Ms. Patti LaBelle Explains Why Luther Vandross Never Came Out

The mother—it’s the same reason Cristiano Ronaldo feels like he can’t come out.

With Miss Patti's money, you'd think she could buy a better wig. That one makes her look like she participates in the lesbian love.

I think she decided to go with her natural hair for once. It’s just straightened.

Those are glued on extensions.

[quote]Those are glued on extensions.

Looks like they've been glued on with rubber cement.

Ain't nothin' real about Ms. Patti LaBelle!

Rudy Giuliani wore an awful combover because his mother hated that he was bald. He was routinely ridiculed. The day she died, he cut his hair.

Some people, particularly men, will do whatever it takes, including enduring tremendous discomfort,, to keep mama happy.

Luther's voice was good but not great. I've got his hit singles but my favorite is the remake he did as a duet with Mariah Carey, "Endless Love". In fact I like it better than the original.

He was just a tad overrated as a singer.

[QUOTE]Luther's voice was good but not great.

Fuck you. His voice was one of a kind.

Patti looks like a black version of Doris Day with her pageboy haircut.

R12 EVERYBODY is one of a kind. Luther only had 10 hit singles in Billboard's coveted Top 40 and only 2 gold singles, one of them a duet that he shared with Mariah Carey - she carried it into the upper strata.

A good singer but not a memorable one that will be remembered forever.

Endless Love remake. A very beautiful song.

Luther had 28 Top 10 R&B singles… he will be remembered forever.

[QUOTE]A good singer but not a memorable one that will be remembered forever

HORSESHIT!!!

Luther has gayface written all over him. Something like Little Richard.

Patti doesn't have bangs r13.

[quote] He was just a tad overrated as a singer.

OMG. Who are you people? Luther Vandross is a vastly underrated singer who never enjoyed acclaim commensurate with his talent. His voice was magic, his peers and his idols thought so. A once in a lifetime talent.

R20 No, Elvis Presley and James Brown were once in a lifetime talents. Luther is not in that rarified orbit.

Elvis was a phenomenon -- the original pop star -- he was not a "talent." Same with James Brown. Both were outstanding performers and musicians. Neither was in Luther's league as a vocalist. Luther was as distinctive a singer as Frank Sinatra.

[quote]Luther only had 10 hit singles in Billboard's coveted Top 40 and only 2 gold singles, one of them a duet that he shared with Mariah Carey - she carried it into the upper strata.

This is kind of dumb. Luther's career occurred at a time when black artists were finding it very difficult to get widespread radio and TV exposure - the only exception was Michael Jackson. Do you think Luther Vandross was ever on MTV? So it's natural that he had fewer singles on the pop charts.

That said, I think Luther was a great singer, but not that great. And very often he oversang just to show off.

The black community historically hates homosexuality. Why are people surprised Luther was terrified of coming out?

[QUOTE]The black community historically hates homosexuality.

The white community historically hates it as well.

Had Luther come out in the 80s or 90s he would have been instantly marginalized by the industry and made a punchline by the fans. I don’t blame him for prioritizing his career.

He was out to his friends and scored as much cock as he wanted. The only things he missed out on were a few GLAAD awards.

Luther had a fabulous voice. He will be missed.

His voice was insane. Blows me away everytime I hear him.

Did Luther ever record a duet with Patti? That would have been amazing.

[quote]He was just a tad overrated as a singer.

Oh, lord. Sometimes I briefly forget when I read unrelated threads, but this site has constant reminders that it is primarily populated by white One Direction fans. I have never, in my life, ever heard the Luther Vandross worshiped by everyone from Aretha Franklin and David Bowie to Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston referred to as “overrated” ever. Never! Good one white boys of DL. Congrats.

r32 Inappropriate aggression

Luther had to restrain himself in R31’s vid. He could’ve knocked that microphone stand over with his voice if he wanted to.

Luther Vandross was a million times better performer than Janet Jackson. He never had to worry about his weight, never indentured himself as a breed mare to a Muslim, and didn't have to abscond on concerts in order to save face the way JJ did.

Did someone say Miss Jackson!?!

Stay away from my closet door!

I loved this video back in the day

so did he have a relationship with someone? i hope he was able to love someone or was loved by someone...so sa.

Best things in life are free:

When I hear My Favorite Things I get in the mood for Christmas. Luther always takes me there. I miss him this time of year the most, but I'm glad we still have him. Lucky us.🎄

Had to watch R31 again. Amazing.

Is R35 a lunatic?

Luther never had to worry about his weight?!!

The man lost and gained back 100lb at least a half dozen times.

