The post Luther Vandross Reportedly Had Major Beef With Anita Baker…And Called Cops On En Vogue? appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

The post Luther Vandross Hilariously Explained Why He Hated Women Throwing Their Panties At Him appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

The post Luther Vandross’s Mom Spoke On The Devastation Of Losing All Four Of Her Children appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Luther Vandross was an 8-time Grammy winner, an over 35 million records seller, a highly acclaimed singer, songwriter, producer, and arranger…and little did many know, he was also a take-no-mess kind of brotha. After his untimely passing in 2005, we’ve learned more about him in death, than we did when he was alive. In fact, his zero tolerance for BS is one of those prominent personality traits we’ve realized we LOVED about Luther.

Apparently, a fan who came at him the wrong way back in the day, learned that Luther was NOT the one to play with firsthand. Luther’s friend/gospel singer, Bebe Winans, recalled an incident when a female fan tried to play Luther on an escalator.

What Luther did next will crack you up. Check it out below…

LUTHER LET HIS FAN HAVE IT!!!

Here is what Bebe wrote in his book, “The Whitney I Knew”:

Luther Vandross once told me of a time when he was riding an escalator up and a lady who was headed on the down escalator recognized him. She made a big fuss when Luther didn’t stop and sign something for her, blurting out, “I’m never going to buy another one of your albums again!”

According to Bebe, that’s when Luther turned ALL the way up:

Though Luther couldn’t stop – he was on an escalator! – when he reached the top, he immediately hopped the down escalator. Upon catching up to the woman, he asked, “How many of my records do you own?” The lady quickly rattled off several titles. Luther then reached in his pocket and paid her a couple hundred dollars and said, “There, that should cover it. I never want you to buy my records again. You don’t own me!”

And BAM! Luther left that woman with a cracked face and happy pocketbook at the same damn time! It doesn’t get any more classy and real than that!

Bebe concluded with a reflection on both the life of his close friend Whitney, as well as Luther’s this point:

Sometimes we think we own those in the public eye. We buy an album and, back in the day, we’d haul it around in our Walkmans or keep it spinning on our record players. Now we can literally carry songs in our back pockets, keeping little pieces of our favorite artists with us at all times. Some people think this entitles them to a part of that celebrity’s life…I think Whitney felt all the time like Luther did that day.

We couldn’t have concluded it better ourselves. Continue resting in peace Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross. The world will never dim your light…

The post Luther Vandross Didn’t Play, Here’s How He Thoroughly Checked Rude Fan In Public appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Madonna must’ve thought she was on to something with her latest tributes, but Luther Vandross’s team was like ‘Nah boo, think again.’ What had happened was Madonna’s recent  attempt to pay tribute to the Luther during her “Celebration” tour has just been shut all the way down by his estate.

While Madonna’s intention was sincere, it seems that the inclusion of Vandross in her AIDS/HIV tribute was clearly not appropriate.

Madonna has made it a point to honor her late friends and famous peers who lost their lives to AIDS/HIV-related complications, such as Herb Ritts, Freddie Mercury, and Keith Haring. However, during her Sacramento concert, she oddly included a photo of Luther Vandross in the montage, despite the fact that his death in 2005 was attributed to complications from a prior stroke, not AIDS, nor HIV.

Ya’ see…Luther was never diagnosed with AIDS or the HIV virus. His estate clarified this fact to Page Six, and kindly requested Madonna to exclude him from the tribute, stating “Luther Vandross passed away in 2005 due to complications from a stroke suffered two years earlier. While we appreciate Madonna’s recognition of those lives lost to AIDS, Luther was NEVER diagnosed with AIDS or the HIV Virus.”

It’s understandable why they would not want the AIDS/HIV narrative to be attached to his legacy. Even Luther, himself would’ve been pissed…just as he was when a British magazine once tried to attribute his weight loss the AIDS/HIV virus back in the ’80s.

Also, while Luther’s sexuality has been speculated upon throughout the years, he never publicly identified as anything other than heterosexual. However, close friends, such as Patti LaBelle, have commented on the possibility that he may have been part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Even though Madonna’s inclusion of Luther in her AIDS/HIV tribute was a tad weird, it’s commendable that she has respected the wishes of Luther’s estate and removed the photo from the tribute.

