A father is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother. The verb "to father" means to procreate or to sire a child from which also derives the gerund "fathering".

Father–child relationship

The father–child relationship is the defining factor of the fatherhood role in life. A "dad" does not always have to be a child's biological father and some children will have a biological father and a step or nurturing father. When the biological father dies, or divorces, the mother may marry a second one who becomes the stepfather of the child. Where a child is conceived as a result of sperm donation, the child may have a nurturing father if the woman is part of a heterosexual couple. However, where a man fathers a child for a single mother or a lesbian couple, eg through sperm donation, the child will have a biological father but no nurturing father.

A father is known as a man who exercises paternal care over other people. Most fathers are naturally protective, supportive, and responsible and are able to provide a number of significant benefits to themselves, their communities, and their children. Involved fathers offer developmentally specific provisions to their sons and daughters throughout the life cycle and are impacted themselves by their doing so. Active father figures have a key role to play in reducing behavior problems in boys and psychological problems in young women. For example, children who experience significant father involvement tend to exhibit higher scores on assessments of cognitive development, enhanced social skills and fewer behaviour problems. An increased amount of father–child involvement has also proven to increase a child's social stability, educational achievement, and even their potential to have a solid marriage as an adult. The children are also more curious about the world around them and develop greater problem solving skills. Children who were raised without fathers perceive themselves to be less cognitively and physically competent than their peers from father-present families. Mothers raising children without fathers reported more severe disputes with their child. Sons raised without fathers showed more feminine but no less masculine characteristics of gender role behaviour.

According to the anthropologist Maurice Godelier, the parental role assumed by human males is a critical difference between human society and that of humans' closest biological relatives—chimpanzees and bonobos—who appear to be unaware of their "father" connection.

Authority figure

The father is often seen as an authority figure. A common observation among scholars is that the authority of the father and of the political leader are closely intertwined, that there is a symbolic identification between domestic authority and national political leadership. In this sense, links have been shown between the concepts of "patriarchal", "paternalistic", "cult of personality", "fascist", "totalitarian", "imperial". The fundamental common grounds between domestic and national authority, are the mechanisms of naming (exercise the authority in someone's name) and identification. In a patriarchal society, authority typically uses such rhetoric of fatherhood and family to implement their rule and advocate its legitimacy.

In the Roman and aristocratic patriarchal family, "the husband and the father had a measure of political authority and served as intermediary between the household and the polity". In Western culture patriarchy and authority have been synonymous. In 19th-century Europe, the idea was common, among both traditionalist and revolutionaries, that the authority of the domestic father should "be made omnipotent in the family so that it becomes less necessary in the state". In the second part of that century, there was an extension of the authority of the husband over his wife and the authority of the father over his children, including "increased demands for absolute obedience of children to the father". Europe saw the rise of "new ideological hegemony of the nuclear family form and a legal codification of patriarchy", which was contemporary with the solid spread of the "nation-state model as political norm of order".

Determination of parenthood

Since Roman times fatherhood has been determined with this famous sentence: ''Mater semper certa; pater est quem nuptiae demonstrant'' ("The [identity of the] mother is always certain; the father is whom the marriage vows indicate"). The historical approach has been destabilised with the recent emergence of accurate scientific testing, particularly DNA testing. As a result, the law on fatherhood is undergoing rapid changes.

Like mothers, human fathers may be categorised according to their biological, social or legal relationship with the child. Historically, the biological relationship paternity has been determinative of fatherhood. However, proof of paternity has been intrinsically problematic and so social rules often determined who would be regarded as a father, e.g. the husband of the mother.

An individual who is a genetic chimera could theoretically have more than one biological father. No example of this has been reported but human chimeras were unknown to exist until recently and scientists are currently uncertain as to the extent of chimerism within the human population.

The most familiar English terms for ''father'' include ''dad'', ''daddy'', ''papa'', ''pop'' and ''pa''. Other colloquial expressions include ''my old man''.

Categories

Natural/biological father – the most common category: child product of man and woman

Birth father – the biological father of a child who, due to adoption or parental separation, does not raise the child or cannot take care of one.

Surprise father – where the men did not know that there was a child until possibly years afterwards

Posthumous father – father died before children were born (or even conceived in the case of artificial insemination)

Teenage father/youthful father – associated with teenage sexual intercourse

Non-parental father – unmarried father whose name does not appear on child's birth certificate: does not have legal responsibility but continues to have financial responsibility (UK)

Sperm donor – the natural/biological father of the child but the man does not have legal or financial responsibility if procedure conducted through licensed clinics

Non-biological (social / legal relationship between father and child)

Stepfather – wife or husband has child from previous relationship

Father-in-law – the father of one's spouse

Adoptive father – a father who has adopted a child

Foster father – child is raised by a man who is not the biological or adoptive father usually as part of a couple.

Cuckolded father – where the child is the product of the mother's adulterous relationship

Social father – where a man takes ''de facto'' responsibility for a child, such as caring for one who has been abandoned or orphaned (the child is known as a "child of the family" in English law)

Mother's partner – assumption that current partner fills father role

Mother's husband – under some jurisdictions (e.g. in Quebec civil law), if the mother is married to another man, the latter will be defined as the father

DI Dad – social/legal father of children produced via Donor Insemination (where a donor's sperm were used to impregnate the DI Dad's spouse)

Fatherhood defined by contact level with child

Weekend/holiday father – where child(ren) only stay(s) with father on weekends, holidays, etc.

Absent father – father who cannot or will not spend time with his child(ren)

Second father – a non-parent whose contact and support is robust enough that near parental bond occurs (often used for older male siblings who significantly aid in raising a child)

Stay-at-home dad – the male equivalent of a housewife with child, where his spouse is breadwinner

Where man in couple originally seeking IVF treatment withdraws consent before fertilisation (UK)

Where the apparently male partner in an IVF arrangement turns out to be legally a female (evidenced by birth certificate) at the time of the treatment (UK) (TLR 1 June 2006)

Biological father – the natural father, or procreator of a child, who may or may not take part in the child's up-bringing. Often refers to a sperm donor who, if anonymous, will have no contact with the childA biological child of a man who, for the special reason above, is not their legal father, has no automatic right to financial support or inheritance. Legal fatherlessness refers to a legal status and not to the issue of whether the father is now dead or alive.

Non-human fatherhood

For some animals, it is the fathers who take care of the young.

Darwin's Frog (''Rhinoderma darwini'') fathers carry eggs in the vocal pouch.

Most male waterfowls are very protective in raising their offspring, sharing scout duties with the female. Examples are the geese, swans, gulls, loons, and a few species of ducks. When the families of most of these waterfowls travel, they usually travel in a line and the fathers are usually the ones guarding the offspring at the end of the line while the mothers lead the way.

