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Luther Vandross - $40 Million Net Worth, The Velvet Voice

Luther Vandross was a famous American singer-songwriter and record producer. At the time of his passing in 2005, Luther Vandross net worth was $40 million.

Author:Alex Mercer
Reviewer:Nathanial Blackwood
Aug 05, 2022
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Luther Vandross was a famous American singer-songwriter and record producer. At the time of his passing in 2005, Luther Vandross net worthwas $40 million.
Vandross, also known as "The Velvet Voice" in certain quarters, rose to prominence as one of the most in-demand background singersfor the top names in the music business.
He collaborated with several musicians during his career, including David Bowie, Donna Summer, Diana Ross, and many more.
Luther earned fame for his work as the main singer of the band Change, which achieved commercial success in the 1980s, in addition to his work as a backing vocalist.
Later, Vandross took a solo career turn and put out a solo album during the same decade.
As a solo artist, he put out a number of top-charting singles, and several of his duets also gained a lot of popularity.

Quick Facts About Luther Vandross

NameLuther Vandross
Date Of BirthApr 20, 1951 - Jul 1, 2005 (54 years old)
GenderMale
Height6 ft 2 in (1.905 m)
ProfessionSinger, Record producer, Singer-songwriter, Musician, Composer, Actor
NationalityUnited States of America
Net Worth$40 Million

Luther Vandross Early And Personal Life

Luther Vandross Smiling
Luther Vandross Smiling
On April 20, 1951, Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. was born in Manhattan, New York City.
Luther began playing the piano at age three and was raised on a Lower East Side public housing complex.
When Vandross was barely eight years old, his singing father passed away. Later, Luther honored his memory by dedicating the song "Dance with My Father."
When Luther was nine years old, his family moved to the Bronx. When he saw Aretha Franklin and other performers play live at the Apollo Theater with his sisters, he was motivated to pursue a career in music.
Luther enrolled in Western Michigan University in 1969 after receiving his high school diploma.
His time in collegewas brief because he left after just one year to pursue a career in the music business.
In 2003, Vandross had a catastrophic stroke after spending the most of his entire life dealing with diabetes and hypertension.
He spent two months in a coma as a result of this event. He was finally resurrected, but his speech, singing, and walking were gone.
He made a few brief appearances as his health continued to worsen; his final one was in 2004 on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." In 2005, Vandross suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 54.
His mother was the last remaining family member after all of his siblings had already gone away. In 2008, she also passed away.

Luther Vandross Sexual Orientation

Despite the fact that Luther Vandross never officially acknowledged being gay or bisexual, the majority of industry insiders eventually said that they were aware of his orientation.
If these widely circulated reports are true, Vandross played his cards extremely close to his chest. Even if he had relationships with guys, they were very well concealed.
The likelihood of a controversy is far higher if Vandross just sought to keep the number of amorous interactions he had to a minimum.

Luther Vandross Career

When he sang background vocals for "Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway" in 1972, Vandross officially launched his career.
After that, he collaborated on "Fascination," a song by David Bowie, and went on tour with him throughout 1974.
The following time, Vandross worked with a variety of well-known musicians, contributing background vocals to their albums.
In addition to providing background vocals, Luther, a quartet that Vandross founded, put out a number of singles.
Before becoming famous in the 1980s as a featured singer in the band Change, he also composed and sang a number of commercial jingles.
Luther Vandross obtained a record deal with Epic Records and released a solo album named "Never Too Much" after becoming well-known in the music industry. This album's lead single debuted at the top of the R&B charts.
Luther advanced his solo career while working with several notable musicians over the course of the following few years.
He published a popular greatest hits CD in 1997 and performed the national anthem before the Super Bowl.
The critically praised album "Dance with my Father" was released by Vandross in 2003. It became Luther's first song to ever reach the top of the Billboard charts.

Luther Vandross Social Media

Vandross made heavy use of social media. On Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, he had active followers.
He has 2.3 million Facebook fans, more than 5467 Twitter followers, and 41.5k Instagram followers.

Luther Vandross Top 10 Albums And Sales

Luther Vandross Singing
Luther Vandross Singing
Over 27,785,000 records by Luther Vandross were sold, including 25,500,000 in the US and 2,020,000 in the UK. Give Me The Reason, the best-selling album by Luther Vandross, has sold over 2,600,000 copies.
GIVE ME THE REASON (1986)2,600,000
SONGS (1994)2,407,500
DANCE WITH MY FATHER (2003)2,150,000
POWER OF LOVE (1991)2,110,000
THE NIGHT I FELL IN LOVE (1985)2,000,000
NEVER TOO MUCH (1981)2,000,000
THE BEST OF LUTHER VANDROSS - THE BEST OF LOVE (1989)1,500,000
FOREVER, FOR ALWAYS, FOR LOVE (1982)1,300,000
YOUR SECRET LOVE (1996)1,110,000
THE ULTIMATE LUTHER VANDROSS (2006)1,107,500

Luther Vandross Top 5 Songs

In the following two decades, he had a number of significant hits, but he tragically passed away far too soon.
Even now, 15 years after his passing at the age of 54, he is still regarded as one of the greatest performers of his time.

