#a eight year old say how much she loved Gregory house in school

[anotheryoutubefanpage]

I feel like i should apologize for suddenly becoming a house md blog but you see,,, its the show I watch when im depressed ( terrible show to watch if you're depressed and agitated) 

So i am sorry for the sudden spam( kindanotreally because my otp is forever and always house and Wilson and everyone needs to know)

[love-little-lotte]

Ranking the Bridgerton Books

I know I should write this in my book blog, but frankly, I have no idea how to make another section for it, and I'm too lazy to research. So, I'm writing here. Please bear with me.

Recently, I read the Bridgerton books by Julia Quinn. You might be familiar with the first book since it was adapted into a popular Netflix series by Shonda Rhimes. I binge-watched it back in December, and I have to say... not a fan. I guess I just find it too cheesy and annoying. Plus, the actors who portrayed Daphne and Simon had no romantic chemistry whatsoever.

But I'm not here to talk about the TV show. I'm here to talk about the novels! This is actually not my first time reading the books. Well, not exactly. I've read six out of the eight novels when I was in high school, I believe. I found the books when I was in high school as it was in the library (please don't ask me why my high school library has smutty novels in it, I have no idea who's in charge - they had Fifty Shades of Grey for a week but they eventually removed it from the catalog when they learned what's it about, but I digress). As a fifteen-year-old girl, the series hooked me.

If you're not familiar with the books or the Netflix series, here's a short synopsis: Set in the Regency era, the Bridgertons are one of the most influential families of the ton. The books follow the love stories of the eight Bridgerton siblings, alphabetically named Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth.

I didn't read it in chronological order back then, though. I just borrowed any available Bridgerton book in the library if there's one. You might think I was too young to read a romantic novel like that, but I guess I was mature enough to understand it.

Rereading it now that I'm twenty-two (cue Taylor Swift!), my heart's not in the same place. I was more skeptical with the writing, the story, and, most especially, the characters. But, really, I'm not that heartless, so I will cut the author some slack. Quinn wrote this at a different time for a different audience. It's not that long ago, but you'd be surprised how fast things change.

However, even though I have major criticisms, I cannot stop reading them. There's something about the novels that put me in a chokehold. Despite everything, I was able to enjoy it overall. This series is the definition of "guilty pleasure."

Anyway, here's my ranking of the Bridgerton books! I only read the eight main ones, which means I didn't include novellas of any kind. Also, as a fair warning, I might discuss spoilers and whatnot, so please beware. And do keep in mind that I'm writing my opinion, so if you don't agree, well... tough. I'd like to hear your comments, though, if you have any.

#8 - An Offer From A Gentleman (Book 3)

Honestly, this was probably one of my favorite Bridgerton books when I was younger. A Cinderella retelling? Come on! As someone who loves fairytales and forbidden romances, this was supposed to be heaven. However... it was not.

Benedict may be my least favorite Bridgerton brother. No, scratch that - he is my least favorite Bridgerton out of all of them. He's whiny and creepy and I was plainly annoyed with how he keeps asking Sophie to be his mistress in the novel. This was not the gentleman I imagined when I was younger. I might have liked him more in the first few parts, but as the story progressed, he became too childish and obsessive. Sophie, on the other hand, was all right. She's definitely one of my favorite Bridgerton heroines. She was tough but kind in her own way. I wish she had a better partner than Benedict, but I guess they suit each other in the end.

I just detest the climax and the ending of this book. It was too comical - and not in a hilarious way. I guess the same could be said for the entire novel. This was so, so different from the rest, to be honest.

Overall Rating: 3/10

#7 - On The Way To The Wedding (Book 8)

Fun fact: this is the first Bridgerton novel I read. And even then, I wasn't a huge fan of it. Just like An Offer From A Gentleman, the climax was a bit silly but more in a soap opera level than comical.

The biggest factor why I didn't like this was the characters. They were all so bland. Especially our hero and heroine. Gregory is the least featured Bridgerton in the novel, so I don't really know what to make of him at the beginning of the novel. In his book, I learned that he was a good guy - and that's all. Maybe he's too young and naive when it comes to romance (which is endearing, I have to admit), but he has no interesting personality whatsoever. Lucy, the heroine in this novel, was the same. She was described as pragmatic and sensible, which perfectly sums her up. Also, she's a great friend to Hermione (whose last name is Watson, by the way, and you can't tell me otherwise that this isn't a Harry Potter reference - Hermione Granger and Emma Watson? If that's not a reference, well, that's a very crazy coincidence, but I digress again). Gregory and Lucy's story was average - not bad, not good, just so incredibly dull.

The fun parts started way too early. It was difficult to find intrigue in the middle and end bits. The second main conflict, which happened near the end of the book, was truthfully not that good and was just obviously a ploy to keep things longer. You'd think that the Bridgerton novels would end the series with a bang. Alas, it did not.

Overall Rating: 4/10

#6 - To Sir Phillip, With Love (Book 5)

Eloise finally gets her turn in her own love story. She used to be one of my favorite Bridgertons, but when she got her own story, she was reduced into a plain girl. Gone was the feisty and outspoken Eloise we knew from the previous books.

Maybe it's because she's paired up with one of the most insufferable Bridgerton heroes, Sir Phillip. Just an inch away from Benedict, Sir Phillip maybe my next least favorite character. And it annoys me so much that Eloise gets to fall in love with someone like him.

It actually started pretty well. Before the events in the book started, Eloise and Phillip had already been corresponding for a year through letters. Phillip was on the lookout for - not a wife - but a mother for his two unruly children, and he thought Eloise was perfect for the role. He's a terrible father, but the book tries to convince us that it's not his fault because he had a bad upbringing by his own father (a recurring theme in the Bridgerton books - four heroes are plagued with different daddy issues). Eloise tried her best to turn things around, and of course, she eventually did, but I just really hate Phillip's initial intentions for seeking out a wife. He gets better in the end, sure, but I still really don't like him. At least the book wasn't short of excitement, else it would've been rated a bit lower.

Obviously, my favorite part in this book was when the Bridgerton brothers stormed into Phillip's house. He got what he deserved, truly.

Overall Rating: 4/10

#5 - The Duke and I (Book 1)

Now, this is the most well-known story in the Bridgerton literary universe, thanks to the Netflix series. I know I've said that I wasn't a fan of the series, but really, the Netflix writers and producers deserve all the gold in the world because they managed to transform this novel into something exciting.

Daphne and Simon had their moments, that's for sure, but as a couple, they were just so... meh. I liked their relationship at the start when they were still pretending to be courting. But as soon as they got married, everything interesting about the two of them sizzled out. And please don't get me started with how Daphne "took advantage" of drunk Simon. Thank God the show fixed that.

Despite my mixed feelings, this was a decent start to the Bridgerton books. There's really nothing majorly wrong about this novel (except for the aforementioned "taking advantage.") It laid out the future characters well. Lady Whistledown was also great. Thinking about her made me miss her because she wasn't featured in the later novels (you'll soon find out why).

Overall Rating: 5/10

#4 - It's In His Kiss (Book 7)

Since Eloise was stripped away from her feistiness when she got her own love story, I was obviously worried for Hyacinth. Thankfully, she didn't change! She was still the same tactless girl in the previous books. And for that, she gets to be my champion as my favorite Bridgerton.

This is the first time I've read this book, and oh, I'm surprised with how exciting it was. Hyacinth's hero, Gareth, perfectly suited her. Gareth was able to tame her impulsiveness, while also proving to be a good romantic partner for her. I loved that he could match her intellectually, too. It was never a bore whenever they have one of their silly banters. Lady Danbury was also featured more in this novel. She's one of my favorite side characters. As Gareth's grandmother, she was determined to bring him and Hyacinth together.

Maybe the only criticism I have in this novel is Gareth's issues with his father. I find it really weird that most of the heroes' problems are with their fathers. It just seemed lazy writing, in my opinion. But oh well, Gareth was interesting in his own way and that's perfectly fine.

Overall Rating: 6/10

#3 - Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Book 4)

I have a feeling that this is Quinn's favorite Bridgerton book. In this book, it's Colin's turn to find love. Colin is featured in several of his siblings' stories - in fact, in almost all of the books, he had an important role to play.

I love Colin and Penelope's story. Long before this book, they already knew each other. Penelope was Eloise's best friend, and she's almost always in the Bridgerton household. Colin has been forced by his mother for God knows how long to dance with Penelope every time there's a party. But it was only now that they became closer. Unbeknownst to Colin, Penelope had been in love with him for half her life, even though he didn't particularly care for her. Penelope speaks for all of us who know about unrequited love all too well.

Furthermore, this is the novel where they finally reveal who was behind the Lady Whistledown column. Yes, viewers of the Netflix series who are not familiar with the books. This is the part - and not in the first book! I'm so mad that they revealed Penelope as Lady Whistledown in the first season of the series, when in fact it's much later than that.

However, that's also one of the lowest points of this novel for me. Lady Whistledown's identity reveal was a bit anti-climactic. A little bit laughable, even. Also, also, also: I hated Colin's reaction to Penelope's secret. He didn't have to be angry and jealous of her, but ah well, whatever makes for conflict. Nevertheless, I love both Colin and Penelope because they had so much character and depth. Quinn was certainly biased when she wrote this.

Overall Rating: 8/10

#2 - The Viscount Who Loved Me (Book 2)

Remember earlier when I said that I cannot stop reading the books because even though I knew it wasn't that good, it was still highly enjoyable? Well, I'm really talking more about this book, to be specific. I think I've read it in less than 24 hours because of how much I love it. And yes, Anthony and Kate had their obvious flaws, but oh God, they were so perfect together. I can't help but imagine Jonathan Bailey from the Netflix series as Anthony when I was reading it. I swoon, all the time.

This used to be my favorite Bridgerton novel, but that's only because I haven't read my new favorite until recently. Anthony and Kate's story was just oh-so good and intimate and romantic. Kate's also my favorite heroine in the entire Bridgerton literary universe. She was headstrong and loving. She's unafraid to put the happiness of her family first.

In so many ways, Anthony was the same. He assumed the role of Viscount Bridgerton when he was only eighteen when his father unexpectedly died. Since then, he overlooks the family's estates and well-being. Yes, this is one of those "daddy issues" stories I mentioned earlier, but this one was kind of done tastefully. He didn't wish to fall in love but everything changed when he encountered Kate. He didn't mean to be attracted to her, but here we are.

Anthony and Kate had so much understanding between them. I agree Anthony was a bit of a dick when Kate asked if they could have one week to get to know each other before consummating the marriage (worse things have been said by Benedict and Phillip, though), but in the end, I can't deny that I truly love them together.

Overall Rating: 8/10

#1 - When He Was Wicked (Book 6)

*blushing furiously* So what if I put the smuttiest and steamiest novel as my top choice?! What about it? Oh, but really, though, I can't stop reading this. Francesca is one of the least known Bridgertons in the books, just like Gregory. I didn't know anything about her, except that she's quieter than most of her siblings. It was also first mentioned in Romancing Mister Bridgerton that she had already married but was sadly widowed after two years.

Michael was Francesca's late husband's cousin and best friend, which makes him her best friend, too. He has been secretly in love with Francesca since the first moment he laid eyes on her but was unable to pursue her because she's with his cousin John. In addition, I'd like to say that Michael is my favorite hero in the Bridgerton books. He's very charming and wicked, and really, my knees buckle at the thought of him.

Long after John passed away, Francesca and Michael reunited. Francesca was looking for a new husband because she desperately wants a family, while Michael... well, Michael was still in love with her. There was undeniable passion and intimacy between them, and it was hard to stay away from each other. I seriously have a thing for men secretly pining over women they love. That's got to be one of my favorite tropes.

However, the book itself was a bit longer than necessary. While I understand Francesca's hesitations in marrying Michael, it could've been shortened because it felt draggy by the end. Her constant changing of minds was a bit annoying, and yeah, it was probably a ploy to lengthen the novel.

Additionally, I was a bit skeptical at first of how they're going to treat their relationship, especially since Francesca was truly in love with her first husband. But it was done so nicely. Francesca and Michael never forget about John, even in the end. I loved what John's mother said to Michael in a letter at the end, "Thank you, Michael, for letting my son love her first."

I guess I love their story more than the other couples because both were already mature and experienced. Just like everyone else in this romantic series, Francesca and Michael belonged together. The entirety of Chapter 19 is proof of that.

Overall Rating: 9/10

***

Overall, the Bridgerton books are quite entertaining, despite being a cheesy and sappy series. I admit that I feel quite lonely and bored now that I've finished all eight of them. Ah well, there's always the possibility of rereading them!

[litwitlady]

whatever walked there, walked alone - part one

My Halloween fic which I love writing too much to abandon. Content warnings: mentions of child abuse, Alex is dead and not coming back to life, blood, emo poetry.

Michael Guerin exits the city limits and heads west. The sun is beginning to set, framing the mountains in flames of orange and red, painting the sky in purples and pinks. His phone GPS says the house is 13.3 miles from Roswell city center. A scant ten-minute drive.

A few miles later, the ironwork of the property’s fence comes into view. The house is hidden behind several large hawthorn and plum trees, creating a dense canopy that protects the mansion from the blazing desert sun.

Michael parks outside the gate and pulls a bolt cutter from the bed of his truck. The ornate ironwork is buried in English ivy. He clears the vines away and breaks through the chains locking the gate doors, swinging them open. They creak and moan as the rusty hinges strain after years of disuse.

It’s like walking into a dream. Or a nightmare. Another planet, maybe. The desert disappears and suddenly there’s thick grass beneath his boots. Flowers bloom despite the heavy tree coverage and everything green is overgrown. But the house is finally visible – the cornices crumbling, the menacing marble lions shrouded in yellowing moss.

A breeze rustles through the leaves, sending a shiver up Michael’s spine. He feels eyes on the back of his head and spins on his heels. A cat hops out of a maple tree, sending several birds flying from their perches. Michael laughs to himself and turns back towards the house.

Dead, drying leaves are scattered across the stone steps. The giant wood doors are also locked with chains. Michael makes quick work of them and pushes against the splinted oak. But the doors won’t budge. The moisture and heat have warped the wood. So, no matter how hard he pushes, there’s no give. With a sigh he climbs back down the stairs. Vows to come back the next day with the necessary tools.

And maybe not alone.

But as his boots sink back into the grass, he hears the doors open. A thick, musty scent settles in around him. When he glances over his shoulder, the doors are gaping at him like a hungry mouth ready to swallow him whole. The cat dashes past him, through the doors, and he swears he hears his name whispered from somewhere deep inside.