In some circles, his weight issues are more remembered than his wonderful music.

He was a sad cliche of the closet killing, and his weight issues are front and center to that sad legacy...

The video at r31 is testament to Luther's masterful vocal artistry. Those ad-libs were incredible and the crowd was enraptured. Not easily done. Almost never done by any artist of the last 25 years.

I was always a big fan, but I came to realize that a lot of his songs and arrangements were very similar.

R45 and it seemed to be so effortless for him. He could bring the house down at any moment with ease.

I always wish Luther had done more uptempo songs in his career. Never Too Much is a classic.

I believe his last single was an uptempo track called Shine.

We're just talking about Luther's own recordings. He was a first call backround singer and arranger in the 70s anf early 80s. Not only did he sing on Bowie's Young Americans, he made up the vocal hook that everbody knows. Same thing with Fame by Irene Cara. "Remember, remember, remember." Which is the main hook of that song. Chic was always pictured with two female singers but Luther was really a member of that group, he sang on every song associated with them: GoodTimes, Le Freak, etc. He only went out on his own because Roberta Flack fired him to force him to be a solo singer.

I don't know who the hell Luther Van Dross is, but based on his photo, I'd have ner guessed that he was gay.

What was the deal with the Salvemini brothers? I can't find a picture if the older one, who died. LSA seems to think Luther was seeing oneof then. The surviving one was 15 at the time... He hasn't sold a story to the tabloids but he might have an NDA from the out if court settlement related to his brother's death, right?

Is it true that Ms. Patti turned down Color Purple because of the lesbian kiss?

(BTW Miss Ross would have been fabulous in the part. She probably didn't want to do supporting roles I'd guess.)

Luther's version of Superstar is heavenly.

WHERE ARE MY BACKGROUND SINGERS!????

Luther was one of the few men to give Oprah the big O. Extra extra Luther. With the fat gorgeous voice. Rich soul fancy singing w eyeliner don't mind or matter. He was an astonishing vocalist. And a good eater. I love him.

It's not common for black performers to come out. Especially in the 80s. But he was an open secret, like Latifah.

He was a very talented performer but I worry about his legacy. He doesn't have a big song.

Completely respect Vandross’s talent but have never been a fan of his choices of songs.

During his career, Vandross sold over 35 million records worldwide, and received eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four different times. He won a total of four Grammy Awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for a song recorded not long before his death, "Dance with My Father"

Possessing a tenor vocal range, Vandross was commonly referred to as "The Velvet Voice" in reference to his exceptional vocal talent, and was sometimes called "The Best Voice of a Generation". He was also regarded as the "Pavarotti of Pop" by many critics.

In 2008, Vandross was ranked No. 54 on Rolling Stone Magazine's List of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Mariah Carey stated several times in interviews that standing next to Vandross while recording their duet "Endless Love" was intimidating.

[quote] It's not common for black performers to come out. Especially in the 80s.

It wasn't common for anyone white, black, green, or purple to come out in the 1980's or even the 1990's. Hell Liberace, Boy George, and George Michael were all still in the closet. And its still not necessarily common for male entertainers, whose success depends upon a largely female fan base, to come out.

R62, what's Luther's signature song?

Agreed white performers were closeted too but black ones have a tougher time

For the ladies of a certain era, it was Luther and Peabo Bryson - with the edge going to Luther.

Forget what you think about the song and listen to how he sings it. Mesmerizing and so beautiful.

Tenor? Loofa was a baritone.

I even liked the single "Stop to Love", if only for Luther's performance (rather than the song itself).

[quote] What was the deal with the Salvemini brothers? I can't find a picture if the older one, who died. LSA seems to think Luther was seeing oneof then. The surviving one was 15 at the time... He hasn't sold a story to the tabloids but he might have an NDA from the out if court settlement related to his brother's death, right?

Luther was smitten with the older Salvemini brother who tragically died in a car accident. I don't know the extent of their relationship. Luther was the driver of the car but the accident was not his fault. Still, he paid a financial settlement to the Salvemini family. It must have pained him terribly to have felt in any way responsible for that tragedy.

See r31. "A House Is Not A Home" is his signature song. Even Dionne Warwick has stated that he has the definitive version of that song.

[quote] Agreed white performers were closeted too but black ones have a tougher time

You're speaking in both present and past tense. You're also, for some reason, attempting the downplay the mainstream homophobia of the 1980's and 1990's. Even today entertainers are reluctant to come out of the closet.

dear fucking god that man could sing.

It took Manilow forever to finally come out.