The female seahorse (''hippocampus'') deposits eggs into the pouch on the male's abdomen. The male releases sperm into the pouch, fertilizing the eggs. The embryos develop within the male's pouch, nourished by their individual yolk sacs.

Male Emperor Penguins alone incubate their eggs; females do no incubation. Rather than building a nest, each male protects his egg by balancing it on the tops of his feet, enclosed in a special brood pouch. Once the eggs are hatched however, the females will rejoin the family.

Male beavers secure their offspring along with the females during their first few hours of their lives. As the young beavers mature, their fathers will teach them how to search for materials to build and repair their own dams, before they disperse to find their own mates.

Wolf fathers help feed, protect, and play with their pups. In some cases, several generations of wolves live in the pack, giving pups the care of grandparents, aunts/uncles, and siblings, in addition to parents. The father wolf is also the one who does most of the hunting when the females are securing their newborn pups.

Dolphin fathers help in the care of the young. Newborns are held on the surface of the water by both parents until they are ready to swim on their own.

A number of bird species have active, caring fathers who assist the mothers, such as the waterfowls mentioned above.

Apart from humans, fathers in few primate species care for their young. Those that do are tamarins and marmosets. Particularly strong care is also shown by siamangs where fathers carry infants after their second year. In titi and owl monkeys fathers carry their infants 90% of the time with "titi monkey infants developing a preference for their fathers over their mothers". Silverback gorillas have less role in the families but most of them serve as an extra protecting the families from harm and sometimes approaching enemies to distract them so that his family can escape unnoticed.

Many species, though, display little or no paternal role in caring for offspring. The male leaves the female soon after mating and long before any offspring are born. It is the females who must do all the work of caring for the young.

A male bear leaves the female shortly after mating and will kill and sometimes eat any bear cub he comes across, even if the cub is his. Bear mothers spend much of their cubs' early life protecting them from males. (Many artistic works, such as advertisements and cartoons, depict kindly "papa bears" when this is the exact opposite of reality.)

Domesticated dog fathers show little interest in their offspring, and unlike wolves, are not monogamous with their mates and are thus likely to leave them after mating.

Male lions will tolerate cubs, but only allow them to eat meat from dead prey after they have had their fill. Few are quite cruel towards their young and may hurt or kill them with little provocation. A male who kills another male to take control of his pride will also usually kill any cubs belonging to that competing male. However, it is also the males who are responsible for guarding the pride while the females hunt. It should also be noted however that the male lions are the only felines that actually have a role in fatherhood.

Male rabbits generally tolerate kits but unlike the females, they often show little interest in the kits and are known to play rough with their offsprings when they are mature, especially towards their sons. This behaviour, however, may also be part of an instinct to drive the young males away in order to prevent incest matings between the siblings. The females will eventually disperse from the warren as soon as they mature but the father does not drive them off like he normally does to the males.

Horse stallions have little to no role in parenting, nor are they monogamous with their mates. They will tolerate foals to a certain extent, but because of their aggressive stallion nature, they are generally annoyed by the energetic exuberance of foals, and may hurt or even kill foals. Thus, stud stallions are not kept in the same pen as their foals or other mares.

Finally, in some species neither the father nor the mother provides any care

This is true for most insects and fish

See also

Father can also refer metaphorically to a person who is considered the founder of a body of knowledge or of an institution. In such context the meaning of "father" is similar to that of "founder". See List of persons considered father or mother of a field.

Father complex

Fathers' rights movement

''The Guy's Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth and the First Year of Fatherhood'' (book)

Mother

Paternal bond

Responsible fatherhood

Sociology of fatherhood

Sperm donation

References

Bibliography

S. Kraemer (1991) "The Origins of Fatherhood: An Ancient Family Process". ''Family Process'' 30 (4), 377–392. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.1991.00377.x

M.J. Diamond (2007) ''My Father Before Me; How Fathers and Sons Influence Each Other Throughout Their Lives''. New York: WW Norton.

Category:Divorce Category:Human development Category:Family Category:Marriage Category:Terms for males Category:Fatherhood

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Team Hoyt is a father (Dick Hoyt, born June 1, 1940) and son (Rick Hoyt, born January 10, 1962) team from Holland, Massachusetts who have competed together in various athletic endeavors, including marathons and triathlons. Rick has cerebral palsy and during competition Dick pulls Rick in a special boat as they swim, carries him in a special seat in the front of a bicycle, and pushes him in a special wheelchair as they run. Team Hoyt was inducted to the Ironman Hall of Fame in 2008.

Rick Hoyt's birth and early life

Rick Hoyt was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth after his umbilical cord became twisted around his neck, which caused the blockage of oxygen flow. As a result, his brain is unable to send the correct messages to his muscles. Many doctors encouraged the Hoyts to institutionalize Rick, informing them that he would be nothing more than a "vegetable." His parents held on to the fact that Rick’s eyes would follow them around the room, giving them hope that he would somehow be able to communicate someday. The Hoyts took Rick every week to Children’s Hospital in Boston, where they met a doctor who encouraged the Hoyts to treat Rick like any other child. Rick's mother Judy spent hours each day teaching Rick the alphabet with sandpaper letters and posting signs on every object in the house. In a short amount of time, Rick learned the alphabet.

At the age of 11, after some persistence from his parents, Rick was fitted with a computer that enabled him to communicate and it became clear that Rick was intelligent. With this communication device, Rick was also able to attend public school for the first time.

Rick went on to graduate from Boston University in 1993 with a degree in special education and later worked at Boston College in a computer lab helping to develop systems to aid in communication and other tasks for disabled people.

Dick Hoyt's career

Dick is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard.

Team Hoyt

Team Hoyt began in 1977 when Rick became inspired by an article on racing he saw in a magazine. Dick Hoyt was not a runner and was nearly 37 years old. After their first race Rick said, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.” After their initial five mile run, Dick began running every day with a bag of cement in the wheelchair because Rick was at school and studying, unable to train with him.” As of July 2010, the Hoyts had competed in 1032 endurance events, including 68 marathons and six Ironman triathlons. They had run the Boston Marathon 26 times. Also adding to their list of achievements, Dick and Rick biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days.

They also compete in triathlons with Rick sitting in a boat for the swim portion, Dick pulls him in a boat with a rope attached to his body. For the cycle portion of the triathlon, Rick rides on the front of a specially designed tandem bike. Then he pushes Rick for the run.