He swallows hard and pulls out his cell phone. But there’s no reception. If he’s being honest, he doesn’t want to go inside. Definitely not by himself. Wants, instead, to head back to Isobel’s and crawl inside his warm bed. Wants to forget this dilapidated old house even exists.

Michael takes several deep breaths, reclimbs the stairs. And then he forces himself to cross the threshold into the darkness.

The foyer floors are filthy. Covered in muck and grime, the black and white checkered marble barely visible. Spiderwebs crisscross from surface to surface, collecting dust and other debris he’d rather not think too much about. The windows are all curtained with heavy, velvet drapes – allowing no light to pass.

Michael runs his fingers along a gilded mirror, eyes catching on a group of picture frames still hanging from the garish floral wallpaper. He leans forward, blowing the dust from the glass. Sneezes several times. The photos show a family. Father, mother, and four boys – the youngest just a baby. In most of the pictures, the father is dressed in full military regalia. His wife pretty and unsmiling. The children with hands in pockets, devoid of that devilish charm so common to young boys.

He begins to notice a pattern as he follows the frames down the hallway. Three of the boys start to grow up – getting taller, shoulders broadening. But the youngest never grows past eight, maybe nine years old. Michael feels a sadness clutch at his heart. Wonders what happened to the little boy. Suspects it’s nothing good. And likely the reason the house has been left to rot for so long.

The cat reappears out of a hall closet. Michael startles and watches him dash towards the curving staircase, bounding up the stairs. He looks back at the front doors, making sure they are still open. The sunlight is entirely gone now. He pulls out his phone and clicks on the flashlight app. Continues further into the belly of the house.

In the kitchen, he finds the cabinet doors all removed – probably stolen by some house foraging flipper – but the bowls and plates left behind. An eight-burner stove takes up a third of the room. The gigantic commercial refrigerator another third. There are two center islands and clearly the kitchen was for catering lavish parties. Michael is unimpressed by the cold austerity of the space and is already mentally remodeling.

He putters through the cabinets and stumbles upon a collection of toddler-sized sippy cups. There are four – each with a boy’s name painted across the top. Clay, Gregory, Flint, and Alex. He reaches up and pulls the one labeled ‘Alex’ from the shelf. The cup is cracked and chipped around the rim. The tiny hairs on the back of his neck shiver, sending another chill down Michael’s spine. He drops the cup onto the floor, the crash echoing down the hallway.

Upstairs the cat screeches.

Michael hears his name whispered again.

And then the doors slam shut.

***

‘The house is haunted, Iz.’ They are at the grocery store, restocking for the week ahead.

She rolls her eyes at him while grabbing more cereal. ‘There’s no such thing as ghosts, Michael. It was just the wind.’

He stares back at her like she’s stupid. ‘There’s no such thing as aliens either. And there was no fucking wind.’

Isobel, hands on hips, stops mid-aisle. ‘The place is a gothic nightmare. It got in your head and freaked you out. The sooner you sell that place the better.’

Intellectually, Michael knows she must be right. But he can’t ignore doors closing on their own and floating voices calling his name.

‘Do you know what happened to the original family? I think their name was Manes?’ He’d pulled the old deed. There wasn’t much to go on other than the name Jesse Manes. ‘I don’t remember them from when we were kids.’

She grabs a bag of rice. ‘Jesse Manes was a General in the Air Force. Served as Chief of Staff to the entire USAF when we were in high school. Really big deal. His kids all went to some military academy on the east coast.’

‘Was? Is he dead?’ He sneaks two boxes of pop-tarts into the cart.

‘Not that I know of. He was dishonorably discharged. Not too long after his youngest son died. Something about an extortion scandal.’ Isobel shrugs her shoulders and turns onto the next aisle.

‘His youngest son? The little boy – Alex.’

She narrows her eyes at him. ‘Alex Manes. Yes. But he was 28 when he died. Killed overseas. Maybe he’s your ghost.’

‘Wait – that doesn’t make sense. That house looks like it’s been abandoned for at least a decade.’ He tries to do the math in his head. Three years might lead to some broken windows and cobwebs, but not the level of decay he’d discovered. The grime on the floors alone would have taken at least twice as long. And the bannister was literally rotting.

‘Don’t know what to tell you. Happened three years ago. I was working with the General on a military fundraising event. And then, poof! He was just gone. Nothing left behind but newspaper gossip. And that house.’ She looks down at her shopping list. ‘I’m going to grab some milk – meet you at checkout.’ She gives a little wave and rolls off.

Michael leans against the row of shelves. Thinks about what Isobel’s told him. He doesn’t know why Edna May Rollings bequeathed the property to him in her will. Or all that money. Sure, he’d mowed her grass a few times – changed her oil. But the Manes property was worth well over a million dollars.

Nothing was making any sense.

*

Later that afternoon, Michael decides to do his own research at the town library. He pulls up article after article from the Roswell Gazette highlighting the many philanthropic endeavors of the Manes family. Jesse Manes often lauded as a hero. His sons all highly decorated military officers themselves.

In all the articles, he only finds mention of an Alex Manes once. In his obituary dated October 14, 2018. The paper mentions he’d been killed by IED while serving in Iraq. There’s a grainy, black and white photo above the obit. Captain Alexander Manes in his uniform, blank expression on his face. And it’s a good face – cheekbones for days, expressive eyes, and a full bottom lip. Michael stops for a minute to admire the handsome soldier and to lament his early demise.

He pulls out his notebook and writes down the names mentioned in the obituary. All of the survivors – mother, father, brothers, distant relatives. Surely, one of them lives within driving distance. If not, there’s always the phone or email. He intends to find some answers.

Michael leaves the library and drives to the Roswell cemetery. The plots are arranged alphabetically, for the most part. And he finds the Manes family relatively easily. Alex’s tombstone is the white marble of fallen soldiers. But there’s no inscription beyond his name or the relevant dates of birth and death. It’s odd not to see a ‘beloved son’ or ‘cherished brother’. He’s beginning to suspect the Manes family buried more than just their son three years ago.

*

The next day Michael heads back to the house. But this time he’s not alone. He’s accompanied by an entire cleaning crew and Isobel. Who merely intends to rifle through the family’s forgotten belongings and steal whatever trinkets catch her eye. And to tease him mercilessly about his ghost.

Michael does his best to avoid everyone. He has his own mission in mind and doesn’t want to be disturbed. The upstairs hallway leads to all the main bedrooms – master on the left and the four smaller rooms on the right. Each of the secondary bedrooms is nearly identical in shape and size. Except for last room – tiny and dark. A single bed compared to the doubles next door. He knows deep in his bones that this was Alex’s room.

A terrific sadness envelops him when he steps inside. He tries to flip the light switch, but nothing happens – the only light whatever sun fights its way through the dirty window.

Michael starts there – wiping the glass clean. He sweeps and mops the floor, dusts the baseboards, and removes the cobwebs. Opening the closet door, he finds a torn cardboard box tucked inside. Pulling back the battered flaps, he discovers several yellowing journals. Pages and pages of scribbled notes and poems and the various ramblings of a teenage boy. He takes the journals to his truck immediately, stashing them beneath his seat.

As the day stretches into night, there’s no sign of any ghosts. No weird noises. No strange whispers. Isobel has taken every mirror in the house among several crystal dishes. Most of the rooms are as spotless as they’re going to get, the smell of bleach giving him a headache. But the place is starting to feel less creepy.

After everyone else leaves, Michael takes one more trip up to Alex’s bedroom. Sits in the middle of the room and waits. For what, he’s not sure. A presence maybe. Which he knows is insane, but something or someone called his name the day before.

The sun is nearly gone. The room is dark and still. That sadness from earlier still pushes at him, but he doesn’t feel afraid. Oddly enough, he feels safe and warm. And then the floor creaks. Not just once. Over and over again. Like someone’s pacing from the window to the bed and back again.

‘Hello?’ His voice sounds scratchy, dry and nervous.

The footsteps stop. Michael’s breath catches as he strains to listen. ‘Alex? Alexander Manes?’ Something blows across the back of his neck. He swallows but stays still.

‘I’m going to bring your journals back. I promise.’ Making a ghost angry is probably a bad idea. ‘I just wanted to get to know you better.’

Nothing happens. And he feels a sinking sense of loss.

*

At Isobel’s later that night, Michael is curled up in his bed staring at Alex’s journals. He’s anxious about reading them. Worries that what he’ll discover is worse than anything he could have ever imagined. Worries that he’ll meet someone in these journals that he’ll come to love. Someone that he’s already lost.

The first journal is marked 2003. It’s plain black with a Further Seems Forever sticker peeling along the spine. Opening to the first page, Michael is struck by how neat the handwriting is. His own is nothing but chicken scratch. But this kid wrote in neat, tidy letters – not a smudge in sight.

July 2003

Today I am a teenager. And I missed mom for the first time in forever. I came home and dad was drinking. Started yelling at me to put his ladder back where I’d found it. But I never, ever touched his stupid ladder. That was Flint. He didn’t care. And now my ribs hurt. Happy Birthday, Alex.

I’ve only been home for two weeks, but I already want to go back to school.

Michael’s fists clench but he continues.

August 2003

Flint got his learner’s permit today. Dad is teaching him how to drive stick. Will probably even buy him a car to take back to school. I fucking hate Flint.

I wrote a poem or maybe a song that I actually like. Here it is:

‘The hallways are empty

And I am blind

Locked in this castle

Where no one is kind’

I know that’s not much. But it’s a start. Been saving up for my guitar. Greg is going to buy it for me once I have enough money.

September 2003

It’s because I’m gay. Why he beats me and no one else. I will try so hard not to be gay anymore.

Tears burn Michael’s eyes. He picks up another journal. This one gray with lots of cartoon doodles marring the cloth cover.

September 2007

Senior year has begun. The Academy finally feels bearable. No upperclassmen to avoid. My fucking dad has me flying out this weekend to interview at the Air Force Academy in Colorado. Fourth son, fourth branch of the military. None of us got a choice, but of course he saved the Air Force for me. Of fucking course.

I snuck out with Maria last week to sing at an open mic night at her mom’s bar. I’ve never felt like that before – enjoying all those eyes on me. Most times I just want to disappear. Forget I exist. There was a guy – curly hair, big hazel eyes. He was beautiful and I worked up enough to courage to talk to him, but he wouldn’t stop staring at Maria. So.

I guess someone at the Pony must have known my dad. Because he was waiting up for me when I crawled back through my bedroom window. I didn’t beg this time. Just let him do what he was going to do. Honestly, I felt like I deserved it. For thinking that guy might actually want to talk to me.

Michael stops breathing. He tries to recall a night at the Pony from fourteen years ago. But he can’t remember ever meeting Alex. He had dated Maria, briefly. Maybe it wasn’t him – maybe he wasn’t the curly-haired, hazel-eyed boy. But the possibility lingers thick in his chest.

December 2007

I’m not going home for Christmas. Even though mom has agreed to show up for appearance’s sake. A perfect fake fucking family. I won’t be missed. Dad laughed when I called and told him. Called me a coward and hung up. He won’t have his favorite punching bag and I hope that means he won’t turn his fists to someone else. Like mom.

Things with Danny haven’t progressed at all. I thought he was flirting with me at the football game, but he hasn’t talked to me since. He’s shy though – kind of like me – so I think I may still have a chance. He’s not going home either – his parents are overseas on some mission trip. Maybe I will be brave enough to kiss him. I’ve never kissed anyone and I’m already 17. Pathetic.

January 2008

Sometimes I look up at the stars

And your eyes look back at me

Filled with the fire of an exploding sun

Sometimes I look up at the stars

And there’s nothing there at all

Just empty space, hollow and undone

So, Danny is dating a townie girl. I’m always so, so stupid. But I’m not giving up on myself no matter how hard this world tries to beat me down. And it’s trying pretty damn hard.

March 2008

Dear Alex,

you are blue and black and yellow

bent and bowed like the dying myrtle tree outside that window

your pliant plentiful petals putrefying in the blades of summer grass

you are unseen and forgotten, disgraced by the midday sun

blown apart like the dandelion waste of suburban landscapes

wilted and wallowed and left without a trace of your own dignity

June 2008

My father’s hands have spent so much time taking. Splitting me open and unthreading the blood, the sweat, the tears of me. Spilling my insides and then stuffing the gore back deep in the darkest recesses of my heart.

I want hands that will take but give something back, leave something behind. Hands that will heal and stitch the splintered parts back together. Hands that will shape the dark edges of me into something bright like hope. I want hands with wings to fly me out of this nightmare.

But instead I’m going to war.

After Alex graduates the military academy, there are no more journals until 2017. Michael spends the next several hours poring over the earlier ones – meticulously kept records of a broken childhood. One abuse after another. Cracked ribs, a shattered wrist, and a never-ending deluge of bruises.

But also, so many dreams. Alex was a hopeful kid, despite the sad poetry, with music in his future. There are pages and pages of songs – the scratching down of harmonies and verses. Intricate details of chord progressions and key changes. Michael grabs his own guitar, strums through some of Alex’s notes. The songs are simple but refined. He wishes he could hear them sung with Alex’s voice.

The 2017 journal stares at Michael from his nightstand. It’s dirty and pocket-sized, bent and beaten at the edges. Caked in blood. He opens to the first page. Alex is in Iraq – the place where he dies – and Michael’s not sure he wants to read further. But he also can’t stop himself.

November 2017

The desert here is different. Hotter, I think. I am always sweating and never clean.  

February 2018

There was a boy. In the carnage. Riddled with bullets. Bullets that may have been my own. I tried to feel something. I did, really. I tried.

March 2018

Only two more months. And then one war exchanged for another. Clay is getting married. I think I’d rather stay here.

The next several pages are stuck together with the dull, brown ink of dried blood. Michael can’t make out more than a word or two through the thick stains, but the entries seem longer and more rambling. The back half of the journal is empty – filled with nothing but blood splatter.

Michael pulls out his laptop. Something about the timeline feels off. Alex’s obit and his tombstone both marked his date of death as October 14, 2018. That’s months after this journal stopped. Months after whatever nightmare caused all this bleeding. He thinks briefly about calling Liz and asking her to ID whoever all this blood belonged to.

He googles ‘Alexander Manes Iraq death’ and nothing obvious pops up in the searches. But on the next page he sees a newspaper article from a Virginia paper, clicks it open. It’s from summer 2018 and includes a list of purple heart recipients. A Captain Alexander Manes among the names.