I was listening to The Essential Luther Vandross streaming via Apple Music on my way home from work. So many classic songs. I should’ve appreciated him more when he was still alive.

Look at the reaction of the crowd, people in the music business, at r31. He had them in the palm of his hand. An incredible talent.

r77 That's always been my favorite Luther song.

[quote] Hell Liberace, Boy George, and George Michael were all still in the closet.

That was one FABULOUS (and crowded) closet!

Comparing Sam Smith to Luther is like comparing a Yugo to a Porsche.

Luther was pure class.

[quote] Boy George, and George Michael were all still in the closet.

Uh, Boy George was never really "in" per se, in the same way George Michael was. He dodged the question and said he "preferred a cup of tea" but that was really only at the very beginning. Telling America "you know a good drag queen when you see one" on the Grammys is the opposite of "in the closet."

Yeah but Luther didn't get laid. Hardly never. His sex life was not so much secret as buried. He was very discreet and not a hookup kind of guy. He wanted a boyfriend, badly. He probably didn't even tell Patti much about that, but Dionne knew and these most amazing black women singers that he grew up idolizing loved him and loved his amazing talent and understood his extra extra black church nature. But don't talk too much about GAY. That was his fact. Some us know how that goes. Whitney and Mariah loved him too but they were more modern girls. There are some very funny Diva stories about Vandross because once he stepped out front he never looked back, ha. He'd seen it all. He always showed off his background singers, he had the best. 20 feet from stardom Lisa Fischer and others. He wasn't a raunchy dude and he didn't want anyone to know. Love would have freed him of being afraid. Poor guy. His second biggest secret was always on display. Luther remains the poster child for food as comfort when you hate who you are. Enormous weight gains and loss. He never looked happy, but to me the man was handsome and his voice was pretty. Not sexy. He knew it. Velvet slippers and no love.

Wendy Williams and many other people are saying Patti was out of line for saying what she did. I don't think she was. Luther AND his mom have died, and I feel like Patti can speak on him if she wants. She was a close friend. She was just telling the truth and hopefully it will encourage other people to come out. Life is short.

Patti isn't speaking out on Luther, she was asked. The rest of what she said about how they met and what good friends they were was even better. Andy Cohen is so G A Y he can't imagine anyone not being so GAY. He's smacked that Luther was in the closet and still not discussed as gay. Patti loved Luther, I mean loved him. She said nothing wrong. I wish she would have said more but Andy Cohen is not interested in insights and Patti is not young. But she has insight to Luther. And loyalty too. Google Luther Vandross gay and you will find more deniers than for Whitney and Robin. I guess we know why. Patti did Luther and her fans a great service to discuss his struggle to be himself. She said nothing too deep, but she said nothing flippant or diva either. She spoke like a friend. Wendy Williams is friend to no one.

Luther died in 2005. The world has changed a lot since then. Had he lived, I think he would have come out by now. Patti was just acknowledging his struggle.

Wasn't that Luther's boyfriend sitting next to Luther's mom at the funeral?

Luther was 54 when he died. He wasn't coming out to anyone. That's not his boyfriend man R89. Did you hear that crazy ass momma written eulogy Patti was forced to read? Some say white people are racist and hateful and we must always beware. My mother always says it's their stupidity that makes them dangerous. White people understand nothing but tax law.

That's his lifelong friend Fonzi Thornton sitting with his mother. Fonzi is also a "bachelor" and mama knew everything about both of them.

[quote] Andy Cohen is so G A Y he can't imagine anyone not being so GAY. He's smacked that Luther was in the closet and still not discussed as gay.

That queen easily imagined that his best friend Anderson Cooper was not gay. For all those years he never outed Anderson. Why out someone who was glass-closeted just like Anderson but whom you did not know? Extra messy...

Such a shame he couldnt or wouldnt allow himself to experience or express love, have a husband or partner and then be able to write and sing about that universal feeling. At least Whitney had Robin. And damn the ignorant forces discouraging that...

[quote] Uh, Boy George was never really "in" per se, in the same way George Michael was. He dodged the question and said he "preferred a cup of tea" but that was really only at the very beginning. Telling America "you know a good drag queen when you see one" on the Grammys is the opposite of "in the closet."

That same way = refusal to publicly admit that they were gay = the closet. You may argue that Boy George was in a glass closet, but he a flamboyant man in women's clothes refused to admit that he was fucking men. He was closeted. As was George Micheal and even Liberace who sued The Daily Mail for implying that he was gay.