Racing history

{|class="wikitable" |- !Distance !Quantity |- |Triathlons || 240 |- |Ironman distances || 6 (included in triathlons) |- |Half Ironman || 7 (included in triathlons) |- |Duathlons || 22 |- |Marathons (Boston Marathons) || 68 (27) |- |20 miles || 8 |- |18.6 miles || 8 |- |Half Marathons || 92 |- |20 km || 1 |- |10 miles || 37 |- |15 km || 8 |- |Falmouth 7.1 miles || 32 |- |11 km || 2 |- |10 km || 214 |- |5 miles || 154 |- |8 km || 4 |- |7 km || 1 |- |4 miles || 18 |- |5 km || 133 |} Total events (as of Feb 2011): 1042 Source: TeamHoyt.com

References

External links

Team Hoyt - Official website

Photo Gallery: Team Hoyt at SportsIllustrated.com

Interview with Dick Hoyt on July 16, 2007 after being honored, along with Rick, as TheFinalSprint.com's July 2007 Success Story

The Wheels Of Life Sports Illustrated, April 18, 2011

Category:American disabled sportspeople Category:American triathletes Category:Boston Marathon Category:People from Hampden County, Massachusetts Category:Sportspeople from Massachusetts

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name	Bobby Lee
birth date	September 17, 1972
birth place	San Diego, California, U.S.
occupation	Actor/Comedian
years active	1999–present }}

Bobby Lee (born September 17, 1972) is an American actor and comedian who is best known for his membership in the recurring cast of the live comedy series ''MADtv'' from 2001 to 2009 and for his roles in the films ''Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle'' and ''Pineapple Express''.

Early career and family life

Lee, a Korean American and the oldest of two sons, was born in San Diego, California to Jeanie and Robert Lee. Lee attended Poway High School in Poway, California. His parents owned clothing stores in both Escondido and Encinitas, California. At 18 yrs of age Lee moved out of parents' home and took jobs in restaurants and coffee shops in the San Diego area, whilst also attending Palomar College for a brief period. In 1994 the coffee shop for which he was working closed. “I just went next door to get a job,” he said, “which was The Comedy Store in San Diego” (also known as the La Jolla Comedy Store). After a few months of working odd jobs at the club he decided to try stand-up during one of their amateur nights. Within a year of doing regular comedy sets he got offers to open for both Pauly Shore and Carlos Mencia. Lee also went on to work regularly at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles, a comedy club owned by Pauly Shore's mother Mitzi.

Lee has admitted in several interviews that his parents had hoped he would continue on with the family business and were less-than supportive of his comedic pursuits at first. During a podcast interview conducted by fellow actor and comedian Joe Rogan on Feb 1, 2011, Lee stated that during the first few years he did stand-up his parents barely spoke to him, however after his appearance on the ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' his father called him to apologized for not supporting his comedy career.

Lee's parents currently live in Phoenix, Arizona. Lee is known to have included his family in some of his work: His younger brother has appeared in several non-speaking roles on ''MADtv'' and his entire family has appeared in a skit on the show. Lee also pitched a sitcom to Comedy Central in 2007 about a Korean family which was to star his very own family.

''MADtv''

In 2001 Lee joined the cast of MADtv, making him the show's first cast member of Asian descent. Some of Lee's recurring characters included:

North-Korean leader Kim Jong-il as the host of the imaginary ''Kim Jong-il show''

Journalist Connie Chung

Bae Sung the hapless interpreter

Tank, an Asian-American "Street Tuner" character in the style of the film ''The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift''

Xing Lao "Johnny" Gan, host of ''Many Shows! With Johnny Gan and Pongo''

"The Blind Kung-fu Master"

Dr. Poon Ji-Sum, a character on the Korean soap opera parody ''Taedo-Attitudes and Feelings, Both Desirable and Sometimes Secretive''

Haidiki "The Average Asian"

John McCain

Lee remained with the cast until the series' cancellation in 2009.

Other projects and appearances

Lee appeared on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' on Apr 26, 2002 He played a delivery boy in the 2003 mockumentary ''Pauly Shore Is Dead''. Lee also played the part of Kenneth Park in the 2004 film ''Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle''.

In 2005, Lee and fellow Korean American comics Steve Byrne, Ken Jeong and Kevin Shea starred in the stand-up comedy tour and accompanying film titled ''Kims of Comedy''—a Korean-American version of the touring act and film ''Kings of Comedy''". That same year he appeared on ''Mind of Mencia'' as an Asian CSI agent in the episode titled "Episode #1.6" which aired Aug 10, as well as playing a Korean bookie named Sung in the episode of ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' titled "The Korean Bookie" which aired on Nov 27.

Lee appeared on ''Mind of Mencia'' once again in 2006 in role a gay pirate in an episode titled "Stereotype Olympics" which aired Jul 23. He also appeared in the 2007 film Pineapple Express as an Asian drug-gangster named Bobby.

Lee appeared in the 2009 music video for Eminem's single "We Made You", playing both the character of Sulu from ''Star Trek'' as well as an Inuit. That same year he appeared on The League in an episode titled "The Usual Bet".

In 2010 he became a frequent round table panelist on the late night comedy talk show ''Chelsea Lately'', and also appeared in music video for "2 Different Tears", a single by South Korean girl group, the Wonder Girls.

References

External links

Official MADtv Website

Category:1972 births Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American impressionists (entertainers) Category:American television actors Category:Actors from California Category:Living people Category:People from San Diego, California Category:American actors of Korean descent

name	Justin Bieber
background	solo_singer
birth name	Justin Drew Bieber
birth date	March 01, 1994
birth place	London, Ontario, Canada
origin	Stratford, Ontario, Canada
instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano, percussion, trumpet
genre	Pop, R&B, teen pop
occupation	Singer, musician, actor
years active	2009–present
label	Island, RBMG
associated acts	Usher
website	justinbiebermusic.com }}

Justin Drew Bieber ( , born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager. Braun arranged for him to meet with Usher in Atlanta, Georgia, and Bieber was soon signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture between Braun and Usher, and then to a recording contract with Island Records offered by L.A. Reid. Bieber's debut single, "One Time", was released in 2009 and peaked in the top ten in Canada and charted in the top thirty in several international markets. His debut album, the seven-track EP ''My World'', followed in November 2009, and was soon certified platinum in the United States (it was later reissued with two bonus tracks). He became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Bieber's first full-length studio album, ''My World 2.0'', was released in March 2010. It debuted at number one or within the top ten in several countries and was certified platinum in the United States. It was preceded by the worldwide top-ten single, "Baby". The music video of "Baby" is currently ranked as the most viewed and most discussed YouTube video. Bieber followed-up the release of his debut album with his first headlining tour, the My World Tour, the remix albums ''My Worlds Acoustic'' and ''Never Say Never – The Remixes'', and the 3D biopic-concert film ''Justin Bieber: Never Say Never'' – which had an opening weekend gross that nearly matched the record for the biggest opening weekend for a concert-film. Bieber released his second studio album, ''Under the Mistletoe'' in November 2011, which debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. Bieber has received numerous awards, including Artist of the Year at the 2010 American Music Awards — and has been nominated for numerous awards, including Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

Life and career

1994–2007: Childhood and youth

Bieber was born on March 1, 1994, in London, Ontario, and was raised in Stratford, Ontario. Bieber's mother, Patricia Lynn "Pattie" Mallette, was 18 years old when she became pregnant with her son. Mallette, originally from Stratford, raised her son with the help of her parents, Bruce and Diane. Mallette worked a series of low-paying office jobs, raising Bieber as a single mother in low-income housing. Bieber has maintained contact with his father, Jeremy Jack Bieber, who married another woman and had two children. Bieber's paternal great-grandfather was a German immigrant to Canada. His mother's ancestry is French Canadian. Bieber attended French immersion school at Stratford school Jean Sauve.