So, he made it home. Hurt but alive. Michael’s best guess is that he returned to Iraq before his death in October.

He runs several searches for Alex’s brothers. He gets a hit on a Gregory Manes. Local newspaper photo of him with several kids from a science fair. The school is near a reservation in the northwest corner of the state. He jots the information down but decides to start a little closer to home.

People in Roswell must know the Manes family. And so that’s where he’ll begin. Starting with local business owners. First thing in the morning.

[forgadgetsandgizmos]

Malex Drabble

* *

No one had seen Alex in three days. 

Which, okay, he left town frequently enough for the Air Force that it could be no big deal. But ever since Alex spent a week in a basement because everyone, including Michael, thought he was at a recruitment job out of town, Alex checked in when he left. Usually with Michael. And Alex hadn’t told Michael that he was planning on leaving, much less checked in.

Michael should’ve let it go. No one else is worried, there’s no dangers around, no lingering threat that could result in Alex being missing or worse. But Michael couldn’t shake the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

And he kept circling back to Alex hadn’t told him that he was leaving.

Which is how he ended up here, standing in Alex’s driveway and staring at the old Christmas lights still dangling from the porch, trying to shake off his paranoia without invading his friend’s private space.

On second thought, that’s exactly what he did last time and he turned out to be right. He started for the door. The game plan that time around had been Find Alex, and okay, it was the same here. Whatever, it was a good plan. At least this time he knows where the spare key is kept.

Michael jogged the last couple steps up to Alex’s front door and knocked loudly. “Alex?”

No response. He stood on his toes to peer inside through the glass in the top of the door. From what he could see, none of the lights were on and no one was moving around inside.

“Alex, I’m worried about you,” he tried. He knocked on the door a few more times. “If you don’t answer, I’m coming in. He backed away to dig the key out of a bottle buried nearby. “Using the spare key,” he added. If Alex was inside, it probably wouldn’t be helpful if he thought Michael was going to telekinetically break his lock.

When he was met with more silence, Michael unlocked the door and took a hesitant step in.

“Alex?”

He made his way around the house. The kitchen held a small pile of take out bags and dirty, plastic containers. Alex was here then, and eating. That was always good, Michael acknowledged.

He walked over to Alex’s bedroom door and knocked quietly, cracking open the door as he did and poking his head inside. A blindness darkness greeted him.

Michael blinked quickly, trying to help his eyes adjust as he took in the room. Heavy, drawn curtains blocked any light from the windows. Two large, empty bottles sat on the bedside table closest to the door. It was too dark to be sure, but the thin, tall neck made Michael think it was tequila. The bed held a pile of blankets surrounding a curled up figure in the center.

Michael let out a breath, his shoulders slumping.

“Alex, it’s me. Can I come in?”

He received a faint humm in response.

Taking that as a yes, Michael slipped into the room and shut the door behind him, careful not to make any loud noises. He slowly inched closer to the bed Alex had buried himself in. He wasn’t sure what the protocol here was. Alex was physically fine; Michael could see enough to make out the movement of the blankets from Alex breathing. Strands of hair peeked out of the fuzz pile and the sunlight in the hall shined back at him from Alex’s prosthetic where it was laying on the floor near the bed.

But Alex obviously wasn’t fine. From what Michael had seen, Alex had apparently spent the past three days of avoiding his friends in bed, ordering takeout, and day-drinking. While Michael may not have much experience with avoiding worried friends, he did have a decade spent deep-diving into a bottle or three in his belt, and multiple empty maybe-tequila bottles did not equal fine.

“Alex, what’s going on,” Michael whispered. He sat on the edge of the bed with one leg still on the floor, hand hovering over Alex’s body as he waited for a response.

After a few seconds, Alex reached a hand out of his pile and pulled the blanket closest to him tightly, framing his face.

“What are you doing here,” he croaked out, eyes still closed.

“I was worried about you. You haven’t responded to me or anyone else in three days.”

“I’m fine.”

Michael caught the blanket before Alex could pull it back over his head. “I see that,” he noted dryly.

Alex huffed and opened his eyes. “I am. You can go now.”

“Not until you tell me why you’ve been avoiding everyone in favor of alcohol and shitty take-out.” Michael kicked off his shoes and crawled over Alex onto the bed. He leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes. “I can sit here all day.”

He opened one eye to see Alex glaring up at him. “I’ll just listen,” Michael offered.

Another huff.

Michael closed his eye again and waited. A minute or two later, he felt the mattress moving under him. He opened both eyes to see Alex sitting up beside him and offered him a smile.

Alex’s lips twitched in response and Michael felt his own widen to a grin.

Michael waited patiently beside him.

“I got a phone call,” Alex started. His eyes stayed fixed on the floor well-away from Michael as he spoke. “I loved being in my squadron. Some of the guys were family in a way I hadn’t had before, you know?”

Loved. Were. Michael stopped smiling.

“Flint and Clay always felt really distant. When I was a kid, I thought it was because they remember Mom. And I love Gregory, but we weren’t super close as kids.”

And Flint and Clay were two peas in a Jesse-spawn pod, Michael wanted to add.

“We has to be together all the time, we didn’t have a choice but to get close. There were four of us that were,” Alex tutted, searching for the word. “I don’t know. Saying brothers feels weird considering my real brothers.”

“I get it,” Michael said softly. He and Max and Isobel, they weren’t actually siblings. But Max and Iz were so important to him, to his life on Earth, and to his past, that calling them brother and sister felt inadequate. “They were real. What brothers should be.”

Alex nodded. “Besides me, it was Hunter, Jamie, and Patrick. Hunter and Jamie died in the same explosion that blew off my leg. Which. . . sucked. But Patrick was okay. He stayed with me as long as he could in the hospital in Germany. He missed their funerals to stay with me.” He took a steadying breath. “He had to ship out eventually. He was assigned a new unit and left for an eight month tour about six months ago.”

Alex looked up to meet Michael’s eyes. He schooled his face, trying to project a sense of calmness and security. He just hoped that the grief and pain and mourning he saw in Alex’s eyes wasn’t echoed in his own.

When Alex spoke again, it was so soft Michael had too strain to make out the words. “Patrick’s new unit chief called three days ago. He - he’s dead.” Alex voice shook as he choked back a sob and leaned into Michael.

Michael gripped Alex tightly and pressed his lips to his forehead. Michael didn’t - he couldn’t comfort this. He had lost a whole world. . . but he hadn’t know them. He lost his mom but, so had Alex. She might not technically be dead, but she had left when he was so young and stayed gone so long that she might as well be. The only think Michael had to compare was Isobel and Max and if he lost them. . . well. He’s sure he would be in the drunk tank in a lot worse shape than this.

“Alex,” Michael said softly, turning to press his cheek against Alex’s head, “When I was a kid, I spent years imaging what it would be like to lose Max and Isobel, either when they got sick of me and left or if they got caught and were killed. I planned out how to be alone, as much as it killed me to admit that, since that implies I wasn’t alone with them,” he chucked lowly.

Michael buried his free hand in Alex’s hair, letting the soft, dark strands run through his fingers. Alex stayed quiet. “I stopped because I met someone who was different. He treated me the same way Max and Iz did and no one had ever done that before. In my experience, people weren’t just nice for no reason. Even Max and Iz treated me like they did because they viewed me as their brother. And this guy, I could never seem to drive him away. And I certainly tried my best,” he admitted, “especially after graduation. He was the fucking sun and he made me realize that I wasn’t better than everyone else. It kinda opened up my world.”

Alex stirred at that. “Life isn’t a rom-com, Michael.”

“Okay, but it is a telenovela. I mean hello, alien from outer space here.”

Underneath him, Alex made a sound that reminded him a baby whining.

“You interrupted. There was more,” Michael chided jokingly. He gave Alex a light flick on the head. “I would still fall apart if I lost Max and Iz. That hasn’t changed. But I would want to keep on going now. Because of you. And you don’t have to get over this or be okay because of me, that’s not what I’m saying-“

“Michael.”

Michael shut up. “Sorry,” he murmured.

Alex finally moved from his half-laying down, half-sitting up position and looked at Michael. “I get it.”

“You do?”

“I do.” Alex smiled sadly at him and let his hand hover over the side of Michael’s face. “Thank you.”

Michael’s eyes lightened. “Thank you,” he returned. They were words he’s been waiting to say to Alex for over a decade. Since they were seventeen and stupid in love. He owes Alex so much.

They weren’t seventeen anymore. Picking a place to make-out that wasn’t the pickup of Michael’s truck was no longer their biggest hurdle. Now, that would have to be a toss up between the giant government conspiracy, the alien-DNA-targeting-bomb, and the various murders him and his siblings were hiding.

No, they definitely weren’t seventeen anymore. But as Alex curdled back up under his blanket mound and buried himself into Michael’s side, Michael knew that, for him, that was the only thing that had changed.

[blackkudos]

Luther Vandross

Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Throughout his career, Vandross was an in-demand background vocalist for several different artists including Todd Rundgren, Judy Collins, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Ben E. King, and Donna Summer. He later became a lead singer of the group Change, which released its gold-certified debut album, The Glow of Love, in 1980 on Warner/RFC Records. After Vandross left the group, he was signed to Epic Records as a solo artist and released his debut solo album, Never Too Much, in 1981.

His hit songs include "Never Too Much", "Here and Now", "Any Love", "Power of Love/Love Power", "I Can Make It Better" and "For You to Love". Many of his songs were covers of original music by other artists such as "If This World Were Mine" (duet with Cheryl Lynn), "Since I Lost My Baby", "Superstar" and "Always and Forever". Duets such as "The Closer I Get to You" with Beyoncé, "Endless Love" with Mariah Carey and "The Best Things in Life Are Free" with Janet Jackson were all hit songs in his career.

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".

Early life

Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. was born on April 20, 1951, at Bellevue Hospital, in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. He was the fourth child and second son of Mary Ida Vandross and Luther Vandross, Sr. His father was an upholsterer and singer, and his mother was a nurse. Vandross was raised in Manhattan's Lower East Side in the NYCHA Alfred E. Smith Houses public housing development. At the age of three, having his own phonograph, Vandross taught himself to play the piano by ear.

Vandross's father died of diabetes when Vandross was eight years old. In 2003, Vandross wrote the song "Dance with My Father" and dedicated it to him; the title was based on his childhood memories and his mother's recollections of the family singing and dancing in the house. His family moved to the Bronx when he was nine. His sisters, Patricia "Pat" and Ann began taking Vandross to the Apollo Theater and to a theater in Brooklyn to see Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin. Patricia sang with the vocal group The Crests and was featured on the songs "My Juanita" and "Sweetest One".

Vandross graduated from William Howard Taft High School in the Bronx in 1969, and attended Western Michigan University for a year before dropping out to continue pursuing a career in music.

Career

While in high school, Vandross founded the first Patti LaBelle fan club, of which he was president. He also performed in a group, Shades of Jade, that once played at the Apollo Theater. During his early years in show business he appeared several times at the Apollo's famous amateur night. While a member of a theater workshop, Listen My Brother, he was involved in the singles "Only Love Can Make a Better World" and "Listen My Brother". He appeared with the group in several episodes of the first season of Sesame Street during 1969–1970.

1970s: Back-up vocalist and first groups

Vandross added backing vocals to Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway in 1972, and worked on Delores Hall's Hall-Mark album (1973). He sang with her on the song "Who's Gonna Make It Easier for Me", which he wrote, and he contributed another song, "In This Lonely Hour". Having co-written "Fascination" for David Bowie's Young Americans (1975), 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.

Vandross also sang backing vocals for artists including Roberta Flack,Chaka Khan, Ben E. King, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, and Donna Summer, and for the bands Mandrill, Chic and Todd Rundgren's Utopia.

Before his solo breakthrough, Vandross was part of a singing quintet in the late 1970s named Luther, consisting of former Shades of Jade members Anthony Hinton and Diane Sumler, as well as 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), which Vandross produced, did not sell enough to make the charts. Vandross bought back the rights to those albums after Cotillion dropped the group, preventing them from being re-released.

Vandross also wrote and sang commercial jingles from 1977 until the early 1980s, for companies including NBC, Mountain Dew, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, and Juicy Fruit. He continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 1970s.

In 1978, Vandross sang lead vocals for Greg Diamond's disco band, Bionic Boogie, on the song titled "Hot Butterfly". Also in 1978, he appeared on Quincy Jones's Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!, most notably on the song "I'm Gonna Miss You in the Morning" along with Patti Austin. Vandross also sang with the band Soirée and was the lead vocalist on the track "You Are the Sunshine of My Life"; he also contributed background vocals to the album along with Jocelyn Brown and Sharon Redd, each of whom also saw solo success. Additionally, he sang the lead vocals on the group Mascara's LP title song "See You in L.A." released in 1979. Vandross also appeared on the group Charme's 1979 album Let It In.

1980s: Change and solo breakthrough

Vandross made his 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, "The Glow of Love" (by Romani, Malavasi and Garfield) and "Searching" (by Malavasi), featured Vandross as the lead singer. In a 2001 interview with Vibe, Vandross said "The Glow of Love" was "the most beautiful song I've ever sung in my life." Both songs were from Change's debut album, The Glow of Love.

Vandross was originally intended to perform on their second and highly successful album Miracles in 1981, but declined the offer as Petrus didn't pay enough money. Vandross's decision led to a recording contract with Epic Records that same year, but he also provided 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 Dionne Warwick song "A House Is Not a Home".

The song "Never Too Much", written by him, reached number-one on the R&B charts. This period also marked the beginning of 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 Vandross's 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, two of Vandross's singles reached No. 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 follow-up album, 1983's Get It Right.

In 1983, the opportunity to work with his main musical 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 No. 27 on the Hot 100 chart (#7 R&B/#4 Adult Contemporary), while the second single, "Got a Date" was a moderate hit (#45 R&B/#15 Club Play).

Vandross wrote and produced "It's Hard for Me to Say" for Diana Ross from her Red Hot Rhythm & Blues album. Ross performed the song as an a cappella tribute to Oprah Winfrey on her final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show. She then proceeded to add it to her successful 2010–12 "More Today Than Yesterday: The Greatest Hits Tour. Vandross also recorded a version of this song on his Your Secret Love album in 1996.

In December 1985, Vandross filed a libel suit against a British magazine after it attributed his 85-pound weight loss to AIDS. He weighed 325 pounds when he started a diet in May that year.

