Vandross early success in the music industry was as the creator of jingles. His jingles were used in ad campaigns by KFC, NBC, and the US Army. However, after signing with Epic Records, Vandross really began to take charge in the music industry.
Beginning in the early 1980s, Vandross was very active, writing and producing much of his own music. His debut album, Never Too Much, went double platinum and scored a #1 R B hit with the title track. Over the course of his career, Vandross never seemed to tire, putting out over 10 albums in 22 years.
Throughout these albums, Vandross had over 6 #1 R B hits and sold over 40 million albums worldwide. Yet Vandross career was not only about the number of albums sold, but about his determination to stay true to his sound, despite the constantly changing R B scene. In addition, Vandross helped spur the success of other artists, contributing to tracks done by Barbara Streisand, Cat Stevens, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick and so many others.
It is unfortunate that as time went on, Vandross was diagnosed with diabetes and was constantly battling with his weight and health. In 2003, Vandross suffered a stroke that devastated him. Nevertheless, Vandross appeared to be improving and looked to be gearing up to return to the music industry that missed him so, until in 2005, Luther Vandross passed away.
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