Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross - Hardcover

Seymour, Craig

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060594187 ISBN 13: 9780060594183

Publisher: HarperEntertainment, 2004

Synopsis

A profile of the Grammy Award-winning R&B artist describes every aspect of his life, from his impoverished childhood and feuds with fellow performers to the speculations about his sexuality and 2003 stroke.

About this title

About the Author:

Craig Seymour is a longtime music critic who has worked for the Atlanta Journal#150;Constitution and the Buffalo News. A frequent contributor to the Washington Post, Vibe, Entertainment Weekly, Spin, and the Village Voice, he has interviewed and profiled some of the biggest names in music, including Luther Vandross, who has granted him numerous interviews in the past. Seymour has also been a music analyst for CNN's Headline News. He is a native of Washington, D.C.

From Publishers Weekly:

In April 2003, Vandross suffered a devastating stroke. When he opened his eyes from his comatose state almost one month later, Vandross added yet one more page to the many chapters in his life: later in the year, his song "Dance with My Father" won a Grammy. Seymour, a music critic for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, chronicles the mercurial ups and downs of the golden-throated singer in this superficial biography. Seymour recounts Vandross's lifelong love of music and the singer's early infatuations with girl groups, particularly Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles and Dionne Warwick. Vandross enrolled in Western Michigan University, but eventually dropped out to pursue a career as a composer. His first big break came when he met David Bowie and composed the chorus for Bowie's "Young American." Vandross's fame as a composer and backup singer, which he preferred to the spotlight of a soloist, steadily grew until he was producing such acts as Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker and En Vogue. In spite of his success, the singer struggled with his insecurities, which often led him to seek solace in overeating, and he battled obesity and its attendant health problems throughout his career. Vandross's life and career, however, often get lost in Seymour's mini-profiles of the many musicians who helped him along his way.
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About this edition

• Publisher: HarperEntertainment
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0060594187
• ISBN 13: 9780060594183
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368