In 1985, Vandross first spotted the talent of Jimmy Salvemini, who was fifteen at the time, on Star Search. He thought Salvemini had the perfect voice for some of his songs, and contacted him. He was managed by his brother, Larry Salvemini. A contract was negotiated with Elektra Records for $250,000 and Vandross agreed to produce the album. He contacted his old friends - Cheryl Lynn, Alfa Anderson (Chic), Phoebe Snow and Irene Cara - to appear on the record. After the album was completed, Luther, Jimmy, and Larry decided to celebrate. On January 12, 1986, they were riding in Vandross's 1985 convertible Mercedes-Benz on Laurel Canyon Boulevard, in the north section of Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. Luther was driving at 48 mph in a 35 mph zone when his Mercedes veered across the double yellow center line of the two lane street, turned sideways and collided with the front of a 1972 Mercury Marquis that was headed southbound, then swung around and hit a 1979 Cadillac Seville head on. Vandross and Jimmy were rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Larry, who was in the passenger seat, was killed during the collision. Vandross suffered three broken ribs, a broken hip, several bruises and facial cuts. Jimmy, who was in the back of the car, had cuts, bruises and contusions. Vandross faced vehicular manslaughter charges as a result of Larry's death, and his driving license was suspended for a year. There was no evidence Vandross was under the influence of alcohol or other drugs; he pleaded no contest to reckless driving. At first, the Salvemini family was supportive of Vandross, but later filed a wrongful death suit against him. The case was settled out of court with a payment to the Salvemini family for about $630,000. Jimmy Salvemini's album, Roll It, was released later that year.

Vandross also sang the ad-libs and background vocals, along with Syreeta Wright and Philip Bailey, in Stevie Wonder's 1985 hit "Part-Time Lover". In 1986, he voiced a cartoon character named Zack for ABC's Zack of All Trades, a three Saturday morning animated PSA spots.

The 1989 compilation album 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.

1990s

In 1990, Vandross wrote, produced and sang background for Whitney Houston in a song entitled "Who Do You Love" which appeared on her I'm Your Baby Tonight album. That year, he guest starred on the television sitcom 227.

More albums followed in the 1990s, beginning with 1991's Power of Love which spawned two top ten pop hits. He won his first Grammy award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 1991. He won his second Best Male R&B Vocal in the Grammy Awards of 1992, and his track "Power of Love/Love Power" won 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, he 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, teaming with Mariah Carey on a cover version of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross's duet "Endless Love". It was included on the album Songs, a collection of songs which had inspired Vandross over the years. He also appears on "The Lady Is a Tramp" released on Frank Sinatra's Duets album. At 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, Vandross sang the American national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner", during Super Bowl XXXI at the Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana.

2000s

He made two public appearances at Diana Ross's Return to Love Tour: at its opening in Philadelphia at First Union Spectrum and its final stop at Madison Square Garden on July 6, 2000.

In September 2001, Vandross performed a rendition of Michael Jackson's hit song "Man in the Mirror" at Jackson's 30th Anniversary special, alongside Usher and 98 Degrees.

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

In the spring of 2003, Vandross's last collaboration was Doc Powell's "What's Going On", a cover of Marvin Gaye from Powell's album 97th and Columbus.

In 2003, Vandross released the album Dance with My Father. It sold 442,000 copies in the first week and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. The title track of the same name, which was dedicated to Vandross's childhood memories of dancing with his father, won Vandross 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 only career No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. The video for the title track features various celebrities alongside their fathers and other family members. The second single released from the 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. Vandross, who had been to only one basketball game in his life, was the new singer, and the video had none of the special effects, like glowing basketballs and star trails, that videos from previous years had. This song version is in use today.

Personal life

Vandross was never married and had no children. His older siblings all predeceased him.

Vandross's sexual orientation was a subject of media speculation. Jason King, writing in Vandross's obituary in The Village Voice, said: "Though he never came out as gay or bisexual, you had to be wearing blinders." According to Gene Davis, a television producer who worked with Vandross, "Everybody in the business knew that Luther was gay". In 2006, Bruce Vilanch, a friend and colleague of Vandross, told Out magazine, "He said to me, 'No one knows I'm in the life.' ... He had very few sexual contacts". According to Vilanch, Vandross experienced his longest romantic relationship with a man while living in Los Angeles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In December 2017, his friend Patti LaBelle confirmed that Vandross was, in fact, gay.

Illness and death

Vandross suffered from diabetes and hypertension. On April 16, 2003, Vandross suffered a severe stroke at his home in New York City and was in a coma for nearly two months. The stroke affected his ability to speak and sing, and required him to use a wheelchair.

At the 2004 Grammy Awards, Vandross appeared in a pre-taped video segment to accept his Song of the Year Award for "Dance with My Father", saying, "When I say goodbye it's never for long, because I believe in the power of love" (Vandross sang the last six words). His mother, Mary, accepted the award in person on his behalf. His last public appearance was on May 6, 2004, on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Vandross died on July 1, 2005, at the JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey, at the age of 54 of a heart attack.

Vandross's funeral was held at Riverside Church in New York City on July 8, 2005. Cissy Houston, founding member of The Sweet Inspirations and mother of Whitney Houston, sang at the funeral service. Vandross was entombed at the George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey. He was survived by his mother, Mary Ida Vandross, who died in 2008.

Voice

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.

By popular vote, Vandross was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall of Fame at SoulMusic.com in December 2012.

Tribute

In 1999, Whitney Houston sang Vandross's "So Amazing" as a tribute to Vandross as he sat in the audience during the Soul Train Awards. Johnny Gill, El DeBarge, and Kenny Lattimore provided background vocals. On July 27, 2004, GRP Records released a smooth jazz various artists tribute album, Forever, for Always, for Luther, including ten popular songs written by Vandross. The album featured vocal arrangements by Luther, and was produced by Rex Rideout and Bud Harner. Rideout had co-authored songs, contributed arrangements and played keyboards on Vandross'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 Vandross.

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 his songs performed by various artists, including Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Fantasia, Beyoncé, Donna Summer, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Celine Dion, Wyclef Jean, Babyface, Patti LaBelle, John Legend, Angie Stone, Jamie Foxx, Teddy Pendergrass, 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. In the music video "Bye Bye" from Mariah Carey Vandross's picture appears in the closing images. His image was included as a tribute along with various other deceased people with whom Carey had collaborated.

In 2008, Keyshia Cole sang the outro to "Luther Vandross" on "Playa Cardz Right", which featured rapper Tupac Shakur from her 2008 album, A Different Me. Guitarist Norman Brown did a rendition of "Any Love" on his 1994 album After The Storm. R&B band 112 sampled Vandross's "Don't You Know That" to make their song "Love Me" on their second album Room 112. Saxophonist Boney James covered his rendition on his final track "The Night I Fell in Love" on Backbone in 1994.

Vandross has been cited as an influence on a number of other artists, including 112, Boyz II Men, D'Angelo, Hootie & the Blowfish, Jaheim, John Legend, Mint Condition, Ne-Yo, Ruben Studdard, and Usher. Stokley Williams, the lead singer of Mint Condition, has said that he has "studied Luther for such a long time because he was the epitome of perfect tone." On his influence, John Legend has said, "All us people making slow jams now, we was inspired by the slow jams Luther Vandross was making."

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.

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

New releases

J Records released a song, "Shine"—an upbeat R&B track that samples Chic's disco song "My Forbidden Lover"—which reached No. 31 on the Billboard R&B chart. The song was originally slated to be released on the soundtrack to the movie, The Fighting Temptations, but it was shelved. A later remix of the song peaked at No. 10 on the Club Play chart. "Shine" and a track titled "Got You Home" were previously unreleased songs on The Ultimate Luther Vandross (2006), 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 boxed set titled Love, Luther. It features nearly all of Vandross's R&B and pop hits throughout his career, as well as unreleased live tracks, alternate versions, and outtakes from sessions that Vandross recorded. 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.

In October 2015, Sony Music released a re-configured edition of its The Essential Luther Vandross compilation containing three unreleased songs: "Love It, Love It" (which made its premiere a year prior on the UK compilation The Greatest Hits), a live recording of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with Paul Simon and Jennifer Holliday, and a cover of Astrud Gilberto's "Look to the Rainbow."

Discography

Luther (1976)

This Close to You (1977)

Never Too Much (1981)

Forever, for Always, for Love (1982)

Busy Body (1983)

The Night I Fell in Love (1985)

Give Me the Reason (1986)

Any Love (1988)

Power of Love (1991)

Never Let Me Go (1993)

Songs (1994)

This Is Christmas (1995)

Your Secret Love (1996)

I Know (1998)

Luther Vandross (2001)

Dance with My Father (2003)

Tours

Luther Tour (1981)

Forever For Always For Love Tour (1982–1983)

Busy Body Tour (1984)

The Night I Fell in Love Tour (1985–1986)

Give Me the Reason Tour (1987)

Any Love World Tour (1988–1989)

Best of Love Tour (1990)

The Power of Love Tour (1991)

Never Let Me Go World Tour (1993–1994)

Your Secret Love World Tour (1997)

Take You Out Tour (2001���2002)

BK Got Soul Tour (2002)

Awards

Grammy AwardSoul Train Music AwardsAmerican Music AwardHollywood Walk of Fame

Inducted: Star (Posthumous; June 3, 2014)

See also

List of quiet storm songs

Luther Burger

Craig Seymour

[c-is-for-circinate]

The Untitled Prequel To A Harry Potter Fic I Am (Probably) Never Writing

By popular demand, this thing that starts a story I know more of but probably don’t have the words for!

In which Minerva McGonagall tries to figure out the present, and, relatedly, the future; including a great many names readers will not recognize, because there are many, many students at Hogwarts, and several more that readers will.

.

It takes nearly three weeks after the final battle to empty the tent city struck up on the Hogwarts grounds of the last of its inhabitants.  They leave in straggling, drawn-out waves, one by one or six or seven at a time, one day after the other.  Nobody takes the train.

First to go, of course, are the Aurors, the members of the Order, with the dead carried out on pallets and Death Eaters in chains--adults.  Very well and good riddance.  Minerva isn’t concerned with them.  She barely spared them a thought in the first place.  The few that stay are useful for wards and charms to light the campfires, and that’s all the mind she has time to pay to them right now.

The first children to go, then, are those injured too badly to be cared for with the Hogwarts facilities in the state they are now.  There aren’t many.  More left with the dead.

After that and within the first day or so, there’s a small handful of sixth- and seventh-years old enough to Apparate themselves away and tired or worried about family enough to leave without a second glance.  Minerva wishes them well and turns her attention to the next wave: students with parents or guardians who are still alive, and findable, and sane and well enough to Floo or Apparate in to Hogsmeade to collect them in person.  Parents who aren’t in some sort of custody or wanted by this or the last, not-quite-dismantled Ministry for capture the moment they arrive for their children.

“I am not,” Minerva says on the second day, knuckles very white around her wand and Kingsley Shacklebolt very much in her way, “going to hold children hostage to secure their parents’ arrest.”

“Minerva,” Kingsley says, voice calm and quiet and sad enough that she doesn’t hit him for it, “does it do them any better service to send them home with parents who will be hunted as traitors and murderers the moment they leave?”

Minerva takes a sharp breath to retort and thinks, very abruptly, how much of the last year she has spent spoiling on the very edge of a fight.  Kingsley Shacklebolt is her ally.  He is her friend.  He is not even incorrect.

Minerva’s been a Gryffindor for fifty years.  She has learned in that time that a great many problems cannot be solved via force, combat, or conflict, and found a great many alternate ways to solve them besides.  A year of occupation, a pitched battle, and the bodies of too many students won’t take that from her.

“Very well,” she says, and allows the Order’s Aurors to stand present at the Hogsmeade floos, the designated Apparition points for parental pick-up, and hover generally in the background of every parent-child reunion.

Four days after the battle when the rush quiets, a little fewer than half the students who attended Hogwarts this year are left.  It’s no more than a third of the number that should have been there, but never mind that.  Never mind the groaning, crumbling wreck of Hogwarts Castle, the broken walls and fallen staircases, the gaping holes and cursed booby-traps left in every hall that they ought to be living in now.  Minerva turns away deliberately, keeps the castle to her back, and faces the problem in front of her.

The next set of students, then.  Those whose adults are, for one reason or another, difficult to locate or otherwise...unavailable.

There are ways to find witches and wizards who don’t want to be found, but no adult witch or wizard had survived any amount of time on the run from Voldemort and his Ministry by being easy to track.  Half the parents who appear at Hogwarts over the next few days, Minerva hasn’t actually managed to contact at all--they show up on their own, eager or hopeful or desperate, and she turns their children over gladly.

It took three days after the battle, with all the wizarding world in a shambles as expected, for someone from their side to finally make it out to Azkaban.  It takes days more even to process the prisoners, to treat them for disease and injury, for madness.  Days just to get a list of names, the living and the Kissed and the dead.

Some of them come for their children after that.  Some of them, Minerva scratches off her list of parents with a steady, even stroke of her quill, and adds their children’s names to her list of students whose aunts and uncles and further relatives need to be located and investigated instead.

A week after the last battle, Demelza Robins shows up at the flap of Minerva’s office tent, fists clenched and tear streaks dry on her cheeks, four younger students behind her.  “We’re going to St. Mungo’s,” she says.  “My dad’s the only family I’ve got left.  It’s the same for all of us.  You can’t keep us here.  We’re going.”

“My dear,” Minerva says, rising from her chair, one hand raised to placate.  She freezes quite suddenly when Malcom Baddock raises his wand in a shaky hand.

“You can’t stop us,” he says.  “You can’t.”

Malcom had shared a dormitory room for four years with Matthias Burke and Dominic Rosier, a bathroom with Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle and Draco Malfoy, a house with Flora and Hestia Carrow.  Decades ago, his father wore green and silver and sang in the school choir and was so fluid and graceful with his Transfigurations it was a joy to have his class of Slytherins every single year.  Nobody’s seen Sylvester Baddock in three months, for all the word Minerva’s been able to find of him, but if Betty was in Azkaban...Minerva doesn’t hold out much hope.

Malcom has one uncle to Minerva’s knowledge, besides Betty’s Muggle family, but he won’t be coming by to pick his nephew up.  He was already here last week.  He’ll be on the other Azkaban list, as far as she’s aware.  The incoming one.

“Mr. Baddock,” Minerva says gently.  “You cannot possibly stay at St. Mungo’s.  The entire hospital is packed.  I’d be surprised if there’s a spare chair that hasn’t been Transfigured into a cot in the whole place.  Where would you go?”