During his childhood, Bieber was interested in hockey, soccer, and chess; he often kept his musical aspirations to himself. As he grew up, Bieber taught himself to play the piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet. In early 2007, when he was twelve, Bieber sang Ne-Yo's "So Sick" for a local singing competition in Stratford and placed second. Mallette posted a video of the performance on YouTube for their family and friends to see. She continued to upload videos of Bieber singing covers of various R&B songs, and Bieber's popularity on the site grew. Chris Hicks, Bieber's A&R at Island/Def Jam, explained the young artist's huge online following to HitQuarters by saying:

"He was doing something different. He was an attractive white kid singing very soulful R&B hits. That set him apart immediately from anyone in his range because no one was covering or singing these kind of records. But equally important was that you believed in these songs – it was real. And you wanted to hear more."

2008–10: Discovery, ''My Worlds'', and subsequent releases

While searching for videos of a different singer, Scooter Braun, a former marketing executive of So So Def, clicked on one of Bieber's 2007 videos by accident. Impressed, Braun tracked down the theater Bieber was performing in, located Bieber's school, and finally contacted Mallette. Mallette was reluctant because of Braun's Jewish religion; she remembered praying, "God, I gave him to you. You could send me a Christian man, a Christian label! ... you don’t want this Jewish kid to be Justin’s man, do you?" However, after praying with her church elders and receiving their encouragement, she permitted Braun to fly Bieber, then 13, to Atlanta, Georgia, to record demo tapes. A week after arriving, Bieber sang for R&B singer/songwriter Usher. Bieber was soon signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture between Braun and Usher. Justin Timberlake was also reportedly in the running to sign Bieber, but lost the bidding war to Usher. Usher then sought assistance in finding a label home for the artist from then manager Chris Hicks, who helped engineer an audition with his contact Antonio L.A. Reid of Island Def Jam Music Group. Reid signed Bieber to Island Records in October 2008 (resulting in a joint venture between RBMG and Island Records) and appointed Hicks as executive Vice-President of Def Jam where he would be able manage Bieber's career at the label. At that point, Bieber and his mother moved to Atlanta temporarily, also the home of Usher and Braun, to record and get counseling from Braun. Braun became Bieber's manager.

Bieber's first single, "One Time", was released to radio while Bieber was still recording his debut album. The song reached number 12 on the Canadian Hot 100 during its first week of release in July 2009, and later peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. During fall 2009 it had success in international markets. The song was certified Platinum in Canada and the US and Gold in Australia and New Zealand. Bieber's first release, an extended play entitled ''My World'', was released on November 17, 2009. The album's second single, "One Less Lonely Girl", and two promo singles, "Love Me", and "Favorite Girl", were released exclusively on the iTunes store and charted within the top forty of the Billboard Hot 100. "One Less Lonely Girl" was later also released to radio and peaked within the top fifteen in Canada and the US, being certified Gold in the latter. ''My World'' was eventually certified Platinum in the US and Double Platinum in both Canada and the UK. To promote the album, Bieber performed on several live shows such as mtvU's VMA 09 Tour, European program ''The Dome'', YTV's ''The Next Star'', ''The Today Show'', ''The Wendy Williams Show'', ''Lopez Tonight'', ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', ''It's On with Alexa Chung'', ''Good Morning America'', ''Chelsea Lately'', and BET's ''106 & Park'' with Rihanna. Bieber also guest starred in an episode of ''True Jackson, VP'' in late 2009.

Bieber performed Stevie Wonder's "Someday at Christmas" for U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House for ''Christmas in Washington'', which was broadcast on December 20, 2009, on U.S. television broadcaster TNT. Bieber was also one of the performers at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest on December 31, 2009. Bieber was a presenter at the 52nd Grammy Awards on January 31, 2010. He was invited to be a vocalist for the remake of We Are The World (a song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie) for its 25th anniversary to benefit Haiti after the earthquake. Bieber sings the opening line, which was sung by Lionel Richie in the original version. On March 12, 2010, a version of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" recorded by a collective of Canadian musicians known as Young Artists for Haiti was released. Bieber is featured in the song, performing the closing lines.

"Baby", the lead single from his debut album, ''My World 2.0'', which features Ludacris, was released in January 2010 and became his biggest hit thus far, charting at number five in the U.S. and reaching the top ten in seven other countries. Two promo singles "Never Let You Go", and "U Smile" were top thirty hits on the U.S. Hot 100, and top twenty hits in Canada. According to review aggregator Metacritic, the album has received "generally favorable reviews". It debuted at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200, making Bieber the youngest solo male act to top the chart since Stevie Wonder in 1963. ''My World 2.0'' also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, Irish Albums Chart, and Australian Albums Chart, and the New Zealand Albums Chart and reached the top ten of fifteen other countries. To promote the album, Bieber appeared on several live programs including ''The View'', the 2010 Kids Choice Awards, ''Nightline'', ''The Late Show with David Letterman'', ''The Dome'' and ''106 and Park''. Bieber collaborated with Sean Kingston on his single "Eenie Meenie" which also appeared on Bieber's debut album. The song reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and Australia, and the top-twenty of most other markets. thumb|left|Bieber performing at the Conseco Fieldhouse, in August 2010 On April 10, 2010, Bieber was the musical guest on ''Saturday Night Live''. On July 4, 2010, Bieber performed at the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular in New York City. The second single from ''My World 2.0'', "Somebody to Love", was released in April 2010, and a remix was released featuring Bieber's mentor Usher. The single reached number ten in Canada, number fifteen in the United States, and the top twenty in multiple international countries.

On June 23, 2010, Bieber went on his first official headlining tour, the My World Tour, starting in Hartford, Connecticut, to promote ''My World'' and ''My World 2.0''. In July 2010, it was reported that Bieber was the most searched for celebrity on the Internet. That same month his music video, "Baby", surpassed Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" to become the most viewed, and most disliked YouTube video ever. In September 2010, it was reported that Bieber accounted for three percent of all traffic on Twitter, according to an employee of the social-networking site.

