What was Luther Vandross’ Net Worth?

Luther Vandross, an American singer-songwriter and record producer, passed away in 2005 with a net worth of $40 million. He was known as “The Velvet Voice” and was sought after as a background vocalist for many famous musicians. Vandross gained recognition as the lead singer of the group Change and later embarked on a successful solo career. He sold over 35 million records worldwide and won numerous awards, including eight Grammys, four of which were for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. His song “Dance with My Father” won the Award for Song of the Year in 2004. Despite his passing, Vandross remains one of the greatest vocalists of all time.

Early Life and Career

Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. was born on April 20th of 1951 in Manhattan, New York City. He grew up in public housing on the Lower East Side and began playing the piano at age three. His father, who was a singer, passed away when Luther was eight, and he later dedicated a song to his memory.

At age nine, Luther moved with his family to the Bronx. His sisters took him to see live performances by artists such as Aretha Franklin at the Apollo Theater, which inspired him to pursue a career in music. After graduating from high school in 1969, he attended Western Michigan University for one year before dropping out to focus on his music.

Luther Vandross’ Career Highlights

Luther Vandross began his career in 1972 as a backing vocalist for “Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway” and later co-wrote David Bowie’s song “Fascination.” He formed a quartet called Luther and released singles before gaining notoriety in the 1980s as a featured singer in the group Change.

After signing with Epic Records, Vandross released his solo album “Never Too Much,” which reached the top spot on the R&B charts. Throughout the next few years, he continued to collaborate with prominent artists while pushing his solo career forward.

In 1997, Vandross released a successful greatest hits album and sang the national anthem at the Super Bowl. His critically-acclaimed album “Dance with my Father” reached the number one spot on the Billboard charts in 2003 – a first for Luther.

Luther Vandross and Rumors of His Sexuality

Although Luther Vandross never publicly came out as gay or bisexual, some industry insiders later revealed that they were aware of his homosexuality. If these widespread rumors are indeed correct, then Vandross kept his cards very close to his chest.

If he did have relationships with men, they were extremely well-hidden. It is more likely that Vandross simply tried to limit his romantic encounters as much as possible in order to decrease the chances of a scandal.

Luther Vandross’ Health Struggles and Death

Luther Vandross suffered from diabetes and hypertension for most of his adult life. In 2003, he had a serious stroke that left him comatose for two months and caused him to lose his ability to speak, sing, and walk. His health continued to deteriorate, and he made limited appearances, including one on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2004. Vandross passed away at the age of 54 in 2005 due to a heart attack. All of his siblings had previously passed away, and his mother, the only surviving member of the family, also passed away in 2008.

Luther Vandross Sells Properties

In 1999, Luther Vandross sold his 23,000-square-foot estate in Connecticut for $10.75 million. He acquired the mansion in 1997 for $8.8 million. In 2003, he sold a seven-room condo in Manhattan for $4.425 million, which he purchased in 1999 for $3.8 million. The property is situated in a building renovated by Donald Trump in 1998. He also sold another condo in Manhattan in 1998 for $5.6 million and one in 2000 for just over $400,000. In 2002, he listed and sold a property in Stamford, Connecticut for $850,000. His former estate was put on the market in 2015 for just under $9 million. The mansion sits on almost 15 acres of land outside of Greenwich and is rumored to have an indoor basketball court used as a massive closet on the third floor.

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