While Madonna’s dedication to honoring those who have passed away is admirable, it’s vital to ensure that the tributes get the facts straight.

Let’s hope that this incident serves as a reminder to all about the importance of research, respect, and accuracy when discussing such delicate subjects.

In the end, Madonna’s intentions were good, but sometimes it’s better to double-check the facts and seek input from those closest to the individuals being honored.

Source

The post Luther Vandross Estate Shuts Down Madonna’s Odd AIDS/HIV Tribute To Him & For Good Reason appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Word on the Old School curb — as addressed in Luther’s autobiography — is that our beloved Luther Vandross had beef with the legendary Anita Baker and En Vogue back in the day. You’re probably thinking ‘Nah, not Luther!’ and that’s the same thing I said … but unbeknownst to many, Luther wasn’t one to be messed with. En Vogue’s, Cindy Herron, also confirmed this info.

En Vogue vs. Luther

Vandross’s issues with En Vogue all when down back in the day, when En Vogue suddenly decided to leave Vandross’s two-month national tour in 1993. The “official public statement” given to the public at the time, was that their abrupt departure was due to Cindy’s pregnancy…but turns out- THAT AIN’T WHAT HAPPENED!

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly that same year, Cindy Herron spilled the beans when she told EW this:

“We’ve been having a lot of problems with Luther…our nickname for him is Lucifer.”

Cindy also confirmed that Luther stopped talking to them, ordered that the two camps eat separately while on the road, and instructed his crew to hang drapes so he wouldn’t have to see the group backstage. Ain’t that something?!! ☺️ It doesn’t stop there though…according to his 2004 biography, Luther: The Life and Longing Of Luther Vandross by Craig Seymour:

“While on tour in Miami, Luther saw that a member of En Vogue had wandered over to “his side” of the drawn curtain. His temper hit full-tilt and he “actually” called the Miami police to demand the group be charged with trespassing.”

Luther was a trip, but we still love him anyway! On to his reported beef with Anita Baker back then…

Anita Baker vs. Luther

Now, as far as the Luther-and-Anita Baker conflict, the story goes like this: They were not getting along when they toured together in 1988 and the rehearsals used to be heated. Why, you ask? Because Luther admitted that it always bothered him that she wouldn’t sing a duet with him. Baker reportedly apologized for not explaining to him about her pregnancy (at the time that he wanted to do a duet with her). So after that, everything was supposed to be all good…until Luther felt that Anita did him dirty again, according to his biographical book.

What happened was that Luther reportedly understood what Anita explained to him about her pregnancy. However, he also felt that they still needed to record a duet together as a type of peace offering that would permanently squash the beef and all of the rumors they they hated each other. He suggested they do a remake of Ben E. King’s “I (Who Have Nothing). Anita thought it was a good idea and agreed to do it. However, once again things went south between them on the day they were scheduled to record in Los Angeles, because Ms. Anita was nowhere to be found! “She simply didn’t show up,” Luther said. So instead, Vandross recorded the duet with Martha Wash. Luckily, Anita and Luther were said to have already mended their friendship long before Luther’s passing in 2005.

There you have it folks! Further proof that R&B beef was REAL back in the day…and even more proof that our favorite Old School artists are human. When many of us think of “beef” we either think of the Wendy’s lady from the ’80s commercials – You know, the “Where’s the beef?” lady; or we think of artists like Biggie and Tupac; or maybe even one of the shoot-’em-up-bang-bang-rappers of today. But very rarely would any of us have thought of Luther, En Vogue, nor Anita Baker beefin’ 🤷🏾‍♂️. Anywho, the point is – beef didn’t start with rap…it’s just that rap took it to a WHOLE ‘nother level.

Rest peacefully Luther- you’ll always be one of the greatest to have ever done it!