Bieber began recording his second album in July 2010 in New York City. At this point, because of puberty, his voice was deeper than it was when he recorded his first album. In April 2010, the singer discussing his vocals remarked, "It cracks. Like every teenage boy, I'm dealing with it and I have the best vocal coach in the world. [...] Some of the notes I hit on "Baby" I can't hit anymore. We have to lower the key when I sing live." British singer/songwriter Taio Cruz confirmed in July 2010 that he is writing songs for Bieber's next album. Hip hop producer Dr. Dre produced two songs with Bieber in July 2010 but it is unknown if they were made for the album, which is currently due for a 2011 release. Bieber guest-starred in the season premiere of the CBS crime drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', aired on September 23, 2010. He played a "troubled teen who is faced with a difficult decision regarding his only brother". Bieber was also in a subsequent episode which aired on February 17, 2011, in which his character is killed. Bieber performed a medley of "U Smile", "Baby", and "Somebody to Love" and briefly played the drums at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010. Bieber announced in October 2010 that he would release an acoustic album, called ''My Worlds Acoustic''. It was released on Black Friday in the United States and featured acoustic versions of songs from his previous albums, and accompanied the release of a completely new song titled "Pray".

2011–present: ''Never Say Never'' film, ''Under the Mistletoe'' and ''Believe''

A 3-D part-biopic, part-concert film starring Bieber entitled ''Justin Bieber: Never Say Never'', was released February 11, 2011, directed by ''Step Up 3D'' director Jon Chu. It topped the box office with an estimated grossing of $12.4 million on its opening day from 3,105 theaters. It grossed $30.3 million for the weekend and was narrowly beaten by the romantic comedy ''Just Go With It'', which grossed $31 million. ''Never Say Never'' is said to have exceeded industry expectations, nearly matching the $31.1 million grossed by Miley Cyrus's 2008 3-D concert film, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, which holds the record for the top debut for a music-documentary. The film is accompanied by his second remix album, ''Never Say Never – The Remixes'', released February 14, 2011, and features remixes of songs from his debut album, with guest appearances from Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, and Kanye West, among others.

On February 27, 2011, Bieber attended the 2011 Vanity Fair Oscar Party with American actress and singer Selena Gomez, confirming several months of media speculation about a romantic relationship between the pair. The relationship has since continued to garner significant media attention.

In June 2011, Bieber was ranked number 2 on the Forbes list of Best-Paid Celebrities under 30. He is the youngest star and 1 of 7 musicians on the list raking in with $53 million earned in a 12 month period. On November 1, 2011, Bieber released ''Under the Mistletoe'', his second studio album. It debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 210,000 copies in its first week of release. Bieber is currently recording his third studio album entitled ''Believe''. Kanye West and Drake are confirmed to be featured on the album.

Image

''The Observer'' newspaper in the UK published a report indicating that Justin Bieber is more influential in the social networking sphere than Barack Obama or The Dalai Lama. According to Jan Hoffman of ''The New York Times'', part of Bieber's appeal stems from his YouTube channel. Long before he released his EP, ''My World'', in mid-November, the YouTube videos attracted millions of views. Braun recognized the appeal. Prior to flying him to Atlanta, Braun wanted to "build him up more on YouTube first" and had Bieber record more home videos for the channel. "I said: 'Justin, sing like there’s no one in the room. But let's not use expensive cameras.' We'll give it to kids, let them do the work, so that they feel like it's theirs", recalled Braun. Bieber continues to upload videos to the same channel and has opened a Twitter account, from which he interacts with fans regularly; his account was reported in November 2010 to have over 6 million followers. Since then he has been consistently gaining followers at an average of 24,000 per day. The accounts also serve marketing purposes; for example, Bieber's music video for "One Time" only began selling quickly after it was uploaded to YouTube. Usher comments that while he and Bieber were both signed at the same age, "I had the chance to ramp up my success, where this has happened to Bieber abruptly." As a result, Usher, Braun, Bieber's bodyguard Kenny, and other adults surrounding Bieber constantly coach him on handling fame and his public image. After signing Bieber, Usher appointed one of his former assistants, Ryan Good, to be Bieber's road manager and stylist. Good, once nicknamed Bieber's "swagger coach", created a "streetwise look" for the singer which consisted of baseball caps, hoodies, dog chains and flashy sneakers. Amy Kaufman of ''The Los Angeles Times'' comments, "Though a product of a middle-class suburban upbringing in Stratford, Ontario, Bieber's manner of dress and speech ("Wassup man, how you doin'?" or "It's like, you know, whateva' ") suggest he's mimicking his favorite rappers."

Bieber is often featured in teen magazines such as ''Tiger Beat'', and has been labeled as a "teen hearthrob". Bieber has released a collection of nail varnishes to raise awareness for charity. Wax statues of Bieber are on display at Madame Tussauds wax museums in New York, Amsterdam and London. His change of hairstyle in 2010, and the consequent alterations to Bieber products, led to it being called 'the most expensive musical haircut of all time; one company spent $100,000 to fix its dolls for the 2011 Christmas season.

Personal views

Bieber is a Christian, and said he has a relationship with Jesus, talks to him and that "he's the reason I'm here".

Bieber's comments in a February 2011 profile in ''Rolling Stone'' sparked controversy. Asked whether a person should wait until marriage to have sex, Bieber responded, "I don't think you should have sex with anyone unless you love them." Asked about his opinion on abortion, Bieber said he does not "believe in abortion" and that it is "like killing a baby". When asked about abortion in cases of rape, he said, "Well, I think that's really sad, but everything happens for a reason. I don't know how that would be a reason. I guess I haven't been in that position, so I wouldn't be able to judge that." In the same interview, Bieber talked about homosexuality, stating that "It's everyone's own decision to do that. It doesn’t affect me and shouldn't affect anyone else", and ''Rolling Stone'' commented, "It is not clear whether he intended to label homosexuality as a lifestyle choice." However, Bieber has also contributed to the It Gets Better Project, a project started in response to the suicide of Billy Lucas, a teenager who was the target of anti-gay bullying.

Bieber has said he is not interested in obtaining United States citizenship, praising Canada as being "the best country in the world", citing its health care system as an example.

Criticism

Bieber has been criticized for looking and sounding younger than his age, his teen-pop music, image, and frequent media attention. He has been a frequent target of Internet bloggers and message board posters, notably by users of Internet message board 4chan and users of YouTube. Nick Collins of ''The Daily Telegraph'' speculated that "Bieber's character also appears to strike a particularly sour note with his Internet critics, with many remarks commenting on his youthful appearance, his teen-pop songs, his image as a heart-throb to young teenage girls and his manner of speech".

