Luther Vandross Album Dance With My Father Download

[Eleanora Parrot]

Dancewith My Father is the thirteenth and final studio album by American R&B/soul singer Luther Vandross. It was released by J Records on June 10, 2003 in the United States and served as the follow-up to his self-titled studio album (2001). The album, especially its title track, was dedicated to Vandross's late father and features production credits from Nat Adderley Jr., Shep Crawford, and Marcus Miller as well as guest appearances by singer Beyonc, R&B trio Next, and rappers Foxy Brown, Queen Latifah, and Busta Rhymes.

Upon its release, Dance with My Father debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart with first week sales of 442,000 units, becoming his first and only album to do so.[2] It also marked his eighth and first album in the twelve years to top the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Critically acclaimed, Dance with My Father earned Vandross two American Music Awards in the Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist and the Favorite Soul/R&B Album categories as well as four Grammy Awards wins out of five nominations, including Song of the Year and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Dance with My Father", Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Closer I Get to You", his duet with Beyonc, and Best R&B Album.

"Dance with My Father" is a song by Luther Vandross and the title track to his thirteenth studio album. It was released in May 2003 as the album's lead single. With Richard Marx, Vandross wrote the song based on his personal experience. The lyrics recall childhood memories with Vandross's father, who used to dance with him and his mother.

Despite the lack of promotion due in part to Vandross's hospitalization, "Dance with My Father" became one of the most requested songs at the time. During the 2004 Grammy Awards, "Dance with My Father" earned Vandross the Song of the Year and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance accolades.

Vandross wrote "Dance with My Father" with Marx, based on his personal experience. Considered by Vandross as his "career song",[1] "Dance with my Father" is a tribute to his father, Luther Vandross Sr., who died due to complications of diabetes. Vandross was eight when his father died. According to Marx, writing the song was emotional for Vandross because it is "a subject matter [Vandross] hadn't written before".[2]

At the time of "Dance with My Father"'s release as a single on May 30, 2003, Vandross had been hospitalized due to his suffering from stroke. This timely release of the song gained attention from critics. On his review for the album, David Jeffries of AllMusic wrote that its release "makes the song's references to absent loved ones even more poignant".[6] For Larry Flick of The Advocate, it transformed the song into "a haunting composition rife with subtext".[3]

Although Vandross was unable to promote the latest project, "Dance with My Father" was able to reach number one on music stations. For instance, it achieved top position in WLTW, which was one of the first stations in the United States to play the track. Before his stroke, Vandross wrote to WLTW's program director, informing him of what he considered to be his "career song".[7] The director asked permission from the label, but it was not until after the hospitalization that J Records permitted the airplay, following the song being featured in Boston Public on April 28, 2003. "Dance with My Father" became one of the most requested songs at the time, spawning "a number of weepy phone calls and requests".[7]

In February 2004, "Dance with My Father" earned Vandross and Marx a Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Vandross a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Marx accepted the award on behalf of Vandross, who was unable to attend due to health concerns. At the same event, singer Celine Dion agreed to perform a live rendition of the song in lieu of Vandross, and Marx accompanied her on the piano as she recently lost her father.[8] After the performance, Vandross however accepted the awards on a videotaped speech.[9]

With his death in 2005, "Dance with My Father" was the last top 40 hit for Luther Vandross in the United States, peaking at number 38. The song also peaked at 21 in the UK Singles Chart. On August 29, 2009, the song re-entered the UK top 40 after a performance of the song on The X Factor by Joe McElderry.

While Vandross was hospitalized, a music video was shot for the single. Hosting famous friends of his and fans alike, the clip features musicians, singers, actors and sport stars. The video features childhood snapshots of Vandross.[10]

Celebs who made cameos are Monica, Beyonc, Brian McKnight, Johnny Gill, Stevie Wonder, Garcelle Beauvais, Damon Wayans, Holly Robinson Peete, Whitney Houston, Jason Kidd, Master P, Lil Romeo, Babyface, Morris Chestnut, Ashanti, Celine Dion, Nona Gaye, Patti LaBelle, Ruben Studdard, Brandy, Quincy Jones, Wyclef Jean, Wayne Brady and Shaquille O'Neal.