The post Luther Vandross Did Not Play…He Had Major Beef With Anita Baker And En Vogue? appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Late music icons, Aretha Franklin and Luther Vandross, reportedly couldn’t stand each other at one point. They were both dominant, alpha personalities back in the day…who had reputations for telling it like it is at the drop of a dime. That’s exactly what happened when they worked on Aretha’s album, “Get It Right,” together…and as most probably would have predicted, their studio session blew up like a spontaneous combustion.

THE SHOUTING MATCH

Aretha and Luther eventually became pretty good friends, but not before the drama that Aretha said occurred, causing Aretha to grab her fur coat and diva-sashay her way up outta their studio session. Aretha revealed this in her autobiography, “Aretha: From These Roots”:

Aretha wrote, “All of a sudden Luther wanted to tell me how to sing, when it was me whom he had learned much about how to sing. My point was simple: If he wanted to tell the artists how to sing, why didn’t he sing it himself? His job was to produce and advise the artists about phrasing, diction, melody, and to be adventurous and say certain things, but definitely not say, ‘Sing it like this.'”

After their argument got a lil’ heated — because neither Aretha, nor Luther were backing down — Aretha left:

“I picked up my coat and walked out of the studio as he and I continued shouting at each other,” Aretha wrote.

See what Aretha later told Jet Magazine about she and Luther’s relationship below…

RESPECT AND SHADE AT THE SAME TIME

In a past interview with Jet Magazine, Aretha expanded on what she wrote about Luther in her book:

“When I say this, I say it with respect and I say it in a positive vein. Luther and I really do like each other. We have a lot of mutual respect for each other. Even when we are not talking, we are still cool. I guess you could call it Aries butting heads, because he’s an Aries too. We are very opinionated people.”

She then threw a lil’ shade at the brotha:

“He [Luther] was lying at the base of his radio listening to me. I wasn’t lying there listening to him (laughs).”

So, in other words…Aretha felt like Luther was a youngin’ to the music game in the early ’80s, and she was the pro (although Luther had several hits at that time)…and that he should have respected the hierarchy. However, Luther was not one to bow down. The “Get It Right” album was actually Luther’s second time working with Franklin after producing her prior hit “Jump To It.” Word on the Old School curb is that everything was all good between them on the first go ’round, but that when they got in the studio for their second collabo,’ Aretha demanded that he call her ‘Ms. Franklin,’ while she only called him ‘Vandross.’ She also allegedly had an diva-ish attitude with him, and that’s when everything reportedly went downhill…because Luther wasn’t having that.

DailyMail once quoted Luther as stating, “The Aretha I had heard throughout my entire childhood on the radio — warm and down-home — wasn’t the Aretha I heard on the phone.”

Through it all, Aretha and Luther made nice with each other and recorded her song, which became a hit. They also eventually became great friends up until the time of Luther’s death. Presumably, the way they managed their friendship was by giving each other space, because just like Aretha said — they’re two of a kind and were liable to butt heads at any given moment.

The post Aretha Franklin Once Detailed Heated Incident That Made Her Go Off On Luther Vandross appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Before we all knew him as Luther- the mega superstar, Luther Vandross was a very well known background vocalist within the music industry and he became highly sought-after before his solo career kicked off.

He was once a background singer for Bette Midler. She had actually met Luther through David Bowie. David gave Luther his first background vocalist gig and Bette Midler saw him performing with David and was extremely impressed.

Afterwards, Bette asked Luther if he would be interested in working with her and Luther said ‘yes.’ However, soon afterwards, there was a big bump in the road in the beginning of their working relationship and Luther had to sorta check Bette. Here’s what happened on the very first day he showed up for his new gig with her, as was told in his biographical book…

After seeing him [Luther Vandross] sing background for Bowie, Bette invited Luther to tour with her.

When Luther showed up for rehearsal, Bette said, “You must be Luther,” and then proceeded to bite his nipple.

Luther wasn’t havin’ it: “Look, I know you’re famous and I’m not, but I don’t play that way. I don’t need this gig that bad. Back off!”

