(December 19, 2024) Luther Vandross really needs no introduction. Selling over 40 million albums worldwide and with eleven of them going platinum, Billboard hailed him as one of the greatest R&B artists of all time. Rolling Stone called him a “scholar of singing,” ranking him #31 on their 2023 list of 200 Best Singers of All Time. And SoulTracks.com readers ranked him #2 on their Greatest Male Soul Singers of All Time poll. They all were right.
After solidifying his career as a trusted background vocalist and arranger for the greats (David Bowie, Bette Midler, Roberta Flack, Quincy Jones) and for dozens of disco groups like Chic, Sister Sledge, even the faceless dance acts of Change, Charme and Bionic Boogie, the Harlem-born singer powered his way into the music industry with his 1981 solo album, Never Too Much. And what a riveting debut it was. Thanks to incredible performances like the seven-minute ballad “A House Is Not a Home,” “Don’t You Know That” and the timeless title cut, the LP earned him two Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist and Best R&B Male Vocal Performance. The hard work, buoyed with collaborative support from fellow friends Nat Adderley, Jr. and Marcus Miller, netted Vandross a successful run throughout the 1980s and ‘90s, including production work on albums for Aretha Franklin, Cheryl Lynn and Dionne Warwick. Only a handful of R&B superstars reigned towards the end of the 20th century in the music biz. Vandross was indeed one of them.
To best describe the highlights of his catalog, just think big ethereal ballads, anthems about love and supple arrangements that combined the gravitas of Burt Bacharach and Isaac Hayes with a sweet vocal balance that sat somewhere between Marvin Gaye and Teddy Pendergrass. Vandross, for so many adoring R&B fans, became the quintessential Quiet Storm balladeer, pushing the genre to epic heights with a string of platinum-selling albums and radio hits.
It’s been almost twenty years since the sudden passing of eight-time Grammy-award winning Luther Vandross, and yet there had not been a single documentary about his life and legacy…until now.
Film director Dawn Porter (John Lewis: Good Trouble) has taken on the incredible task of highlighting the highs and lows of the R&B giant inside the new documentary, Luther: Never Too Much. As the film’s director, she develops a love letter to diehard fans of the legendary R&B titan. After a successful run during the film festival circuit this year, ‘Luther: Never Too Much’ was picked up by CNN Films and will get a national television premiere on CNN on New Year’s Day (Jan 1). But select theaters across the country have been blessed with the opportunity to screen the film before its airing, including Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema in Birmingham, AL from December 20 to December 22.
Along with the run of ‘Luther: Never Too Much,’ Sidewalk will be hosting ‘Mistletoe Jam: A Luther Vandross Tribute Party,’ a festive celebration honoring Vandross’s music, the spirit of R&B and the holiday season. The inspiration of the name comes from “Mistletoe Jam,” a hefty evergreen played on urban radio around the holidays and just one of the musical highlights off Vandross’s platinum-selling 1995 holiday album, This Is Christmas, which also turns 30 next year. Longtime SoulTracks.com contributor writer and Sidewalk’s Internal Events Associate J Matthew Cobb will be hosting the event while also serving as the KJ for Fandross Karaoke at the top of the program. Throughout the evening, guests will be lavished with exclusive programming, specialty cocktails, door prizes, giveaways and much more.
Culminating the event in true ‘bad boy/havin’ a party’ fashion, DJ Bad Boy Butch will anchor the Superstar R&B Dance Party. Named after the iconic Luther Vandross 1982 song, the Birmingham-based DJ with over thirty years of experience is expected to play ‘nothin’ but the hits’ from Vandross and a host of R&B greats.
And there’s more “sugar and spice” being added to the list of festivities. Guests at the Mistletoe Jam will have TWO golden opportunities to win tickets to the forthcoming ‘Ruben Sings Luther’, a Valentine’s Day concert featuring ‘American Idol’ winner Ruben Studdard with Dr. Henry Panion, III and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. Slated for February 8th at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, this magical night produced by Audiostate 55 Entertainment will showcase the “power of love” from the Vandross songbook, aided by Dr. Panion’s lush orchestrations and stellar crooning from Studdard. Dubbed the ‘Velvet Teddy Bear’ by R&B legend Gladys Knight, Studdard — a 2003 Grammy nominee for his cover of “Superstar” — released his tribute album ‘Ruben Sings Luther’ in 2018 to critical acclaim. Panion, III will be at the Mistletoe Jam for meet-and-greet photo-ops.
Mistletoe Jam: A Luther Vandross Tribute Party, a free event, will be held on Saturday, December 21st from 6-10 pm and is open to the public, but guests are strongly urged to make reservations in advance. Seating is first come, first served. To RSVP, head to the following link: https://www.goelevent.com/Sidewalk/e/MistletoeJam
This event is dedicated in the memory of Alfa Anderson.
By J Matthew Cobb