“Home,” says Demelza.  “Not some hospital without anything familiar or anyone who loves them to help them get better.”

“Children, your parents are in no fit state to take care of you,” Minerva says.  She’s seen the reports on Travis Robins, Betty Baddock, Paul and Angela Hurst.  Edric Fowley, whose family tree hadn’t seen a Muggle in ten generations until he married one.  Poor Emilia Dawlish.

“That’s fine,” Demelza says.  “That’s what we’re for.  We’ll take care of them.”

“We’ll take care of each other,” says Winifred Fowley, very very quietly.  “We don’t need magic for that.”

Minerva should put her foot down and stop this.  Lucas Hurst is only twelve.  What if something goes wrong?  What if their parents are even more broken in mind and spirit than in body?  What if that thrice-damned excuse for an Auror John Dawlish gets out of his own hospital bed before Emilia’s well enough to defend herself?  What if somebody gets hurt?

“We can all stay at Fowley’s place if we have to,” Demelza says.  “Even Baddock.  But we’re leaving now.”

Five fewer children to worry about here, feeling trapped and frightened and plotting ways to escape without doing her the courtesy of a farewell first.  Five more to worry about out in the great wide world without her, but what’s five more on top of that impossible pile?

“Professor Sprout will escort you to St. Mungo’s,” Minerva says, though, Merlin, she needs Pomona here so badly.  But Pomona will have the good sense to bring the children back if need be.  For one afternoon, she’ll make do.

The trickle of incoming parents has turned into a trickle of aunts and uncles and grandparents by the second week, as Minerva pours over lists and writes letters and sends owls and looks for any suitable relative capable of taking care of one or two or four or five children still shaken by the year they’ve survived.  Grace Hawthorne, just barely eighteen, shows up with her great-great-grandmother Jocosa, a hundred and eight, and together they collect Grace’s two younger sisters and every one of the Partridge and Hawthorne cousins.  Minerva lets them do it, even Edna and Toby Partridge who are cousins on the other side and not a drop of Hawthorne blood to them at all.  There are too many students left and too few parents to take them all, and Edna is responsible, and Grace is clever.  They’ll make do as well as anyone else these days.

Not a single child at Hogwarts this year is Muggleborn, but there are two dozen or more who haven’t any family left besides their Muggle relatives, and that’s another horror and a heartache all in itself.  Each child must be hand-delivered by Side-Along Apparition or Floo’ed to some nearby wizarding location and then taken by broomstick or Knight Bus or some Muggle transportation or walked.

James Tuckett’s aunt hadn’t even known her brother was dead until Xiomara Hooch showed up at her front door.  Minerva sits down at her desk and listens to Xiomara relate the story and closes her eyes, and tries not to think about a brick house with a perfectly tailored lawn in Surrey on a night in 1981, when everything had somehow felt so much clearer than this.

Somewhere around the second week, the Aurors--the new Aurors, whatever may be becoming of them under Kingsley’s leadership, after the days of arguing and politicking that Albus surely would have stuck his nose into and Minerva simply doesn’t have time to care about--release a whole flurry of suspects they’ve cleared of the Imperious curse or found reasonably innocent of most probable wrongdoing.  There are dozens of others still awaiting trials that might not be managed for weeks or even months, but in the meantime the new wave of parents is here and furious or desperate or relieved, every one of them overflowing with emotions and very few of those happy.

Minerva finds herself very nearly cursed by Isra Harper nee Shafiq, upon revealing that she’d sent Adam home with his Harper relatives several days prior.  At this point, she is tired enough to barely bat an eye.

That wave clears out a handful of students and two thirds of the Slytherins that are left.  Minerva walks past the color-coded row of House tents, shorter once again than it’s been in days as the remaining students cluster and condense some more, and doesn’t let herself think about school unity or what might even become of Slytherin in the fall.  Doesn’t let herself think about autumn at all, or the falling-down castle behind her, or Septima Vector’s still, cooling body or the tremor in Filius Flitwick’s hand these days.  There’s Fiendfyre in the school somewhere, Potter told her quietly before he left, eating its way through a pocket dimension of magical objects and who knows what other enchantments, and if it’s grown powerful enough feasting it might not stop burning for months.  There are still students here in front of her, and Minerva will see that they’re taken care of before she lets herself fall apart in terror of the future.

By the third week they’re down to just shy of forty students, and Minerva has racked her brain as thoroughly as possible to try and remember what they did at the end of the last war.  Had there been so many orphans, that time?  Hogwarts had been safe, had stayed safe, that entire war.  Surely there must have been students whose parents were murdered as they sat snug in their dormitories.  What had they done then?

It had all been case by case back then, was the trouble, never so many all at once.  But this is no place for children.  It’s no place for adults--Irma Pince is already gone, horror and nightmares behind her eyes, and she’d had to beg Poppy to stay on just until the last child was seen to and sent off.  Aurora Sinistra’s in St. Mungo’s still.  Horace Disapparated within the first day of the battle being over without a second look back.  There’s just Minerva herself, Pomona and Filius and Xiomara and Poppy, Rubeus in his hut and Sibyl holed up inside her tent too shaken to leave, a handful of house elves keeping them all fed over campfires and a handful of Aurors and Order members patrolling the perimeter every day.  It’s not enough.  She misses Severus more than she ever would have thought possible.

She thinks Albus would have done better.  She thinks Albus wouldn’t have done a thing at all, popping down to the new Ministry every single morning and only putting in an appearance here to keep his face in people’s minds, and she’d still be doing everything she is now and then some.  She thinks it would still be better, because then at least they’d have Albus to look to, to believe in, to reassure them that it would all turn out alright though of course he was much too cryptic to say how.  Albus wouldn’t ever explain his full reasoning and he might even be wrong, but at least he’d have an answer.

Well.  If the possession of any answer at all, abstruse or wrong as it might be, is the standard to which Minerva is aspiring, she can certainly provide that herself.  She can do several steps better than that.

She makes a new list from memory, and has to stop herself at the bottom, go back and cross out several names once again.  The Westinburghs are dead.  The Kaleys ran to France the moment George and Miranda left school.  Honorius Hanley was arrested last week, shocking everyone who had the time to care about it.

The Abbotts are in mourning.  The Smiths are in mourning.  The Weasleys are in mourning.  Everybody in the world is in mourning.

There’s a small fireplace in Minerva’s office tent, large enough to firecall from.  She starts at the top of her much-too-short list, and hopes.

Percy Weasley answers the fire at the Burrow, looking gaunt and tired, wrapped in a hand-knit sweater that ought to be much too warm for very nearly June.  “Professor McGonagall,” he says, polite in his surprise.  “What brings you by today?”

“I’m afraid I have a favor to ask of your parents,” Minerva says, and doesn’t miss the flash of stubbornness and rage that calms so quickly on Percy’s face.  She can’t blame him for an instant.

“Don’t you think my parents have done enough?” he asks, clipped and chilly.

“Be that as it may,” Minerva begins.

“Oh, shove over, Percy!”  A moment later he’s elbowed out of the way of the fire, his younger sister taking his place.  “Professor McGonagall.  MUM!  FIRE FOR YOU!”

Minerva controls a wince at the volume and spots Percy failing to quite do the same, though that may be related to the elbow-inflicted bruise he now appears to be rubbing on his side.  Ginny Weasley peers down into the fire with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her sharp, probing eyes.

“What’s going on, Professor?” Ginny asks.

“I’m afraid--” Minerva begins, to put her off, before Percy cuts in.

“That’s Mum and Dad’s business, Ginny,” he says, and Ginny scowls darkly.

“That’s enough from you, Percy,” she says.  “Go see if George needs help in the garden.”

Minerva doesn’t know quite what to expect from that, but it’s not for Percy Weasley to pause and then sink in on himself, becoming a small, quiet thing in the face of his sister’s ire.  He nods at her once, “Professor.”  Then he’s gone.

“Ginny, what on Earth--”  Molly Weasley bustles over with as little cheer and energy as Minerva’s ever seen, but she does smile when she sees whose head is in the fireplace, and Minerva takes it for the kindness it is.  “Minerva, how nice to see you.”

“You as well, Molly.  How is your family?”

Both Weasley women’s expressions darken a bit, though Molly’s brightens back into half-forced cheer after a moment.  “We’re getting by,” she says.  “Charlie’s been staying with Bill and Fleur, not that we don’t have the space, but they didn’t want Shell Cottage standing empty and anyway at least it’s closer than Romania.  They’ll be by for supper in a few hours.”

“I’m glad,” Minerva says with complete honesty, for reasons entirely separate from the impetus for her call.  She leaves it there--Molly wouldn’t thank her for useless platitudes, no matter how true, and she’s a whole list of firecalls to make after this one, too.

“How about Hogwarts, then?” Molly asks briskly.  “Rebuilding efforts beginning and all that?”

Minerva can’t quite contain her flinch this time.  “I’m afraid they haven’t begun.  We’re still...attempting to find appropriate homes for several of the students from last term.”

Molly’s face goes wide with understanding and grief.  Ginny’s sharpens.

“The orphans,” Ginny says, cutting straight to the point.  “How many?”

“Miss Weasley…” Minerva begins, and then finds she doesn’t quite know what to say.

“Hector and Ariadne’s parents died last November, but they’ve an aunt,” Ginny continues.  “I heard about Demelza and her father.  Kitty and Mara Westinburgh?  Who else?”

“There are approximately three dozen students with no relatives on record available to take them in,” Minerva concedes.  “We were hoping...I know this is a terrible time for your family, but Molly…”

Molly wrings her hands in her apron and blinks away a bit of wetness in her eyes.  “Is there anywhere else?” she asks, and then recoils a bit, biting into her bottom lip in shame.

“With three dozen children, and things the way they are, the options for placement…”  Minerva doesn’t think there are three dozen untouched wizarding families today in all of Britain.  And oh, there are plenty of families still standing, still pulling through, but how many can she trust to do right by a child not their own?  Who could she turn to, if not…

“Do you have a list, Professor?” Ginny asks.  “Of the students who are left.  I know most of them, maybe I can help.”

Minerva should protest, but Ginevra Weasley’s eyes are bright and very piercing.  She hasn’t yet turned seventeen.

Minerva hadn’t been able to make an ally out of her, last year.  She hadn’t been willing.  Better that Ginny, that Neville Longbottom, that their whole organization slip by unrecognized and unknown by as many adults as possible.  Minerva couldn’t reveal and didn’t have to be seen to punish what she didn’t know.  She’d set herself as a bulwark facing Severus and the Carrows and done her best never to look over her shoulder at the students behind her, placing all her hope and faith in those children’s ability to protect themselves where she couldn’t.

Perhaps she’d hoped for this, when she firecalled here first.  “Very well,” Minerva says, and reaches through the fire with the list.

Molly goes to take it, far too slow, but only makes the smallest noise of protest when Ginny snatches it away.  “Hmm,” she says.  “You should send Euan Abercrombie off with David Wu, if you can find where their family’s hidden,” she says.  “They’re all Muggles but Euan spent half the past two summers with them, they’ll take him in.  Leslie Bittern…”  She stops quite abruptly.  “Flora and Hestia are still there?”

Out of thirty-eight students on the list in Ginny’s hand, thirteen of them are Slytherins.  The only other House with nearly as many orphans left is Gryffindor.  Flora and Hestia Carrow have barely set foot outside the tent they share with five other girls of their House in weeks.

“Their family members are largely unavailable,” Minerva says, which is the word she’s been using for three weeks to mean arrested, or tortured to insanity, or dead.  In this case it means that she sent Alecto and Amycus to prison with her own wand and not a second thought, that she heard about Agamemnon's defiant last stand with grim satisfaction, that she didn’t think at all about the pair of fifteen-year-old girls in her own keeping until days after word of Calanthe Carrow nee Sauvageon’s suicide began to trickle down the grapevine in her direction.  The Sauvageons, secure in their own chateau somewhere in the wilds of France, have declined to answer her owls.

“I don’t think…” Molly begins hesitantly.

“They’re not evil,” Ginny says, surprising both of them.  “They barely spoke to anyone all year.  They only ever did Cruciatus on command.  Three quarters of the school’s done that.”  She says it bluntly, almost carelessly, like it’s nothing at all to her--like she knows exactly how dizzy, how ill that fact makes Minerva feel, and wants to punish her for it.  “Find them some Mudblood without any other children who won’t take nonsense and quite likes housekeeping and decorating charms.  They like pretty.  Maybe if they learn to bake they won’t turn out like the rest of their family.”

“Ginevra Weasley!” Molly exclaims while Minerva is still a bit boggled by the excellent suggestion.  “To think I’d see the day where I’d hear that word come out of your mouth--”

“What?  Mudblood?” Ginny asks scornfully, and Minerva realizes she hadn’t even noticed.  It hadn’t even made her flinch.  “Do you think I haven’t heard someone say Mudblood a hundred thousand times by now?  Do you think Hestia and Flora Carrow haven’t heard and said worse?  Do you think that’s the worst thing I’ve done?”

“I think your attitude has just about reached the limit of my patience, Ginevra Elaine Iseulte Anna Viviane--”

“We’ll take Samuella Grey and Mortimer Colt,” Ginny interrupts her mother.  “We have to, Mum.  They’ve nowhere else to stay.  They need someplace safe.”

Minerva hadn’t known that either child was particularly close with Ginny.  She’d chosen not to know a lot of things, last year.

“Well,” Molly says.  Then, very briskly after a pause that goes on just slightly too long, “Yes, of course we’ll take them in, and you’ll come right back if there’s more left that need homing after you’ve worked through your other options.  You, meanwhile, young lady--”

“Go to the Longbottoms next,” Ginny says to Minerva, interrupting yet again.  She hands the list back, careful through the fire.  “I know Neville’s got space for at least five or six, and they’ll all trust him, mostly, besides some of the older Slytherins.  Let him pick who to take.  He’ll have a good idea on the others, even the Slytherins, too.”

“Thank you, Miss Weasley,” Minerva says gravely, and means it.  “Molly, thank you.  Please give my regards to Arthur.  Miss Grey and Mr. Colt will be on their way within the next day or so, and I’ll be sure to send word first.”

She pulls back from the fire before the argument she can see brewing in the Weasley living room explodes.  It isn’t kind, to put this extra pressure on their family when they’re already awash with grief and all their own conflicting nightmares.  It isn’t kind to Samuella Grey or Mortimer Colt, to send them among it.  But it’s among the less wretched or cruel options Minerva has available to her.

