The singer’s family said they were delighted Google had given him a “wonderful showcase”. He died of a heart attack on 1 July 2005 at the age of 54.
Vandross suffered from diabetes and hypertension and had a severe stroke in 2003 that left him in a wheelchair. He also performed the half-time show at the 1997 Super Bowl and had eight Billboard Top Ten albums. Vandross went on to record 14 studio albums that went either platinum or multi-platinum, and he was nominated for 33 Grammy Awards, of which he won eight. In 1981, he launched his solo career and composed, wrote and produced his debut album Never Too Much, which is the soundtrack for the 20 April Doodle. His first big break came when his song Everybody Rejoice featured in the 1974 Broadway musical The Wiz.Īfter that he collaborated with artists like David Bowie, Ringo Starr, Whitney Houston and Ben E King, while also singing in commercials for the likes of Juicy Fruit. Vandross was born in 1951 and began performing and writing songs while in high school, singing at the 1969 pilot of Sesame Street with the Apollo Theater’s performing arts group. The search giant celebrated the life of the New York-born crooner on what would have been his 70th birthday with an illustration and animated Doodle by Atlanta-based guest artist Sam Bass. Google is replacing its homepage logo with a Doodle honoring the late Grammy Award-winning singer Luther Vandross. Gary Barlow urges other musicians to get back on tour © Provided by The Independent