Luther Vandross, 54

Martin Nievera, himself an excellent balladeer, fully described what Luther Vandross was to the music industry. "Every balladeer wants to be like Luther," said Martin. And so it has been ever since Vandross broke into the top of the R&B charts more than 20 years ago with Never Too Much. While there were many other artists whose vocals fit the silky description like Teddy Pendergrass, Lionel Richie, George Benson and Brian McKnight, not one of them was as silky as Luther’s.

Luther Vandross died last July 1 at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in New Jersey. No cause of death was mentioned in the releases provided the media. All it said was that "it was a peaceful passing under the watchful eye of friends, family and the medical support team." As though as an afterthought, there was mention of the fact that Luther never fully recovered from the massive stroke he suffered two years ago. He also struggled for many years with his weight problem, diabetes and hypertension.

It was while Luther was laying in coma after his stroke that his new album Dance with My Father was released. While there was always a strong chance a Vandross product would make the hit charts, Dance turned out to be a doubly-special crossover hit. Kids who were not aware of his early work bought the album. Pop music fans not keen on R&B did the same. Then they and all of Luther’s fans who did, found themselves listening to an exceptionally-poignant collection.

The multi-faceted album includes his usual romantic ballads like Buy Me a Rose and If I Didn’t Know Better, bits of rap and dance like Hit It Again with Queen Latifah, Lovely Day with Busta Rhymes and If It Ain’t One Thing with Foxy Brown. The main event is The Closer I Get to You, a masterfully-executed duet with Beyoncé Knowles of the Roberta Flack and Danny Hathaway hit from the ’70s. In an interesting change of attack, they have reversed the vocals and Luther sings the Roberta part while Beyoncé does Hathaway.

What kept the album on top though were not any of these tunes. It was the brilliantly written Dance with My Father. A collaboration with singer/songwriter Richard Marx who was also responsible for Right Here Waiting, the song is a tribute to fathers who have gone ahead and for once Luther is not in his honeyed-make-out mode. This is an ache-in-the-gut song and Luther delivers the works by turning the ballad to an earnest prayer.

The voters at next year’s Grammys heartily agreed and gave Luther the trophies for Best R&B Album, Best R&B Male Vocal Performance, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for The Closer I Get to You with Beyonce and Best Song for Dance with My Father. He previously won the Grammy Best R&B Male Vocal Performance in 1991 for Here and Now. He won again in 1992 for R&B Vocal Performance and Best Song for Power of Love. Then again for Vocal Performance in 1997 for the song Your Secret Love.

Luther, youngest of four children, lost his own father when he was seven and was raised by his mother. He started singing and writing songs in high school. He later worked as back-up singer, arranger and vocalist with various groups during the ’70s. He got his big solo break in 1981 with Never Too Much. This was followed by many more, including his unforgettable rendition of A House is Not a Home, considered the gold standard for all balladeers.

Nonoy Zuñiga tours SM malls

Here’s news about another great voice but somebody very much alive and reaping more success with his kind of music. Balladeer Nonoy Zuñiga is touring the SM malls all over the country in line with the promotion of his gold-selling The Love Album. Nonoy’s fans can catch up with him at SM Iloilo tomorrow, SM Davao on Sunday, July 10 and at SM Cagayan in Sunday, July 17.

For more of Nonoy and more of his hit songs, there is The Love Concert, which will be held at Music Museum in Greenhills, San Juan on Aug. 5 and 6. He will perform songs from The Love Album like Moon River and Too Shy to Say, his famous hits like Never Ever Say Goodbye, Kumusta Ka and Doon Lang plus others. Tickets are priced at P1,500 and P900 and are now available at all Ticketworld outlets at National Bookstore and at the Music Museum. For inquiries, call tel. no. 891-9999.