Discography

''My World 2.0'' (2010)

''Under the Mistletoe'' (2011)

''Believe'' (2012)

Tour

2009: Urban Behavior Tour

2010–2011: My World Tour

Filmography

rowspan="4" ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'' Himself

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
rowspan="2"	2009	''True Jackson, VP''	>rowspan="3"| Guest star
''My Date With...''
	Silent Library (MTV series)>Silent Library''
''School Gyrls (film)	School Gyrls''	Cameo
''Saturday Night Live''
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''	Jason McCann
''Hubworld''	Guest star
''The X Factor (UK)''	Performer
rowspan="9"	2011	|	Guest star
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''	Jason McCann
''Khloé & Lamar''	|Episode:The Father In Law (uncredited) Himself playing the NBA Celebrity All Star Game
''Saturday Night Live''
''Justin Bieber: Never Say Never''	Himself
''Dancing With The Stars''	Guest star
''So Random!''	Himself
''Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade''	Guest star
''The X Factor (UK)''	Performer

Awards and nominations

References

Further reading

External links

Category:1994 births Category:Canadian child singers Category:Canadian Christians Category:Canadian dance musicians Category:Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States Category:Canadian Internet personalities Category:Canadian male singers Category:Canadian people of French descent Category:Canadian people of German descent Category:Canadian pop singers Category:Canadian rhythm and blues singers Category:Child pop musicians Category:Hip hop singers Category:Island Records artists Category:Musicians from Ontario Category:People from Stratford, Ontario Category:Living people

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name	Luther Vandross
background	solo_singer
birth name	Luther Ronzoni Vandross
born	April 20, 1951Manhattan, New York, United States
died	July 01, 2005Edison, New Jersey, United States
genre	R&B, soul, soft rock
occupation	Singer-songwriter, record producer
voice type(s)	Lyric Tenor
years active	1968–2005
label	Cotillion, Epic, Virgin, J, Legacy
associated acts	Change, Chic, Dionne Warwick, Richard Marx, Whitney Houston
website	}}

Luther Ronzoni Vandross (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times. He won four Grammy Awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the track "Dance with My Father", co-written with Richard Marx.

Biography

1951–1979: Early life and career

Luther Ronzoni Vandross was born on April 20, 1951 at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, New York City, United States. He was the fourth child and second son to Mary Ida Vandross and Luther Vandross, Sr.

Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City in the Alfred E. Smith Houses public housing development, Vandross began playing the piano at the age of three. He grew up in a musical family that moved to the Bronx when he was thirteen. His sister, Patricia Van Dross, sang with the vocal group The Crests, who had a number two hit in 1958 with "16 Candles (song)", though she left the group before the recording. Vandross's father died of diabetes when Vandross was eight years old. Luther Vandross was in a high school group, Shades of Jade, that once played at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. He was also a member of a theater workshop, "Listen My Brother" who released the singles "Only Love Can Make a Better World" and "Listen My Brother", and appeared on the second and fifth episodes of ''Sesame Street'' in November 1969.

Vandross attended Western Michigan University for a year before dropping out to continue pursuing a career in music.

His next hit credit was on an album by Roberta Flack in 1972. He was the founder of the first-ever Patti LaBelle fan club. Luther also sang on Delores Hall's Hall-Mark album from 1973. He sang with her on the song "Who's Gonna Make It Easier for Me", which he wrote. He also contributed another song, "In This Lonely Hour." Having co-written "Fascination" for David Bowie's ''Young Americans'', he went on to tour with him as a back-up vocalist in September 1974. Vandross wrote "Everybody Rejoice" for the 1975 Broadway musical ''The Wiz'' and appeared as a choir member in the movie.

Vandross also sang backing vocals for Diana Ross, Roberta Flack, Gary Glitter, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Donna Summer, Bette Midler, Chic, Barbra Streisand, and David Bowie.

Before his breakthrough, Vandross was part of a singing quintet in the late '70s named Luther, consisting of former Shades of Jade members Anthony Hinton and Diane Sumler, Theresa V. Reed, and Christine Wiltshire, signed to Cotillion Records. Although the singles "It's Good for the Soul", "Funky Music (Is a Part of Me)", and "The Second Time Around" were relatively successful, their two albums, the self-titled ''Luther'' (1976) and ''This Close to You'' (1977), didn't sell enough to make the charts. Vandross bought back the rights to these albums after Cotillion dropped the group, preventing their later re-release.

Vandross also wrote and sang commercial jingles during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 1970s.

Luther also sang lead vocals for a disco band called Greg Diamond's Bionic Boogie on the song titled "Hot Butterfly." Luther also sang with the band Soirée, where he was the lead vocalist on the track "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", and contributed background vocals to the album along with Jocelyn Brown and Sharon Redd, each of whom also saw solo success. He also sang the lead vocals on the group Mascara LP title song "See You in L.A." released in 1979. Luther shines with his impeccable singing supported by his group's co-members David Lalsey and Ula Hedwig.

1980–2003: Career success

Luther Vandross finally made his long desired career breakthrough as a featured singer with the vaunted pop-dance act Change, a studio concept created by French-Italian businessman Jacques Fred Petrus. Their 1980 hits, "A Lover's Holiday" (by Romani and Willoughby), "The Glow of Love" (by Romani, Malavasi and Garfield) and "Searching" (by Malavasi), of which Vandross sang on all three, opened up the world for Vandross. And there was no doubt about whether Vandross liked the song "The Glow of Love". In an interview that Vibe Magazine did with him in 2001 Vandross said, ''"This is the most beautiful song I've ever sung in my life."'' Vandross was also originally intended to perform on the second and highly successful Change album "Miracles" in 1981, but declined the offer as Petrus didn't pay enough money. Vandross' decision rapidly led to a recording contract with Epic Records that same year but didn't stop him from doing some background vocals on "Miracles" and on the new Petrus created act, The B. B. & Q. band in 1981. During that hectic year Vandross jump-started his second attempt at a solo career with his debut album, ''Never Too Much''. In addition to the hit title track it contained a version of the Burt Bacharach / Hal David song "A House Is Not a Home". The song "Never Too Much", written by himself, reached number-one on the R&B charts. This period also marked the beginning of frequent songwriting collaboration with bassist Marcus Miller, who played on many of the tracks and would also produce or co-produce a number of tracks for Vandross. The ''Never Too Much'' album was arranged by high school classmate Nat Adderley, Jr., a collaboration that would last through Vandross's career.

Vandross released a series of successful R&B albums during the 1980s and continued his session work with guest vocals on groups like Charme in 1982. Many of his earlier albums made a bigger impact on the R&B charts than on the pop charts. During the 1980s, Vandross had two singles that reached #1 on the Billboard R&B charts: "Stop to Love", in 1986, and a duet with Gregory Hines—"There's Nothing Better Than Love." Vandross was at the helm as producer for Aretha Franklin's Gold-certified, award-winning comeback album ''Jump to It''. He also produced the disappointing follow-up album, 1983's ''Get It Right''. In 1983, the opportunity to work with his main music influence, Dionne Warwick, came about with Vandross producing, writing songs, and singing on ''How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye'', her fourth album for Arista Records. The title track duet reached #27 on the Hot 100 chart (#7 R&B/#4 Adult Contemporary), while the second single, "Got a Date" was only a moderate hit (#45 R&B/#15 Club Play).