The Ministry is every bit the shambling wreck that Hogwarts Castle is behind her.  Nobody will find homes for these children if she does not.

So.  The Longbottoms it is, then.  Minerva doesn’t bother to waste any more time, and tosses another pinch of powder into the fire.

Augusta’s in her sitting room with a cup of tea when Minerva pokes her head through the fire, perched with perfect posture on a brocade sofa and arching both eyebrows in question.  “Good afternoon, Minerva.  What brings you calling here?”

“I’ve a matter of some importance to discuss with you and your grandson,” Minerva says, dismissing with any illusion that the children who protected Hogwarts last year might be left out of this conversation at any level.  Out of any conversation, if some of the distant rumors she’s been hearing about Miss Granger and the rebuilding of the Ministry prove true.

Besides, she’ll need Neville Longbottom’s help for this one.

Neville and Augusta both listen seriously, consideringly, to Minerva’s request.  The left side of Neville’s face is nearly entirely healed, aside from the last brown smudge of remaining bruise along his jaw.  The simplest healing charm could have dealt with it weeks ago, but Augusta never could work a decent charm, and Neville knows better than to try to work healing magic on himself.  Of course they wouldn’t have bothered anyone else.

“We’ve the room,” Neville says the moment Minerva’s finished.  “We can probably take six or seven, if we double up, right Gran?  And I can pop back to Hogwarts until everybody has a place to stay and help, I shouldn’t have just left right after the battle like that--”

“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Longbottom,” Minerva cuts in smoothly, before she ends up with Neville and Augusta both moving into the dormitory tent city this very afternoon.  “We’re far more interested in moving people out than back in.  In fact, Miss Weasley suggested that you might be very valuable in coming up with suggestions for which students we might be able to house where.”

“Let’s see the list, then,” Augusta beckons for it.  “Hmph.  You’ve a Smith on here--”

“Half-blood on her mother’s side, I’m afraid,” Minerva sighs.  “No relation.”

“Nonsense, as though that clan’s ever met a Muggleborn Smith they haven’t adopted or married instantly to keep their monopoly on the name,” Augusta says.  “You’ll owl Aspasia tonight.”

“It’s true, Zacharias did keep a bit of an eye out for her, as much as he did for anyone,” Neville says, more derision in his tone than she would have thought, a year ago, that Neville Longbottom could possess.  “We should take Vigi Thorston.  And Valdis, too, I suppose, I think if her brother’s here she won’t likely go after the other kids.” 

It isn’t a surprise that Vigi Thorston, tiny Gryffindor that he is, caught Longbottom’s eye last year, but his older sister is rather more of unexpected.  Valdis is Slytherin through and through, and quite a bit crueler with it than the Carrow twins ever managed.  “Are you sure?”

“She loves him,” Neville says confidently.  “They should stay together, and you can’t put Vigi in a house without other Gryffindors around, or people who can’t handle her, they’ll both go mad.”

“Alice’s second cousin Joshua married a Thorston,” Augusta agrees briskly.  “That’s enough to make us family, I should think.  Who else?”

There’s a curse and a blessing to teaching at Hogwarts for so many years, and it’s the ability to see an ever-lengthening string of parents and cousins and ancestors stretching out behind every new student to cross Minerva’s eye.  She’s known for years that Neville has Frank’s gentleness and patience, Alice’s sheer grit under pressure.  She’s never looked for Augusta in him except as a somewhat sharp-edged element of his upbringing, and that, Minerva reflects, was a mistake.  Neville and his grandmother dissect her list like so much mincemeat, easily comparing and confirming Augusta’s encyclopedic knowledge of wizarding lineages and current alliances with Neville’s apparently equally encyclopedic understanding of every first through seventh year student at Hogwarts last year.

“What’s this about Boot, anyway?” Neville asks, turning back to Minerva as though she’s been at all useful to the past fifteen minutes of conversation doing anything other than jotting very quick notes.  “He was a seventh-year.  He’s of age.”

“Of age, but still entirely without a place to go,” Minerva explains.  “There was a fire no more than a month before the final battle.  The Boot ancestral home was destroyed, and all living relatives perished.”  Little wonder the Longbottoms hadn’t heard.  Terence hadn’t known it himself until two days after the battle, when his fifth attempt to Floo home failed and he risked his wobbly Apparation skills to get there.  “He is still a Hogwarts student, adult or not.”

As though any seventh-year, any eighteen-year-old, ought to be considered an adult.  Boot is hardly the only would-be graduate to find himself floundering without a place in this post-war world.  No fresh new Ministry positions awaiting this year’s crop of students.  Nobody was prepared for this.

“Merlin,” Neville curses quietly.  “Why didn’t he owl?  He can stay here too, no question, or with Michael, maybe, if they don’t ask Mrs. Corner about it first.  Michael says his nightmares’ve come back as bad as they were last winter, and his mother’s been fretting, but he reckons half of it’s just not being able to hear the others snoring to know they’re alright.  He and Terry’re close, he should go there.  I’ll let Michael know about it soon as we’re done here.”

“I don’t believe Mr. Boot would wish to be a burden,” Minerva tempers cautiously, before poor Mr. and Mrs. Corner find themselves promised into taking on an additional traumatized teenager to accompany the one they’ve already got at home without a single word of warning.  It may well be the best place for Terence Boot, but not without a welcome from those that would host him.

“It’ll be better for both of them.  As soon as Michael knows about Terry’s family, I’m sure he’ll Apparate back up to Hogwarts and drag him back himself.”  Neville nods, as though he considers the matter closed, and Minerva suspects it very likely is.  “Who’s left on the list?”

“Alexander Okafor,” Augusta reports.  “As well as Delphine and Roland St. Croix, Surendra Tamboli, and Nikias Selwyn.”

“Send Alex to Hannah,” Neville suggests.  “It’s just her and her dad, but Alex is quiet, and he thinks Hannah’s brilliant.  Delphine and Roland should be fine anywhere, just keep them apart whatever you do or they’ll rip each other to pieces.  I’d say bring Surendra here, I don’t think he’d had the chance to make more than one or two friends in the whole country before he started Hogwarts last year, but can’t have him and the Thorstons in the same house--have you tried owling his great-uncle in Maharashtra?”

“The Tambolis have been a cornerstone of the magical plant trade in Great Britain for four centuries,” Augusta scoffs.  “If the Ketteridges don’t admit they owe that family far more than a few months of childcare, I should think Douglas Ketteridge will be hearing a few of my opinions about it.”

“So long as they speak Marathi,” Neville says, relieved, and Minerva makes a note.  “If you could just drop Selwyn over a cliff somewhere we’d all be better off, but barring that, better find him somewhere without small children or pets.”

“Travers,” says Augusta.  “Not the good-for-nothing side of the family, the ones with a sense of honor.  They’ll be sharp enough with him.”

Minerva shudders to think of the sort of parenting Augusta Longbottom might consider ‘sharp enough’ for the son of two Death Eaters.  She shudders to think what Nikias Selwyn might have gotten up to this past year that she’d never known about, considering the things she had.

“Thank you,” she says instead.  “This has been more valuable than you know.”

“Of course, Minnie,” Augusta says, as easily, dismissively generous as she’d been when she was sixteen and Minerva the twelve-year-old needing guidance.  “You’re free to come to us at your leisure.”

“I really shouldn’t have left,” Neville says, expression darkening once again.  “I’m sorry, Professor, I didn’t think.  Tell Terry I’m sorry, will you?  I’ll tell him myself when I see him.”

“You’ve nothing to be sorry for, Longbottom,” Minerva assures him.  “You have gone far above and beyond in your attempts to protect the students of Hogwarts this year.  That so many are safe and sound enough to go to any homes this year at all is very much thanks to you.  I’m so grateful that you’re willing to assist yet again.”

He blushes, which Minerva is somewhat comforted to see that Neville is still capable of, even after everything.  “It’s nothing anyone wouldn’t do,” he says to her chin and a bit of the hearthstones near the fireplace.

“Nonsense,” says Augusta, clapping one hand over her grandson’s shoulder rather harder than probably necessary.  “There’ll be another Order of Merlin on the mantle before long once they get the Ministry sorted out, I should think.  Is there anything else, Minerva?”

It only makes Neville blush harder, for all Minerva suspects it’s quite true--she’ll certainly put her voice behind it, should the question come to her--and Minerva reconsiders even asking the question tickling at her curiosity.  It’s not as though she needs to know, but...they’re her students.

“Mr. Longbottom,” she says, not quite as casually as she’d hoped, though she doesn’t think the embarrassed boy on the sofa notices.  “It did catch my attention that, while you suggested several of your fellow sixth and seventh-years from Dumbledore’s Army to host younger students of their acquaintance, Miss Lovegood’s name was not among them.  Is she quite alright?”

“Oh, no--I mean yes, Professor, as far as I know she’s fine.”  Neville trips over his own words like he’s thirteen again, finally looking up from his knees with wide eyes and the look of having been caught out at something.  “She’s had a hard year, that’s all--I mean…”  He catches himself short, lost in the obviousness of the difficult year every single member of the wizarding world has had together.  “I just don’t know that it would be a good idea,” he says.  “There’s enough space elsewhere.  Luna’s fine, though.  She’s planning on heading back to Hogwarts in fall.”

It’s Minerva’s turn to try to control her facial expression, her flinch.  The more people she speaks to, the more questions there are about the coming autumn.  She’ll need to be able to answer them sooner rather than later.

“It’s good to hear that she’s well,” Minerva says.  “Good day, Augusta, Mr. Longbottom.  Thank you once again.”

She pulls back from the fireplace, sheet of notes in hand.  It’s a plan.  It’s a good one.  She ought to be able to arrange this lot in less than a week.

Less than a week left of having students on Hogwarts grounds.  She’d best get to work.

[alindakb]

Dear Harry / Forever Yours, Draco - 31 July 1992 - by Alinda

31 July 1992

Dear Harry,

I wish I could be with you today to celebrate your birthday. That would have been so much better than to be stuck here at home, having scheduled play dates with Theo, Vincent, Gregory and Pansy. You would say I’m a bit old for play dates by now, being twelve and in boarding school, but my father doesn’t seem to understand that. He made it clear that they are the only persons I’m allowed to see this summer and I’m afraid to argue with father. He’s so angry at me. It seems that Theo had told his father about my feelings for you and his father told my father.

Father gave me the silent treatment for the first week of the holiday. He acted like I wasn’t even at home. He didn’t wait for me at the start of dinner and he would order the house elves to serve the next course before I could finish my plate. He would not even respond when I tried to talk to him. You remember I told you about the time I broke a very old family heirloom and how father didn’t speak to me for a month. Well, this was worse, back than he didn’t look at me like I was the biggest disappointment ever. He does now and that just makes me feel worse.

Father was already upset about the fact I only managed to become first in our year with potions. Mother had warned me about this before we arrived home from King Cross Station. She assured me that father would sure get over himself when he would realise that my grades are better than his grades ever were. We both hadn’t any idea that he was more upset about the fact that I’m a homosexual than he is about my grades. We only discovered this fact when I came downstairs on the first Saturday of the holiday with a letter I wanted to send to you. Father forgot all his manners when he heard me telling Mother that the letter was meant for you. Without a word he pulled it out of my hands and tore it into a million pieces. I must confess that I had tears in my eyes when he did this. Once he was finished destroying my letter he told me in an icy voice that I was not to contact you in any way and that it would be in my best interest to stay away from you if I wanted to continue my education at Hogwarts.

After this, father gave me a speech about how I was not to tarnish the Malfoy name and that Malfoy’s don’t fall in love, most of all not with someone of the same gender. I’m to finish my education without ever laying an eye on you again. Father also said he would start looking for a suitable girl, one who would be part of the sacred twenty-eight and who would have learnt all the proper ways to behave. A suitable girl for me to marry and have a son with, to continue the Malfoy line. Mother tried to reason with father, explain to him that there was no shame in having a male lover on the side, but Father wouldn’t hear her. Not that I want you as a lover on the side, that would never be enough for me, but to let them believe that, for now, would have made it possible for me to be with you.

I must confess that I cried myself to sleep that night. I had been so hopeful when you didn’t react badly to the small kiss I gave you on your cheek and now it all seems lost. I’m afraid I will never be able to be with you the way I want to and that hurts more than I expected.

I wish I could let you know why I haven’t written you any letters as I had promised. You know it’s not like me to break my promises and I assure you it is not for a lack of trying. I ordered Dobby to send you one, but he didn’t dare to. He said it was better if you wouldn’t hear from me, that the great Harry Potter didn’t need to get into trouble because of me. I think he is more in love with you than I am. Because I am, you know, in love with you. I think I have been for a while now.

Dobby keeps asking me about you, what you are like and if it’s true that you have defeated the Dark Lord twice in your short life. It’s nice to have someone to talk to about you, even if it is only with a silly house elf that always gets himself in trouble.

After Dobby refused, I came up with another plan. The next day I made sure I woke up before father and made my way to the owlery, only to find out that the door was locked. When I asked mother about it later that day, she said that father had locked it with charms and spells. This means there is no way I’m will be able to get in there without him finding out.

I also asked Pansy and Gregory if they could take a letter for you and send it, but they both refused. Pansy said I should forget about you. She agrees with father. She said that my feelings for you are wrong and that I should try to forget I ever had them. I think she hopes that she will be the proper girl my father will find for me so that she can marry into the Malfoy family one day.

Gregory was more understanding, but he also refused to send a letter to you for me. He said he would hate it if one of our fathers would find out and he would not be allowed to see me anymore. That it would do me no good if I would get isolated because of my predicament. Yes, Gregory used the word predicament, can you believe it? I appreciate his concern and his loyalty to me. He confided in me that he prefers to be my friend. He has never really like Theo and ever since Vincent and Theo almost beat you to death he has been wondering why he’s still friends with both of them. He also mentioned that he was relieved when I started looking out for you.

I sound like a girl, complaining about my own problems, although all I really want to know is how you are maintaining. How is everything fairing at your place? I hope your aunt and uncle don’t give you too much grieve. And I sincerely hope that you didn’t tell them that you are not allowed to use magic outside the boundaries of Hogwarts. I’m sure it will improve your living conditions by multitudes when you can threaten to harm them with your magic. I’m really sorry I can’t rescue you from them as I promised. You must be so disappointed in me right now. I don’t know why I keep screwing everything up. It’s like I do everything wrong when it comes to you. First I make you feel unwelcome at school and make your life a living hell, thinking you are just a pathetic half-blood. I’m sorry about that. I still feel guilty about that, if it hadn’t been for me, singling you out at the start of the year, maybe Theo would have never started to beat you and bully you. I know now that it was wrong for me to take out my own insecurities on you.