Source: Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross by Craig Seymour

As you can see, Luther was never one to let folks impose their will on him…you can ask anybody who has ever worked with him that question. He was a polite dude, but he demanded his respect. I don’t think Bette was trying to necessarily disrespect him, she just wasn’t respecting his personal space and I guess since he didn’t know her that well, he wasn’t feeling that, understandably so. She couldn’t just go around biting the man’s nipples before they’d barely said “Hello”…LOL. Bette and Luther were able to come to a common understanding and had a good working relationship after that.

Luther also had a couple run-ins with a few other singers back in the day, some of which were was also covered in his biography. You can read about his beef with Anita Baker and En Vogue here.

Overall, Luther seemed like the kind of guy who took the approach of “don’t mess with me and I won’t mess with you, but try me if you want to and watch what what I do.” Luther, or “Luffah” as he is also affectionately known among us soul music lovers, is one of the greatest singers to have ever graced the game and that’s why we’ll always remember him – for the beautiful music he gave us and for the priceless freestyle moments like this one…

The post Luther Vandross Checked Bette Midler For Apparently Going Way Too Far With Him? It Was Epic appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Although our beloved Luther Vandross is widely known as the man whose music is responsible for making millions of babies, he actually didn’t want to solely be revered as such. In fact, in his biographical book, Luther, The Life and longing Of Luther Vandross, written by Craig Seymour, he explained in detail why he couldn’t stand when women threw their panties at him.

What many may not know, is that behind Luther’s smooth, laid back, polite exterior, he was one cat who did NOT just sit back and accept whatever was thrown his way (drawers included), without speaking out about it. Tap that ‘next’ button to see how Luther described his dislike for pantie-throwers, his response had us crackin’ up over here.

Luther on ‘booties, romance and his music’…

Luther Vandross: “I don’t want to be remembered in the context of the bedroom. I don’t want to be in that bag. I want to be in the bag that includes the best singers of our time, not in the bag with those who are bumping and grinding and talking about people’s thighs and booties and stuff. That’s unfair to what I’ve tried so hard to work for. The music is about romance, yes. But it’s not about booties.”

[Source: Luther, The Life and longing Of Luther Vandross]

Luther was on a mission to make sure that his fans never treated him like a singing sex toy. This is what he said about the time a woman tossed her panties on stage while he was in the middle of performing. He basically checked her in front of the entire crowd:

LV: “I am not flattered by that,” he said into a microphone. “Come and pick up your drawers.”

Later he commented on the incident. “I thought it was nasty,” he said. “I mean, unidentified drawers? I want to be remembered as one of the premier singers of our time, period, and I feel that throwing your drawers at me compromises and trivializes my effort to do that. I appreciate attention from fans, but not to the degree that your drawers come on stage with me. If that makes me a prude, then I’m King Prude.”

[Source: Luther, The Life and longing Of Luther Vandross]

And there it is folks! Luther was always one who stood his ground and had no problem telling it like it is. Just ask En Vogue, Bette Middler, or even his friends, Anita Baker and Aretha Franklin…all of whom at one point or another, Luther has called out when they did something to him that he didn’t like.

Luther will forever be remembered as one of the greatest crooners in the history of mankind…we know that’s a strong statement, but it’s a pretty accurate one our my humble opinion. On the flip side, Luther will also be remembered by those who knew him behind-the-scenes, as the brotha who didn’t take no mess!

Long live Luther’s legacy!

-ILoveOldSchoolMusic, Old School news with a new point of view

The post Luther Vandross Hilariously Explained Why He Hated Women Throwing Their Panties At Him appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Soon after music icon, Luther Vandross, passed away in 2005, his beloved mother, Mary Ida Vandross, was gracious and brave enough to speak out. She allowed the public into the last moments of their heartbreaking lows and highs during her son, Luther’s -whom she affectionately nicknamed “Ronnie”- last days.

As we previously reported, Mrs. Ida lost her all four of her children, with Luther being the last one. Her husband, Luther Sr., died when Luther Jr. was 8 years old, causing Mary to raise their four children on her own. In prior interviews with People Magazine and Entertainment Weekly, Mary Ida thoroughly detailed what her last child, Luther, did from the moment he suffered the stroke that sparked his 2-year health decline, to his last words to her shortly before his final breathe.
“God had some connections with my son”

Mary Ida Vandross: “I feel sincerely that God had some connections with my son. The winter before he had the stroke, I noticed that he was putting things in order. Too much in order.”

