but healthy.
- Was discovered by David Bowie, who overheard Luther singing to his song “Young Americans”. Bowie put Luther on the recording of the song.
- Luther was in the movie The Wiz as a choir member. He also wrote and received royalties from his song “Everybody Rejoice” featured in the Broadway version of The Wiz.
- He was a perfectionist and was very hands on in studio sessions which made it hard for him to get his first record deal. He eventually booked his own studio time and did his project on his own and took it to Epic where they signed him on the spot. Throughout his career he was known for being a great guy, but a hard guy to work for because he expected the best of those around him musically.
- His weight went down when he was in love and up when he wasn’t and he didn’t like all of the nicknames attributed to his weight like “heavyweight of soul.”
- He died at 54 and no official cause of death was ever given.