I really thought I hated you until that day I saw you smile during one of our flying lessons. I will never forget it, that bright smile on your face. You hadn’t smiled like that until that moment, you were always so miserable. But to see you smile like that, it made my heart miss a beat. I couldn’t stop thinking of you after that, I still can’t. I fall asleep with you on my mind and wake up thinking about you.

When Theo and Vincent beat you up so bad that you had to spend two weeks in the hospital wing, I lost my temper. I had never been so angry in my entire life. They beat you up only a week after I had told them to leave you alone. Sometimes I think it is because I told them to leave you alone, that they went after you harder than ever before. And I’m not proud of losing my temper with them, and it might have been better if I had, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m sure you have heard that Theo and I had a massive fight when you fighting for your life. Theo accused me of being bent, and the fool I was, I confirmed it and confessed that I love you. I can tell you, coming out as a homosexual towards your friends shows you who is truly your friend and who isn’t. And Theo falls in the last category. As you know Theo and I don’t talk to each other anymore if we don’t have to. He told me that I was disgusting and it’s clear that he never wants to be here when our fathers gather and force us to spend time together this holiday.

I still can’t believe we became friends after. I don’t know how you found it to forgive me for all my indiscretions, but I’m grateful for it. To get to know you, to find out that you are funny, smart and extremely kind was amazing and I’m sad that I can’t continue to get to know you better. Nevertheless, I can’t go against my father. I’m sorry I’m a coward, afraid of his father’s wrath. I really am. I don’t think I’ve ever felt remorse like this. I hope that one day I will get the change to explain to you why I had to let you go and we might maybe be friends again in the future.

One more thing, you were right. Writing it all out even knowing you will never read this makes me feel a little closer to you.

I love you and I miss you,

Forever yours,

[paulodebargelove]

Luther Vandross - Never Too Much (Video)  HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Throughout his career, Vandross was an in-demand background vocalist for several different artists including Judy Collins, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Janet Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Ben E. King, and Donna Summer. He later became a lead singer of the group Change, which released its gold-certified debut album, The Glow of Love, in 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. After Vandross left the group, he was signed to Epic Records as a solo artist and released his debut solo album, Never Too Much, in 1981. His hit songs include “Never Too Much”, “Here and Now”, “Any Love”, “Power of Love/Love Power”, “I Can Make It Better” and “For You to Love”. Many of his songs were covers of original music by other artists such as “If This World Were Mine” (duet with Cheryl Lynn), “Since I Lost My Baby”, “Superstar” and “Always and Forever”. Duets such as “The Closer I Get to You” with Beyoncé, “Endless Love” with Mariah Carey and “The Best Things in Life Are Free” with Janet Jackson were all hit songs in his career. 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”. Early life Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. was born on April 20, 1951 at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, New York City. He was the fourth child and second son of Mary Ida Vandross and Luther Vandross, Sr. His father was an upholsterer and singer, and his mother was a nurse. Vandross was raised on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in the NYCHA Alfred E. Smith Houses public housing development. At the age of three, having his own phonograph, he taught himself to play the piano by ear. Vandross’s father died of diabetes when Vandross was eight years old. In 2003, Vandross co-wrote the song “Dance with My Father” and dedicated it to him; the title was based on his childhood memories and his mother’s recollections of the family singing and dancing in the house. His family moved to the Bronx when he was nine. His sisters, Patricia “Pat” and Ann began taking Vandross to the Apollo Theater and to a theater in Brooklyn to see Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin. Patricia sang with the vocal group The Crests, and was featured on the songs “16 Candles” and “Sweetest One”. Career In high school, Vandross performed in a group, Shades of Jade, that once played at the Apollo Theater. During his early years in show business he appeared several times at the Apollos infamous amateur night and was booed by the audience. While a member of a theater workshop, Listen My Brother, he was invoiced in the singles “Only Love Can Make a Better World” and “Listen My Brother”. He appeared in the first series of Sesame Street during 1969. Vandross graduated from William Howard Taft High School in 1969, and attended Western Michigan University for a year before dropping out to continue pursuing a career in music. He added backing vocals to Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway in 1972. Vandross founded the first Patti LaBelle fan club, of which he was president. Vandross sang on Delores Hall's Hall-Mark album (1973). He sang with her on the song “Who’s Gonna Make It Easier for Me”, which he wrote, and he contributed another song, “In This Lonely Hour”. Having co-written “Fascination” for David Bowie's Young Americans (1975), 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. Vandross also sang backing vocals for artists including Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, Ben E. King, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, and Donna Summer, and for the bands Chic and Todd Rundgren’s Utopia. Before his solo breakthrough, Vandross was part of a singing quintet in the late 1970s named Luther, consisting of former Shades of Jade members Anthony Hinton and Diane Sumler, as well as 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), which Vandross produced, didn’t sell enough to make the charts. Vandross bought back the rights to those albums after Cotillion dropped the group, preventing them from being re-released. Vandross also wrote and sang commercial jingles from 1977 until the early 1980s, for companies including Mountain Dew, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, and Juicy Fruit. He continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 1970s. In 1978, Vandross sang lead vocals for disco band Greg Diamond’s Bionic Boogie on the song titled “Hot Butterfly”. Also in 1978, he appeared on Quincy Jones's Sounds…and Stuff Like That!!, most notably on the song “I’m Gonna Miss You in the Morning” along with Patti Austin. Luther also sang with the band Soirée and was the lead vocalist on the track “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”; he also contributed background vocals to the album along with Jocelyn Brown and Sharon Redd, each of whom also saw solo success. Additionally, he sang the lead vocals on the group Mascara’s LP title song “See You in L.A.” released in 1979. Vandross also appeared on the group Charme’s 1979 album Let It In. 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, “The Glow of Love” (by Romani, Malavasi and Garfield) and “Searching” (by Malavasi), both featuring Vandross as lead singer, 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.” Both songs were from Change’s debut album The Glow of Love. Vandross was originally intended to perform on their second and highly successful album Miracles in 1981, but declined the offer as Petrus didn’t pay enough money. Vandross’ decision led to a recording contract with Epic Records that same year, but he also provided 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 Dionne Warwick 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 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 Vandross’s 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, two of Vandross’ singles reached No. 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 follow-up album, 1983's Get It Right. In 1983, the opportunity to work with his main musical 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 No. 27 on the Hot 100 chart (#7 R&B/#4 Adult Contemporary), while the second single, "Got a Date” was a moderate hit (#45 R&B/#15 Club Play). Vandross wrote and produced “It’s Hard for Me to Say” for Diana Ross from her Red Hot Rhythm & Blues album. Ross performed the song as an a cappella tribute to Oprah Winfrey on her final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show. She then proceeded to add it to her successful 2010–12 “More Today Than Yesterday: The Greatest Hits Tour. Vandross also recorded a version of this song on his Your Secret Love album in 1996. He made two public appearances at Diana Ross’s Return to Love Tour at its opening in Philadelphia at First Union Spectrum and its final stop at Madison Square Garden in 2000. In December 1985, the singer filed a libel suit against a British magazine after it attributed his 85-pound weight loss to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Vandross said he weighed 325 pounds when he started a diet in May that year. In 1985, Vandross first spotted the talent of Jimmy Salvemini, who was fifteen at the time, on Star Search. Vandross thought Salvemini had the perfect voice for some of his songs, and contacted Salvemini, who was managed by his brother Larry. A contract was negotiated with Elektra Records for $250,000 and Vandross agreed to produce the album. He contacted his old friends Cheryl Lynn, Alfa Anderson (Chic), Phoebe Snow and Irene Cara to appear on the album. After the album was completed, Vandross, Jimmy, and Larry decided to celebrate. On January 12, 1986, they were riding in Vandross’s 1985 convertible Mercedes-Benz on Laurel Canyon Boulevard, in the north section of Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. Luther was driving at 48 mph in a 35 mph zone when his Mercedes veered across the double yellow center line of the two lane street, turned sideways and collided with the front of a 1972 Mercury Marquis that was headed southbound, then swung around and hit a 1979 Cadillac Seville head on. Vandross and Jimmy were rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Larry, who was in the passenger seat, was killed during the collision. Vandross suffered three broken ribs, a broken hip, several bruises and facial cuts. Jimmy, who was in the back of the car, had cuts, bruises and contusions. Vandross faced vehicular manslaughter charges as a result of Larry’s death, and his driving license was suspended for a year. There was no evidence Vandross was under the influence of alcohol or other drugs; he pleaded no contest to reckless driving. At first, the Salvemini family was supportive of Vandross, but later filed a wrongful death suit against him. The case was settled out of court with a payment to the Salvemini family for about $630,000. Jimmy Salvemini’s album, Roll It, was released later that year. Vandross also sang background vocals in Stevie Wonder’s 1985 hit "Part Time Lover”. 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 album 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. In 1990, Vandross wrote, produced and sang background for Whitney Houston in a song entitled “Who Do You Love” which appeared on her I’m Your Baby Tonight album. That year, he guest starred on the television sitcom 227. 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, and his track “Power of Love/Love Power” won 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, he 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, teaming with Mariah Carey on a cover version of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross’s duet “Endless Love”. It was included on the album Songs, a collection of songs which had inspired Vandross over the years. He also appears on “The Lady Is a Tramp” released on Frank Sinatra's Duets album. At 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, Vandross sang the American national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”, during Super Bowl XXXI at the Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana. In September 2001, Vandross performed a rendition of Michael Jackson’s hit song “Man in the Mirror” at Jackson’s 30th Anniversary special, alongside Usher and 98 Degrees. In 2002, he performed his final concerts during his last tour, The BK Got Soul Tour starring Vandross featuring Angie Stone and Gerald Levert. In the spring of 2003, Vandross’ last collaboration was Doc Powell’s “What’s Going On”, a cover of Marvin Gaye from Powell’s 2003 album 97th and Columbus. In 2003, Vandross released the album Dance with My Father. It sold 442,000 copies in the first week and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. The title track of the same name, which was dedicated to Vandross’ childhood memories of dancing with his father, won Vandross 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 only career No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. The video for the title track features various celebrities alongside their fathers and other family members. The second single released from the 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. Vandross, who had been to only one basketball game in his life, was the new singer, and the video had none of the special effects, like glowing basketballs and star trails, that videos from previous years had. This song version is in use today. Personal life Vandross was never married and had no children. His older siblings all predeceased him. Throughout his career, Vandross was very guarded about his private life and sexuality; on the many occasions he was confronted by interviewers about it, he’d become defensive and short-tempered. After his death in 2005, many media outlets began to focus on Vandross’s sexuality, including The Advocate—who was the first major publication to explicitly call him a “gay artist"—and The Village Voice. "Though he never came out as gay, bisexual, or even straight, you had to be wearing blinders—as many of his fans, particularly female, must have been—to overlook his queerness”, Jason King wrote in Vandross’ obituary in The Village Voice. According to Gene Davis, a television producer who worked with Vandross several times, “everybody in the business knew that Luther was gay”. Bruce Vilanch, a friend and colleague of Vandross, later said Vandross confided details about his personal life to him; “He said to me, 'No one knows I’m in the life.’ … He had very few sexual contacts”, Vilanch told Out magazine in 2006. He added that Vandross experienced his longest romantic relationship with a man while living in Los Angeles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Illness and death Vandross suffered from diabetes and hypertension, both of which may have been brought on by family genetics as well as lifestyle and nutrition. He had just finished the final vocals for the album Dance with My Father when on April 16, 2003, he suffered a severe stroke at his home in New York City. The stroke left him in a coma for nearly two months, during which time he also had to fight both meningitis and pneumonia (which required a tracheotomy). The stroke also left Vandross with difficulty speaking and singing, as well as confined to a wheelchair. On February 8, 2004, at the Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Vandross appeared in a pre-taped video segment to accept his Song of the Year Award for “Dance with My Father”. In addition to thanking his fans for their support throughout his illness and recovery, he said, “When I say goodbye it’s never for long, because I believe in the power of love” (Vandross sang the last six words). His mother, Mary (1922–2008), accepted the award in person on his behalf. Following a May 6, 2004 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he was never seen in public again. Vandross died on July 1, 2005, at the JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey, at the age of 54. After two days of viewing at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel, his funeral was held at Riverside Church in New York City on July 8, 2005. Cissy Houston, founding member of The Sweet Inspirations and mother of Whitney Houston, delivered a heartfelt rendition of “Deep River” at the funeral service. Vandross was buried at the George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey. He was survived by his mother, Mary Ida Vandross, who died in 2008. Vandross’s estate left an undisclosed major gift to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Voice 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. His vocal talent led him to be compared to much younger R&B singer Tevin Campbell and even to those some considered his female counterparts like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Patti LaBelle and mostly Whitney Houston. By popular vote, Luther Vandross was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall of Fame at SoulMusic.com in December 2012. Tribute In 1999, Whitney Houston sang Vandross’ “So Amazing” as a tribute to Vandross as he sat in the audience during the Soul Train Awards. Johnny Gill, El DeBarge, and Kenny Lattimore provided background vocals. On July 27, 2004, GRP Records released a smooth jazz various artists tribute album, Forever, for Always, for Luther, including ten popular songs written by Vandross. The album featured vocal arrangements by Luther, and was produced by Rex Rideout and Bud Harner. Rideout had co-authored songs, contributed arrangements and played keyboards on Vandross’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 Vandross. 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 his songs performed by various artists, including Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Fantasia, Beyoncé, Donna Summer, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Celine Dion, Wyclef Jean, Babyface, Patti LaBelle, John Legend, Angie Stone, Jamie Foxx, Teddy Pendergrass, 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. In the music video “Bye Bye” from Mariah Carey Vandross’ picture appears in the closing images. His image was included as a tribute along with various other deceased people with whom Carey had collaborated. On A Different Me, Keyshia Cole sang the outro to “Luther Vandross” on “Playa Cardz Right”, which featured 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 covered his rendition on his final track “The Night I Fell in Love” on Backbone in 1994. 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. Author Craig Seymour wrote a book about Vandross called Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross. The book includes numerous interviews with Vandross. New releases J Records released a song, “Shine"—an upbeat R&B track that samples Chic’s disco song "My Forbidden Lover"—which reached No. 31 on the R&B chart. The song was originally slated to be released on the soundtrack to the movie, The Fighting Temptations, but it was shelved. A later remix of the song peaked at No. 10 on the Club Play chart. "Shine” and a track titled “Got You Home” were previously unreleased songs on The Ultimate Luther Vandross (2006), 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 boxed set titled Love, Luther. It features nearly all of Vandross’ R&B and pop hits throughout his career, as well as unreleased live tracks, alternate versions, and outtakes from sessions that Vandross recorded. 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 Never Too Much (1981) Forever, for Always, for Love (1982) Busy Body (1983) The Night I Fell in Love (1985) Give Me the Reason (1986) Any Love (1988) Power of Love (1991) Never Let Me Go (1993) Songs (1994) This Is Christmas (Luther Vandross album) (1995) Your Secret Love (1996) I Know (1998) Luther Vandross (2001) Dance with My Father (2003) Tours Luther Tour (1981) Forever For Always For Love Tour (1982–83) Busy Body Tour (1984) The Night I Fell in Love Tour (1985–86) Give Me the Reason Tour (1987) Any Love World Tour (1988–89) Best of Love Tour (1990) The Power of Love Tour (1991) Never Let Me Go World Tour (1993–94) Your Secret Love World Tour (1997) Take You Out Tour (2001–02) BK Got Soul Tour (2002)