“He Called Me One Day And Said…”

“I was living in Connecticut, in a 10-room house, and he called me one day and said, ‘Momma, I don’t like you being up here by yourself. I want you to think about moving to Philadelphia.'”

Embed from Getty Images

“I Just Feel Like He Was Telling Me Something”

MV: “I started laughing, and he had the best laugh, and I said, ‘I like Philadelphia to visit. I don’t know how I’d like to live there.’ But he said, ‘Think about it. You’re here by yourself, and you don’t need to be by yourself.’ I just feel like he was telling me something.”

Mary Ida Vandross’ Intuition About Her Son Was Correct
Mary took her son’s advice and relocated to Philly to be near Luther and family. Shortly afterwards, Luther’s housekeeper found him collapsed from a stroke, on his Manhattan condo floor on April 16, 2003. A blood vessel at the base of his brain had burst.

Mom Blames Luther’s Weight Struggle & Eating Habits
Luther suffered from diabetes and hypertension, but Mary blamed weight fluctuations for his severe health decline.

”I knew how hard he was struggling not to gain the weight,” she said. ”And yet he would eat uncontrollably.”

Luther Spent 2 More Years In Extreme Health Crisis
Luther was hospitalized in a stroke-induced coma for the next two months, eventually having “moments” of alertness, shaking his head ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ He was then moved to a rehab facility for 1 year and vastly improved, sometimes joking with loved ones, but…

Suddenly Progress Halted & Here’s What Mom Said He Did In Last Days

Embed from Getty Images

“I Had A Premonition”

MV: “For two years I went every Sunday and any other day that I could get there. The Sunday before he passed, I had a premonition that I was losing him. That was the saddest moment of my life. Here I am with one child left out of four, and to see him drifting away.”

Mary Vandross Took Action

“I told the nurse, ‘Please get him up. I want him to have dinner with me.’ So we got him up and he had watermelon and corn bread—his favorite food—and he was talking” normally that day.

The Request From His Mom That Luther Sadly Declined To Answer

“I said, ‘How do you feel?’ And he says, ‘Okay.’ I said, ‘Ronni? Do you know I love you so much?’ He said, ‘Yes.'” But Luther didn’t reply to his Mom’s next statement. “I said, ‘Please do me a favor and get well.’ And he never answered me.”

It Started With Mom’s Heart-Wrenching Attempt To Encourage An Ailing Luther
In a desperate attempt to encourage Luther to keep fighting, Mary sang him a song she hadn’t sang to him since he was a kid.

“I started singing: ‘You’ll never know just how much I love you / You’ll never know just how much I care …'”

Embed from Getty Images

Vandross Made His Mom Laugh In Midst Pain…But It Was Bittersweet
Luther instead lifted his Mom’s spirits:

“When I stopped, he said, ‘It was okay.’ I said, ‘Okay?! You know something? I have to duck from record companies trying to get me to sign up.’And he said, “Well, keep duckin!’ And we laughed. But when I left, and I saw him watch me, I just had a feeling that was the end.”

“That Thursday” Mary told her sister, “I hear death bells. I’m losing my son.” She continued, “And on Friday [July 1, 2005] I just couldn’t stop crying; I cried myself to sleep. And when I woke, my niece Brenda told me, “Ronni [Luther] died about an hour ago.”
“Oh, Lord…My Last Child”

“I screamed. I said, ‘Oh, Lord. My last child. Help me to understand.’ God knows how empty my life has been since all of my children are gone. I prayed for understanding. …Nobody on earth knows how I miss my children.”

Sadly, all four of Mrs. Vandross’ children died from diabetic complications. Three years after Luther’s death, his mother, Mary Ida Vandross, passed away following a month-long coma. May they all rest in eternal peace.

The post Luther Vandross’s Mom Spoke On The Devastation Of Losing All Of Her Children appeared first on I Love Old School Music.