In 1985, Luther Vandross first spotted the talent of Jimmy Salvemini, 15 at the time, on ''Star Search''. He thought Salvemini had the perfect voice for some of his songs. He contacted Salvemini, who was managed by his brother Larry. A contract was negotiated with Elektra records for $250,000 and Luther agreed to produce the album. Luther even contacted old friends to appear on the album, Cheryl Lynn, Alfa Anderson (Chic), Phoebe Snow and Irene Cara. After the album was completed, Luther, Jimmy, and Larry decided to celebrate. On January 12, 1986, they were riding in Luther's convertible Mercedes when it crossed the yellow lines of the two lane street and smashed into two vehicles. All three men were rushed to the hospital. Larry Salvemini died during surgery, and Vandross and Jimmy Salvemini survived. At first, the Salvemini family was supportive of Luther. In 1986, Luther faced vehicular manslaughter charges as a result of Larry's death. Vandross pled no contest to reckless driving. The Salvemini family filed a wrongful death suit against Vandross. The case was quietly settled out of court with a payment to the Salvemini family for $700,000. The album called "Roll With It" was released later that year.

In 1986, Vandross voiced a cartoon character named Zack for three Saturday morning animated PSA spots for ABC Television called 'Zack of All Trades'.

The 1989 compilation ''The Best of Luther Vandross... The Best of Love'' included the ballad "Here and Now", his first single to chart in the Billboard pop chart top ten, peaking at number six. He won his first Grammy award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 1991.

More albums followed in the 1990s, beginning with 1991's ''Power of Love'' which spawned two top ten pop hits. He won his second Best Male R&B Vocal in the Grammy Awards of 1992 with the track "Power of Love/Love Power" winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in the same year. In 1992, "The Best Things in Life Are Free", a duet with Janet Jackson from the movie ''Mo' Money'' became a hit.

In 1993, Vandross had a brief non-speaking role in the Robert Townsend movie ''The Meteor Man''. He played a hit man who plotted to stop Townsend's title character.

Vandross hit the top ten again in 1994 with Mariah Carey, doing a cover version of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross's duet "Endless Love". He also appears on Frank Sinatra's posthumous ''Duets'' album. In the Grammy Awards of 1997, he won his third Best Male R&B Vocal for the track "Your Secret Love". A second greatest hits album, released in 1997, compiled most of his 1990s hits and was his final album released through Epic Records. After releasing ''I Know'' on Virgin Records, he signed with J Records. His first album on Clive Davis's new label, entitled ''Luther Vandross'', was released in 2001, and it produced the hits "Take You Out" (#7 R&B/#26 Pop), and "I'd Rather" (#17 Adult Contemporary/#40 R&B/#83 Pop) Vandross scored at least one top 10 R&B hit every year from 1981-1994.

In 1997, Luther Vandross sang the American national anthem during Super Bowl XXXI at the Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana.

In September 2001, Luther Vandross performed a rendition of Michael Jackson's hit song "Man in the Mirror" at Jackson's 30th Anniversary special, alongside Usher.

In 2002, he gave some of his final concerts during his last tour, The BK Got Soul Tour starring Luther Vandross featuring Angie Stone and Gerald Levert.

In 2003, Vandross released the album ''Dance With My Father''. The title track, which was dedicated to Vandross' memory childhood dances with his father, won Luther and his co-writer, Richard Marx, the 2004 Grammy Award for ''Song of the Year''. The song also won Vandross his fourth and final award in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category. The album was his first to reach number one on the Billboard album chart. The video for the title track features various celebrities alongside their fathers and other family members. The 2nd single released from that album, "Think About You" was the Number One Urban Adult Contemporary Song of 2004 according to Radio & Records.

In 2003, after the televised NCAA Men's Basketball championship, CBS Sports gave "One Shining Moment" a new look. Luther, who had been to only one basketball game in his life, was the new singer, and the video didn't have any special effects like glowing basketballs and star trails like it did in previous years. This song version is in use today.

2003–2005: Illness and death

Vandross suffered from diabetes and hypertension, both of which ran in his family.

On April 16, 2003, Vandross suffered a stroke at his home in Manhattan, New York. At the time of his stroke, he had just finished the final vocals for the album ''Dance With My Father''. His collaborator on the album was pop star, Richard Marx, whom Vandross had met in 1989 and been friendly with since then. The two worked together on numerous projects over the years, with Vandross appearing on most of Marx's albums. Upon its release, ''Dance With My Father'' became the first and only Luther Vandross record to hit #1. It was also his biggest-selling studio album ever, selling nearly 3 million copies in the United States alone. The title track was also a hit, and won the 2004 Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

He appeared briefly on videotape at the 2004 Grammy Awards to accept his Song of the Year Award, where he said, "Whenever I say goodbye it's never for long because I believe in the power of love". Other than an appearance on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', he was never seen in public again.

Vandross died on July 1, 2005 at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey at the age of 54. The apparent cause of his death was a heart attack.

His funeral was in New York City on July 8, 2005. After two days of viewing, Vandross was entombed at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey. Much of his estate was left to friends and his godson Mark West.

Voice Recognition

In 2008, Luther Vandross was ranked #54 on Rolling Stone's Magazine's List of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Tribute

On July 27, 2004, GRP Records released a smooth jazz various artists tribute album, ''Forever, For Always, For Luther'', with ten popular songs written by Luther. The album featured vocal arrangements by Luther, and was produced by Rex Rideout and Bud Harner. Rideout had co-authored songs and contributed arrangements and played keyboards on Luther's final three albums. The tribute album was mixed by Ray Bardani, who recorded and mixed most of Luther's music over the years. It featured an ensemble of smooth jazz performers, many of whom had previously worked with Luther.

In 2000, Whitney Houston sung Vandross' "So Amazing" as a tribute to Vandross as he sat in the audience during a BET Special. Johnny Gill, El Debarge, and Kenny Lattimore provided background vocals.

On September 20, 2005, the album ''So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross'' was released. The album is a collection of some of Luther's songs performed by various artists, including Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Fantasia, Beyoncé Knowles, Donna Summer, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Celine Dion, Wyclef Jean, Babyface, Patti LaBelle, John Legend, Angie Stone, Jamie Foxx, Teddy Pendergrass, Chris Farley and Aretha Franklin. Aretha Franklin won a Grammy for her rendition of "A House Is Not a Home", and Stevie Wonder and Beyoncé won a Grammy for their cover of "So Amazing".

The violin duo Nuttin' But Stringz did a remix of the song "Dance with My Father" for their album ''Struggle from the Subway to the Charts'', which was released on October 3, 2006.