"Dance with My Father" has been released in various cover versions, appearing on many albums and music media formats. Among the most notable is a version released in 2004 by country music singer Kellie Coffey. This version peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts.

Dance with My Father is the thirteenth and final studio album by American R&B-soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross. It was released in the United States on June 10, 2003 by J Records, The album, especially its title track, was dedicated to Vandross' late father.

Lately, his name has resurfaced on the music scene, exciting fans and inviting new audiences to learn more about the groundbreaking R&B singer/songwriter. We revisit the events that led to his last album and, ultimately, his biggest hit.

The video for the jam was shot while the singer was still hospitalized. It featured various famous friends of his, some appearing with their fathers, some with their kids and others alone with pictures of them and their deceased loved ones. Beyonc, Monica, Brian McKnight, Babyface, Stevie Wonder, and Celine Dion all appear alongside many others.

Despite not being able to properly promote Dance With My Father, the success of the album earned Vandross four more Grammy Awards, including Song of The Year and Best R&B Album, where he accepted the awards in a pre-taped video segment. By then, his last album had already been certified double platinum.

Vandross worked as a backing vocalist in the 1970s, and appeared on albums by artists such as Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, Todd Rundgren, Judy Collins, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Ben E. King, Stevie Wonder, and Donna Summer. He later became a lead singer of the group Change, which released the Gold-certified album, The Glow of Love, in 1980 on Warner/RFC Records. After Vandross left the group, he was signed to Epic Records as a solo artist and released his debut solo album, Never Too Much, in 1981.

His hit songs include "Never Too Much", "Here and Now", "Any Love", "Power of Love/Love Power", "I Can Make It Better" and "For You to Love". Many of his songs were covers of original music by other artists such as "If This World Were Mine" (duet with Cheryl Lynn), "Since I Lost My Baby", "Superstar", "I (Who Have Nothing)" and "Always and Forever". He performed duets such as "The Closer I Get to You" with Beyonc, "Endless Love" with Mariah Carey and "The Best Things in Life Are Free" with Janet Jackson of which the latter two were hit songs in his career. The tribute album So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross, was released shortly after his death.

Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr.[6] was born on April 20, 1951, at Bellevue Hospital, in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.[7] His birth occurred concurrently with General Douglas MacArthur's ticker-tape parade throughout the same city. He was the fourth child and second son of Mary Ida Vandross and Luther Vandross Sr.[8] His father was an upholsterer and singer,[9] and his mother was a nurse.[10] Vandross was raised in Manhattan's Lower East Side in the Alfred E. Smith Houses public housing development.[11] At the age of three, having his own phonograph, Vandross taught himself to play the piano by ear.[6]

His father died of diabetes when Luther was eight years old.[6][11][12] In 2003, Vandross wrote the song "Dance with My Father" and dedicated it to him; the title was based on his childhood memories and his mother's recollections of the family singing and dancing in the house. His family moved to the Bronx when he was nine.[13] His sisters, Patricia "Pat" and Ann, began taking Vandross to the Apollo Theater and to a theater in Brooklyn to see Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin.[6] Patricia sang with the vocal group The Crests[14] and was featured on the songs "My Juanita" and "Sweetest One".[9][15]

Vandross graduated from William Howard Taft High School in the Bronx in 1969,[14] and attended Western Michigan University for one and a half semesters before dropping out to continue pursuing a career in music.[16]

Vandross added backing vocals to Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway in 1972,[21] and worked on Delores Hall's Hall-Mark album (1973). He sang with her on the song "Who's Gonna Make It Easier for Me", which he wrote, and he contributed another song, "In This Lonely Hour".[citation needed] After his song "Funky Music (Is a Part of Me)" was re-written as "Fascination" with David Bowie for the latter's Young Americans (1975) album, Vandross went on to tour with him as a back-up vocalist in September 1974.[22] Vandross wrote "Everybody Rejoice/A Brand New Day" for the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz.[9][16][23]

Vandross also sang backing vocals for artists, including Roberta Flack,[9] Chaka Khan, Ben E. King, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, David Bowie, Cat Stevens, Gary Glitter, Ringo Starr, Sister Sledge, and Donna Summer,[24][25] and for the bands Mandrill, Chic[23] and Todd Rundgren's Utopia.[26]

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