Dance With My Father

Luther Vandross - Dance With My Father

Never Too Much

Luther Vandross - Never Too Much (Official HD Video)

Endless Love (with Mariah Carey)

Luther Vandross - Endless Love (Official HD Video)

Here And Now

Luther Vandross - Here and Now (Video)

The Best Things In Life Are Free (with Janet Jackson)

Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson - The Best Things In Life Are Free. HD

Luther Vandross Net Worth

At the time of his passing in 2005, Luther Vandross had an estimated net worth of $40 million.
He was a singer and composer whose silky voice and manner were ideal for love songs. During his musical career, he made about $5 million a year.
In 1981, Vandross joined Epic Records and put out his million-selling first album Never Too Much.
He put out a ton of additional albums in the 1980s and regularly worked with great musicians like Aretha Franklin.
Vandross was a significant R&B star, but it wasn't until the early 1990s that he rose to pop stardom.
For "Here and Now," which he co-wrote and sang, he won his first Grammy in 1991. He then won two more Grammys for "Power of Love" in 1992 and a fourth one for "Your Secret Love" in 1997.

Luther Vandross Real Estate

Luther Vandross Speaking
Luther Vandross Speaking
It was revealed that Luther Vandross had sold a number of homes in 2003. One was a $7.425 million seven-room penthouse in Manhattan that he sold.
The 3,200 square foot business, which is housed in a building Donald Trump restored in 1998, was bought by him for $3.8 million back in 1999.
The four-star Daniel restaurant is located on the ground level. In 1998, Vandross fetched $5.6 million for the sale of another Manhattan home.
He accepted a final sale price of little over $400,000 to get rid of yet another Upper East Side townhouse in Manhattan in the year 2000. In Stamford, Connecticut, Luther offered and sold a house for $850,000 in 2002.
He paid $10.75 million back in 1999 to sell his 23,000 square foot Connecticut mansion.
In 1997, he paid $8.8 million to buy the opulent property for the first time. It was revealed in 2015 that his previous estate had been up for sale for less than $9 million.
The opulent home is situated on about 15 acres of land on the property, which is located just outside of Greenwich.
Rumor has it that Luther converted the third floor's indoor basketball court into one enormous closet.
Video unavailable
This video is unavailable: Original link to video

People Also Ask

Why Is Luther Vandross Important?

Throughout his career, Vandross sold more than 40 million records worldwide, had eleven straight Platinum albums a feat never before accomplished by an R&B artist and won eight Grammy Awards, including four times for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

Who Discovered Luther Vandross?

By the 1980s, Luther Vandross had become a worldwide sensation thanks to his silky voice, but not everyone is aware that David Bowie was the one who gave him his first big break.
Find out how the two legends met and what role Luther Vandross performed on David Bowie's Young Americans album and throughout the singer's blue-eyed soul period.

Who Got Luther Vandross Money When He Died?

The late American musician Luther Vandross' estate announced on Monday that it has made a sizable donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
At the age of 54, more than two years after having a crippling stroke, Vandross passed away in July 2005.

Conclusion

Luther Vandross was able to sell over 35 million records before his tragic death. In addition to enjoying financial success, Vandross received a lot of favorable reviews from reviewers.
He received an incredible amount of honors, including eight Grammys. He took up the award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times out of the eight.
Luther received four Grammy Awards in 2004, including the Song of the Year Award for his song "Dance with My Father," which was given out.
He passed away not long after the popular song was released. Luther Vandross is still regarded as one of the greatest vocalists of all time.
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Alex Mercer

Alex Mercer

Author
Alex Mercer is a seasoned author and analyst specializing in wealth research, with a keen focus on evaluating the net worth of individuals across various industries. With over a decade of experience in financial analysis and wealth assessment, Alex has developed a nuanced understanding of the factors that contribute to an individual's financial status, from investments and assets to market trends and economic policies. His work involves in-depth reviews and analyses, providing insightful observations on wealth accumulation, management strategies, and the socio-economic implications of wealth distribution. Throughout his career, Alex has become known for his ability to distill complex financial data into understandable and engaging narratives, making the subject of wealth and net worth accessible to a broad audience. His expertise is not just in numbers but in telling the stories behind them, highlighting the journeys, strategies, and decisions that lead to financial success or challenges. Alex's contributions to the field of wealth research are valuable resources for anyone looking to understand the dynamics of wealth in today's world, offering a unique perspective that bridges the gap between financial analysis and human interest.
Nathanial Blackwood

Nathanial Blackwood

Reviewer
Nathanial (Nate) Blackwood is a distinguished financial journalist with a decade of experience in net worth analysis. He holds an Economics degree from the University of Finance and a Data Analysis certification, enabling him to blend thorough insights with engaging storytelling. Nate is known for making complex financial information accessible to a wide audience, earning acclaim for his precise and reader-friendly analyses. Beyond his writing, Nate is dedicated to financial literacy, actively participating in educational forums and workshops. He is the founder of PureNetWealth, a platform that demystifies the financial achievements of public figures by exploring the strategies and decisions behind their fortunes. Nate's work bridges the gap between intricate economic concepts and the general public, inspiring a deeper understanding of wealth dynamics. Follow Nathanial Blackwood for essential insights into the financial narratives shaping our world.
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