Soul Legend Luther Vandross Dead at 54

07/01/05
. (antiMusic) Romantic soul crooner Luther Vandross died Friday afternoon at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, N.J. The 54 year old singer suffered a stroke two years ago that he never fully recovered from, according to a statement from the medical center.

The statement did not specify a cause of death but did say that the eight time Grammy award winning singer "had a peaceful passing under the watchful eye of friends, family and the medical support team."

Vandross was the most recognizable romantic soul singers of the 80s with major success in the R&B market. He hit the pop mainstream in 1989 with the song "Here and Now," which broke the Pop Top 10.

Vandross was hoping for a comeback in 2003 with the release of his deeply personal album, "Dance With My Father," however he suffered a stroke shortly before the album hit the stores. The album did go on to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard album charts and Vandross made a strong showing at the Grammys, taking home four awards including song of the year for the title track from the album.