On November 21, 2006, saxophonist Dave Koz released a followup to the earlier smooth jazz GRP tribute album, this time on his own Rendezvous Entertainment label, an album called ''Forever, For Always, For Luther Volume II'', also produced by Rex Rideout and Bud Harner. Dave Koz played on all the featured Luther Vandross tracks, which were recorded by various smooth jazz artists.

In 2007, Deniece Williams included "Never Too Much" on her ''Love, Niecy Style'' CD. Williams said that she recorded the song to say "I love you" to her old friend.

The music video "Bye Bye" from Mariah Carey sees Vandross' picture appear in the closing images. His image was included as a tribute along with various other deceased people with whom Carey had collaborated with.

On ''A Different Me'', Keyshia Cole sings the outro to "Luther Vandross" on "Playa Cardz Right", which features rapper Tupac Shakur.

Guitarist Norman Brown did a rendition of "Any Love" on his 1994 album ''After The Storm''.

R&B band 112 sampled Vandross' "Don't You Know That" to make their song "Love Me" on their second album ''Room 112''.

Saxophonist Boney James covers his rendition on his final track "The Night I Fell In Love" on ''Backbone'' in 1994.

Author Craig Seymour wrote a book about Vandross called ''Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross''. The book includes numerous interviews with Vandross.

In 2009, Jadakiss sampled Vandross' "Promise Me" to make his song "The Things I've Been Through" on his album, "The Last Kiss".

In 1998, well-known guitarist Peter White covered the Vandross song "Don't Want to Be a Fool", from the album ''Perfect Moment''.

In November 2006, Korean singer K included a cover of the Vandross song "Every Year, Every Christmas" on his Christmas single, ファースト・クリスマス ("First Christmas"), released in Japan. It was also later added to his tribute album, ''The Timeless Collection Vol. 1''.

Tribute artists include FiL Straughan, a singer based in London and New York, and Harry Cambridge.

In 2010, NPR included Vandross in its 50 Greatest Voices in recorded history, saying Vandross represents "the platinum standard for R&B song stylings." The announcement was made on NPR's ''All Things Considered'' on November 29, 2010.

In late 2010, rapper Battman D.E. GannaBanna sampled Vandross' "Make Me A Believer" for his song "Wanna Luv U" on his debut album ''The World Is A MothaF**kin' Ghetto''.

Hip-hop duo Young Gunz sampled featuring Rell sampled Vandross' "Better Love" to the make the song "No Better Love" on their 2004 Roc-A-Fella Records debut album, ''Tough Luv''.

Jacob Lusk performed "Dance With My Father" on ''American Idol'' season 10 as a tribute to his late father Gregory Lusk and as a tribute to Vandross on April 20, 2011.

New releases

J Records released a song "Shine"—an upbeat R&B track that samples Chic's disco song "My Forbidden Lover"—reaching #31 on the R&B chart. A later remix peaked at #10 on the Club Play chart. "Shine" and a track entitled "Got You Home" are previously unreleased songs on ''The Ultimate Luther Vandross'', a greatest hits album on Epic Records/J Records/Legacy Recordings that was released August 22, 2006.

On October 16, 2007, Epic Records/J Records/Legacy Recordings released a 4 disc box set entitled ''Love, Luther''. It features all of Vandross' R&B and pop hits throughout his career. The set also includes "There's Only You", a version of which had originally appeared on the soundtrack to the 1987 film ''Made in Heaven''.

Discography

Awards

{| class=wikitable |- | colspan=5 align=center | Grammy Award history |- ! Year ! Category ! Title ! Field ! Result |- align=center | rowspan="2"| 1982 | Best New Artist | — | General | |- align=center | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | ''Never Too Much'' | R&B | |- align=center | 1983 | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | ''Forever, For Always, For Love'' | R&B | |- align=center | 1986 | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | ''The Night I Fell in Love'' | R&B | |- align=center | rowspan="2"| 1987 | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | "Give Me the Reason" | R&B | |- align=center | Best R&B Song | "Give Me the Reason" (shared with Nat Adderley, Jr.) | R&B | |- align=center | rowspan="2"| 1989 | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | ''Any Love'' | R&B | |- align=center | Best R&B Song | "Any Love"(shared with Marcus Miller) | R&B | |- align=center | 1990 | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | "She Won't Talk to Me" | R&B | |- align=center | 1991 | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | "Here and Now" | R&B | |- align=center | rowspan="3"| 1992 | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | ''Power of Love'' | R&B | |- align=center | Best R&B Song | "Power of Love/Love Power" (shared with Marcus Miller & Teddy Vann) | R&B | |- align=center | Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group | "Doctor's Orders" (shared with Aretha Franklin) | R&B | |- align=center | 1993 | Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group | "The Best Things in Life Are Free" (shared with Janet Jackson) | R&B | |- align=center | 1994 | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | "How Deep Is Your Love" | R&B | |- align=center | rowspan="4"| 1995 | Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male | "Love the One You're With" | Pop | |- align=center | Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals | "Endless Love" (shared with Mariah Carey) | Pop | |- align=center | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | "Always and Forever" | R&B | |- align=center | Best R&B Album | ''Songs'' | R&B | |- align=center | rowspan="2"| 1997 | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | "Your Secret Love" | R&B | |- align=center | Best R&B Song | "Your Secret Love" (shared with Reed Vertelney) | R&B | |- align=center | 1998 | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | "When You Call On Me / Baby That's When I Come Runnin'" | R&B | |- align=center | 1999 | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | "I Know" | R&B | |- align=center | 1999 | Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance | ''I Know'' | R&B | |- align=center | 2003 | Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance | "Any Day Now" | R&B | |- align=center | rowspan="5"| 2004 | Song of the Year | "Dance with My Father" (shared with Richard Marx) | General | |- align=center | Best R&B Album | ''Dance with My Father'' | R&B | |- align=center | Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group | "The Closer I Get to You" (shared with Beyoncé) | R&B | |- align=center | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | "Dance with My Father" | R&B | |- align=center | Best R&B Song | "Dance with My Father" (shared with Richard Marx) | R&B | |- align=center | 2007 | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male | "Got You Home" | R&B | |- align=center |}

See also

Luther Burger

Craig Seymour

Notes

References

Vandross, Luther. ''The Best of Luther Vandross: The Best of Love'', Hal Leonard Corporation, 1990 - ISBN 0-7935-0291-8

External links

Official site

Remembering Luther Vandross

Luther Vandross at Find A Grave

Category:1951 births Category:2005 deaths Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:American crooners Category:American male singers Category:African American male singers Category:African American singers Category:American record producers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:Chic (band) members Category:Disease-related deaths in New Jersey Category:English-language singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:J Records artists Category:Musicians from New York City Category:People from Manhattan

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