Oh, Luther engaged in lots of homosexual shenanigans.. He did not have a long-term relationship but he indulged in many short-term flings. I know of one of his L.A. guys from the mid-90s. They hooked up for years. He says it would have been more serious but Luther was paranoid about being found out. I think it's because Luther just wanted to f*ck around like most other gay guys of means.

Whoever said Luther never had sex was a moron. With his money and fame, guys were lined up presenting dick before he could even get off the stage.

Thank you r96. Quiet as it's kept, Im sure Luther bagged tons of trade back in the day. He was smooth and discreet too, which probably worked out well for him. Hell, he might have even fucked with some of those DeBarges when they were on that big tour in the 80s!

r95, is that guy who fucked him black?

Not properly. He was a very fair-skinned Puerto Rican transplant from NYC.

^^^^r98 is a response to r97. I am r95 (after two glasses of wine).

thanks r98! interesting...

R83: it was Boy George, not George Michael, who said he preferred "a nice cup of tea" to sex. And it was also Boy George who outed George Michael numerous times, pointing out to the media that GM's beard at the time, Pat Hernandez, was a huge fag hag (before the general public really knew what that was.)

[quote]You may argue that Boy George was in a glass closet, but he a flamboyant man in women's clothes refused to admit that he was fucking men. He was closeted.

Yet everyone knew he was gay back in the eighties. Everyone. And he did joke to the media that dressing as a woman was a "great way to get straight boys into bed," and he once joked in an interview (referring to his ex, Jon Moss) that "everyone knows how much I love nice Jewish boys." It really wasn't much of a closet at all.

R62 mentioned it, but I want to politely ask you to listen to him. I miss my dear little Dad so much.

Dance with my Father is one of my favorite Luther songs R103. Very subtle and raspy and harmonic 2003 for him. If Luffa sings about sex I feel like fucking, when Luther sings about longing I want love.....when he extends the notes we all go to heaven and when he sings about his father's love and loss - he syncopates and harmonizes loss. No man did longing like Luther. Celine recorded that song too. Luther did not win posthumous Grammy awards. Dance With My Father Again was THE song of the year AND the best R&B vocal. Luther got all that POP success. The song lives as an honest and beautifully song piece. Without Luther it is a bit simple....

Everybody watch what a great pro Celine is - not much more could go technically wrong. If her vocal isn't stellar - it is simply great. Dance with my Father. I don't like mine much, ha.

yep, Dance With My Father was mega hit for Luther. Im glad he came back for that one last hit.

Wait For Love is my all time favorite Luther song though.

I think my favorite is "The Night I Fell In Love." He sings rapturously about the first flush of romantic love. A standout in his catalog because most of his songs are about longing for love, unrequited love, lost love, false-hearted love, fleeting love and loneliness.

[quote]most of his songs are about longing for love, unrequited love, lost love, false-hearted love, fleeting love and loneliness.

I heard this today and had a moment 😢

^^^I think the reason that people believe he lived a sorrowful life is because his songs are so sorrowful. He had good and bad times like all of us -- he just had a lot more money.

Aren’t most love songs sorrowful?

[quote]What was the deal with the Salvemini brothers?

I think the older brother was Luther's lover. I remember seeing a picture of both of them together. Salvemini looked very gay. He died in a car accident with Luther behind the wheels. Luther at the time produced an album for the younger Savemini brother, they all were in the car that swerved off the road and hit another car head on.

Diabetes ran in the family and took several people prematurely. Both of Luther's sister died before him

"A good singer but not a memorable one that will be remembered forever."

Like Teena Marie, among others, Luther is a legend among black folks and in R&B circles. He'll be remembered forever by us. And, that's fine. We'll gladly remember him on our own.

a bit off topic

Whitney Houston opening up for Luther in '85

I love that clip of Whitney @r112. Particularly her singing Lionel Richie's "Love Will Find A Way." Such youthful exuberance! She believes what she's singing. She lost that naivete as she moved into the stratosphere.

I remember a particularly sad breakup around that time.....if only for one night.....song just killed me. Kept me in that place because I couldn't stop playing it.

So nobody had him here?

Maybe he was just extremely shy about his looks, he ballooned up so many times and skin doesn't stay elastic forever.

I remember I saw an interview with his mother after he died and she seemed like a religious fanatic. A bit like Cissy Houston, just more extreme.

Boy George had some good tea on Luther (when they both appeared in an Apollo Theatre special) in his first autobiography. Luther was too bitchy to NOT be gay!

Luther really seemed bitchy towards Boy George here, almost like dismissive. He screams of self hating closet case, keeping the facade up in public and in private he loved esp white men.

Self hating black gay man, just sad!

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