The Insider family was invited to be on hand in New York for Luther's services. We attended two of the three days and decided to bring you the INSIDE SCOOP as a testament of the love surounding Luther's life, music, family and homegoing services. Towards the end of this article, please take time to Pay Tribute to Luther and his work for a memorial to be sent to his family at a later date.
Over the past two weeks, lovers of Soul music lost two notable icons that led the way in developing what is now commonly referred to as Rhythm & Blues. On July 1, both Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Luther Ronzoni Vandross were called home. Benson, a member of the Four Tops, who made hits like Baby I Need Your Loving and I Can't Help Myself, passed away due to a heart attack and lung cancer. His homegoing service was on July 10th, and was attended by Otis Williams, Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers, amongst others. Luther passed away in New Jersey during physical therapy. Luther's wake took place on Wednesday, July 8th, and Thursday, July 9th, at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel. Funeral services were on Friday, July 10th at The Riverside Church.
We arrived at Frank E. Campbell just after 3 p.m. on Thursday and were greeted by Patti Labelle and Jaheim. Patti then played the consummate host by getting into her Hummer and traveling around the block to speak to everyone in line, one-by-one. Once inside, we witnessed a huge flowerbed of yellow and white roses, which also contained white lilies. This beautiful flowerbed took over the entire place and the petals were all over the chapel (click here for pics). Luther's beautiful gold casket was closed. A touching video of Luther from kid to adult was playing along with his music. Opposite the video was a portrait sized picture of Luther, again with the roses and lillies all around. Upon a mannequin was Luther's tuxedo (Luther always wanted to have his tuxedo when he performed). Next to that, stood a rack of his wardrobe from when he performed throughout the years. Up next was the huge platinum album of "Dance With My Father", just next to Luther's leather jacket that he often wore. There was another outfit and more flowers. We heard that on the first day (Wednesday) Oprah, Roberta, Patti, Teddy and Sean "Puffy" Combs paid respects. On this day, Patti, Jesse and Jaheim represented well for the celebrities.
On Friday, we arrived just before 9 a.m. It rained hard. The consensus was that the rain was Luther looking down from heaven to say that he was dancing with his father. Before arriving at Riverside, the hearse stopped at the legendary Apollo Theatre. The street in front of the Apollo was filled on both sides and billboard read "Luther, We Love You." As the hearse arrived at Riverside, the rain poured harder. Everyone in line was soaked, but did not care. Two flower wagons packed to the top with nothing but yellow and white roses arrived. With luck on our side, we got one of the last two programs. Everyone was so wet that the church pew cushions were soaked. Still, we did not care, because we were about to witness the greatest celebration of real life and love we had ever seen.
Riverside was beautiful and all three levels were packed. The flowers were all arranged, rather than both arranged and separated, like at Frank E. Campbell. After a musical selection by Nat Adderley, Luther's niece, Seveda Williams, gave reflections and talked about how Luther was the foundation and background of the Vandross family; how strongly he felt about family and love; how family is supposed to have love; and about the love he sang about and had for others. She said Luther's life was about real love and the values that people are supposed to share. Her fondest memories were of her uncle Luther coming back from tours or travels and waking everyone up, no matter how late, to find out about what was going on with everyone till he got sleepy. She also said that Luther stressed the importance of believing in yourself and that you can do anything if you set yourself out to do in life.
Patti read a poem written by Luther's mother, Mary Ida, which stated that Luther was dancing with his father again. Cicely Houston and her New Hope Baptist Church choir (Newark, NJ) did a selection. Dionne Warwick read the obituary, including a touching letter from Gladys Knight, speaking on the good times she shared with Luther and his family.
Stevie Wonder sang "I Wont Complain". His rendition was so touching and powerful that he got a complete standing ovation from all three levels of the church. Fonzie Thornton, Luther's number one backup singer, did a very meaningful tribute. Fonzie spoke of how he and Luther were kids in the housing projects of New York and would meet at each other's house to sang and harmonize; how they moved from that to other things which became bigger things and later great things which also turned into more; how Luther was so loved; how Luther loved people and sang about love; how Luther was so generous and never forgot his upbringings; how he could remember when they didn't have anything and if Luther borrowed a dollar, he borrowed a dollar for him; how if he borrowed a cigarrette, he'd borrow one for him; and how if he had, Luther had.
After Fonzie's tribute, Aretha Franklin cleared her throat saying that although she had a sore throat, she would still sing "Amazing Grace". Aretha sang like the angels were singing out of heaven. Towards the end, she went into a sermon in song about Jesus and the power of Jesus and what God can do. We could feel God at work all over the church as services continued.
Toward the end of the program, everyone sang Luther's "Power of Love". As the pall-bearers rolled the casket out, everyone said "Bye Luther" "We Love You Luther" "We are Going to Miss You" " We Love You". Luther's burial location is the George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.
1951 Born April 20
1975 Sings on David Bowie's Young Americans
1981 First solo Album, Never Too Much
1989 Top Ten single Here and Now earns him first of eight Grammys
2003 Suffers debilitating stroke before release of multiple Grammy-winning Dance with my Father
2003 April, stops public appearances
2005 Deceased July 1, music lives on, over 25 million sold and counting.
· If Only For One Night
· A House is Not A Home
· Power of Love
· Here and Now
· Any Love
· Anyone Who Had A Heart
· Never Too Much
· Don't You Know That
· Glow of Love
· Creep
· Stop for Love
· Endless Love
· Always & Forever
· The Closer I Get to You
· Knocks me Off My Feet
· Got to tell you, how you thrill me. I'm happy as I can be. You have come and it's change my whole world. By-bye, sadness, hello, mellow. And what a wonderful day. It's so amazing to be love. I'd follow you to the moon and the sky above. Ooooh, I'd go and...
· Love has truly been good to me.
· When I say goodbye, it is never for long, cause I know our love still loves on...
· Don't you remember you told me you loved me, baby? You said you'd be coming back this way again, baby. Baby, baby, baby, whoo, baby, oh, baby. Yes, I love you. I really do.
· If I could get another chance, another walk, another dance with him...
· I remember not to long ago, I was just a lonely person with a lonely heart...
· And you're gonna get the chance to love me. Wait for love, wait for love. Oh, woman.
· Now I remember spending all my time on a dream that kept me wishing that you could be mine.
· Sometimes love, it takes a long time. But wait for love...
· Pretty, little darling have a heart...
· But, oh, a room is not a house and a house is not a home when the two of us are far apart and one of us has a broken heart... I'm not meant to live alone, oh, turn this house into a home. When I climb the stairs and turn the key, oh, please, be there, still...
· I just don't want to stop. Too much, never too much, never too much, never too much.
· Flowers blooming, morning dew, and the beauty seems to say it's a pleasure when you treasure all that's new and true and gay. ... As we share our affair, talking in the glow of love, oh...
· And it's because of you that love won't let me wait... My temperature's rising. My temperature's rising, baby. It won't let me wait. No, No. No, no, no, no, baby, baby... Love won't let me wait... it won't let me wait
· Here and now, I promise to love endlessly... endlessly... you're all I need.
InsiderEntertainment.com and the Insider family want to know your favorite Luther lines or memories. Click here to pay tribute with brief comments to be sent to his family at a later date.
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