[tessitryin]

Phoenix's parents Headcannon

So to start off let's get the main man who started it out of the way: Phoenix. My idea as names for his parents, his mother was Robin Brushur and his father was Nicholas I. Wright (who I will now refer to as Nick) Robin was more of a friendly girl and didn't really like starting fights or getting involved in them, when she did end up in a fight she would rather see reason than yell. She made many friends as a child, being welcoming and agreeable with most though some bullies found her an easy target. Robin would really buckle under pressure and breakdown if she was too stressed or flustered. She learned piano at a young age and even taught some children how to play as a side job. She one day hoped to have a family of her own being the youngest child out of three, two brothers and her. Robin's family was a fairly successful line of artists and musicians so she hoped to follow her lineage. Speaking of lineage, part of her family came from kurian decent but it was a while back and no one really talked about it. Her parents were strict but giving and as she grew up they gave her some space to explore, some being the key word. Robin went to college for music theory and planned on being a full time music teacher. Nicholas is a different story. He was awkward and shy but when he fought, he would go in, fists flying, he could be irrational and quick to assume but learned pretty quickly to control his temper, it would still flare up from time to time but he managed it. Nick was never good at making friends but he still made some, albeit they were slightly strange, that stuck well with him into adulthood. He loved debating as a kid, he just love the rush he got when he made a point that stuck, he would go all out until he was the victor. If you ever met him, he was a very approachable man, he just loved to talk and had witty puns lined up for almost any occasion. Nick grew up as a single child in a small house. His father worked long days but would be around to tell him stories of his grandfather who was living in another part of the country, his battles of justice in court and the amazing adventures he had. Nicks mother wasn't around much, working two jobs to help pay for his tuition but she was a nice woman. Nick wanted to get into law so he started looking into college, as for what he wanted to be? Well, a prosecutor of course. Nick saw the bad rap they got when really, they just wanted the same as everyone else, for the truth to come to light. He decided he would be the most honest prosecutor around and go at it with 110%, no stops. He hated oppression and refused to discriminate. He wanted the world to be safe for everyone and was willing to die for it. Nick met Robin on a street one day before college started up, she dropped her wallet without knowing, Nick saw this and chased after her. It was an awkward exchange between the two but Robin found something charming in Nicks little quirk of being awkward, most men who hit on her were confident and cool, he was an anxious mess. They exchanged numbers and hoped to talk soon, after Robin turned a corner Nick kinda just was like "YES! I TALKED TO A GIRL AND DIDN'T SCREW UP!!" Their dating period was quiet as a means to describe it. They found out they went to the same college and met up during breaks, lunch, and after school sometimes. Nick would sometimes be sly and stick a yellow rose into her binder or book, Robin would slide a small heart-shaped note into his car door from time to time. They were never open about their dating because of jealous men wanting Robin and Nick being willing to fight for her so they kept secretly meeting at different spots together. When the time came to finally propose to one another, they both got rings without the other knowing. One starlit night, Nick took them for a walk around town and ended at the beach. They both saw the opportunity and pulled out the rings only to find... the other got a ring too. It was an awkward laugh and cry but both said yes. With blessings from both families (Albeit, Robins was a little bit reluctant but gave them permission) they were wed in front of the beach in a small ceremony with purple and yellow being the theme. Finished with school and now married, a new chapter began for them. They found a small apartment they could agree on and moved in. Nick pursued his law career and thrived, he didn't win all of his cases but he was known as a good man that loved to work. Stress was still there but he found his relief in smoking a cigar in his free time, Robin complained that he would die with a cig in his mouth and refused to let him smoke in the house. It didn't stop him though. After a year or so he met Gregory Edgeworth, a rookie who was kinda scared of facing off with him but soon found a friend in Nick, the two met up from time to time after work and had some beers on the rare occasions Nick got Greg to come with him. Robin became a full time music teacher and taught at a local school. After a year of married life Robin became pregnant and Nick got scared. He didn't think he would be a great dad and feared he might harm the kid but Robin kept telling him "You'll be fine. Don't worry too much. Soon the day came and the baby was born, a little boy with a thick crop of hair and a strong grip. Naming him was a last minute thing that Nicholas came up with. He took his middle name for inspiration, his middle name was Ignacio and he thought "Ignacio sounds like ignite, that can lead to fire, Robin is a bird, a bird of fire is called a Phoenix...... Phoenix Wright! That's his name!" Robin had to protest but it stuck. Thusly, Phoenix Wright was born. Nick was so happy to have a kid, he never let him out of his sight and loved being there to see his progress as a new life. It was discovered early on that Phoenix had heterochromia and that just made Nick chuckle, he would say "Yep, my son is hetero, his eyes gave him away!" Ohhhh, Nick had dad puns galore and Robin loved them. But happy times wouldn't last. After eight months, Nick was called out to serve in the military. He knew he could die but he'd rather know that he was doing the right thing than doing nothing. Robin cried so hard when he told her, she wasn't sure if she could take care of Phoenix without him but he assured her that she would be okay. Gregory also felt terrible, he had gotten a child but his wife had died so he had to stay and take care of his son. Nick and he had one last battle in court that Gregory won. The next day he left for the front lines where he would die protecting innocent civilians from enemy fire. He had a picture of his family in his breast pocket at the time of his death. Robin was devastated to learn of her husbands death and was barely the woman she was before, she was somber and quieter than ever, her spark had gone and she felt hopeless. Even though she was grieving she put her all into raising Phoenix to the best of her abilities. Sometimes she would crack and need a moment to collect herself but she made sure she was there for Phoenix who was looking more and more like his father every day. There was one time when Phoenix found a picture of his dad along with old bathroom supplies of his and tried to slick back his hair like he did but it came out with more spikes than he needed. However, he loved the style so much he kept doing it like that because it made him feel unique. Robin tried teaching him piano but gave up because of his lack of interest and inability to pay attention. Phoenix never knew much about his father because it was such a painful topic to his mother that she hid most of his belongings away and when asked she would just say he "was off in the military." Which wasn't true but wasn't wrong either. After Phoenix announced he was going to become a lawyer to his mother, she couldn't take it and broke down. Phoenix didn't understand until she finally confessed what had happened to his dad. They shared a moment of tears and pain, both finally being able to grieve properly. After that, Robin showed him pictures and items of his. Phoenix promised to try and be as good a lawyer his father was and Robin felt as though years of ache had been lifted. Robin died during Apollo Justice, four years after Phoenix lost his badge. She had developed a blood clot in her brain that they couldn't safely remove so she had to be put under. Trucy really loved her and called her "Piano Granny" when she stopped by from time to time and played some music on the piano. Her last hours were spent with her son and granddaughter as she slipped from the world. Phoenix now keep the same photo his father had of him, his mother, and his father in a drawer at his desk in the office.

[childrenshealthblog-blog]

Top 10 Children’s Books About Healthy Lifestyle, Nutritious Eating, And Exercise

In our previous articles, we’ve talked about several topics on raising healthy children. Having a child can be a fulfilling experience, however it can also be challenging to raise healthy children. How do you teach children to eat right? Children tend to eat delicious food without regard for what’s healthy or what’s not. Fortunately, there’s several children’s books that can help any parent teach their child how to eat healthy and live healthy. We’ll cover both free and paid options of these children’s books.

Free children’s books

On the free children’s books side you can try:

1. The Academy For Health Superheroes is a free children’s book about health that you can download on this link which is co-written by a cardiologist and a lifestyle and preventive medicine expert (Dr. Agnes Electra Chelbinska and David W. Evans). The book teaches young toddlers some healthy eating, healthy vocabulary, and avoiding junk food in a fun way. The superheroes have to face against the Junk Food Monster and his minions. It’s ideal for toddlers age 5 and up but you can start them younger to develop a healthy vocabulary early on.

Paid children’s books

The next books cost you a bit but these are good to start with. Children need variety so after you finish some free children’s books, you can start them with the paid children’s books.

2. Gregory The Terrible Eater (paid) – Gregory is a goat that likes to eat healthy instead of the usual goat that likes to eat tires, old broken appliances, and everything else goats eat! The irony is that while Gregory wants to eat healthy, his parents want him to eat the opposite! The result is that kids will point out by themselves what’s wrong with the situation. Have some fun time with your child in this book with the roles of children and parents hilariously reversed. (Disclaimer: we receive a small 4% percent of commissions from Amazon sales if you buy from this link. The proceeds go to help teach children to be healthy in London and India.)

3. The Academy For Health Superheroes: The Heart (paid) – written by Dr. Agnes Electra Chlebinska and health expert David W. Evans. This is the longer version of the free Academy For Health Superheroes book with over 200 pages of adventure, workshop, and healthy lifestyle for children. This book is easily worth several children’s books because it has several sections for stories with workshops at the end of each story. Designed by a doctor and health expert who are known for their free Happy Bootcamps in the UK. If you enjoyed the free book, then you will also enjoy the paid version.

4. Dragons Love Tacos (paid) is a New York Times bestseller which is the "Dragons love Tacos." It is written by Adam Rubin, he is a New York best-selling author for eight books which includes this first book. He worked for a long time as a creative director in the advertising industry but he left it to be a full time writer.

We all love dragons as a kid, those legendary creatures which are huge and fly. They have scales and they spew fire. Dragons are present in various mythologies of different cultures around the world.

In this story, however, dragons love to party and they love tacos, so they love taco parties. The story has the narrator who tells about how to make the best taco party for dragons. They love tacos such as beef tacos, chicken tacos, big and small tacos.

A step by step process on how to make taco which will encourage dragons to join the party. They eat tacos with salsa and when the party ended, they accidentally had jalapenos on their salsa.

5. Secret Pizza Party (paid). Written by Adam Rubin. He is also the author of Dragons Love Tacos, a New York Times Best Selling author.

The story tells about Racoon who loves pizza. He likes the crispity crunchita crust, salty pepperoni-ness, sweet sweet tomato-ness and the gooey cheesy-ness. He is always being chased away from the restaurants where he eats his favourite food. This gives him the idea to plan a big secret pizza party. However, another bigger secret party is also happening.

The book is fun and can be read to your toddler since the illustrations are superb.

6. D.W. The Picky Eater (paid). Written by Marc Brown. This has a story which is good for your toddler since the story is about a picky eater. Sometimes our toddlers can also be picky when they eat especially when the taste is sour like citrus fruit.

The name of the main character is D.W. She is a picky eater who had been caught many times not eating her lunch or dinner.

At one time she threw tantrums when she found spinach in her salad because she disliked eating it. She barely ate anything when she was at her friend’s house. Since she is a picky eater, her family started going out to dinner without her and she was left alone at home with a babysitter.

The time came when it was the birthday of her Grandma Thora when she decided that she was ready to join her family. She also decided to try other food on the menu. She ordered poet pie and ate everything. Later she learned there was spinach inside the pie yet she still ate everything.

The story will teach lessons to our picky eating toddlers especially healthy food, vegetables, and even spinach! Find out what happened at Grandma Thora's birthday and what made D.W. eat her spinach pie.

7. Creepy Carrots (paid) by Aaron Reynolds. He is also a New York Times bestselling author and lives in Chicago with his wife, two kids, four cats and goldfishes.

The rabbit's name is Jasper Rabbit who loves carrots. Jasper particularly loves carrots, particularly those that grow in Crackenhooper Field because they are fatter, crisper and you can eat them for free. He loved eating those carrots on the way to school, during his Little League practice and even on his way home at night.

He loves carrots so much and he could never get enough of them. Until he noticed something strange: carrots are following him from Crackenhooper Field. He saw the creepy carrots creeping along the shed and on his wall.

By the end of the week, the creepy carrots were everywhere. He was creeped out by those carrots and so he made a plan to make sure no creepy carrots would ever escape from Crackenhooper Field patch again.

Although carrots that follow you around may sound creepy but carrots are a delicious source of vitamin A for our toddlers. We need to read the book and find out what Jasper did so the creepy carrots would no longer escape from the patch and stop them from following him around.

8. Rude Cakes (paid). The book is written by Rowbot Watkins. The author is a dad who likes to draw and tell stories. His wife calls him Rowboat but we do not know the reason why. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.

This may be strange for a cake to be named as rude which is the title of the book. However, the characters of this story are really named Rude Cakes. Although the cakes look delicious with pink frosting, they are rude. They do not say please or thank you to the parents.

The story is hilarious and it has some twists and turns prepared for those who will read the book to completion. Rowboat Watkins has written a funny story about manners and tackling bullying while reminding us that changing our bad habits and bad attitudes can be possible.

9. Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun: Having the Courage To Be Who You Are (paid). This book is written by Maria Dismondy, an award-winning author for children's books and her goal is to make a difference through her writing.

The main character of the story is Lucy. She is teased by Ralph at school because she is different.  Ralph makes fun of her hair by calling her a poodle. Her lunch is spaghetti in a hot dog bun which he calls “stinky”. The worst he did was sending Lucy a bag full of dog treats.

However, Lucy knows everyone should be kind to everybody.

Lucy's kindness has made a twist at the ending but we won’t spoil the ending for you. The story is a very nice one to read to our toddlers. It is about how in spite of being treated unfairly, we can still rise up and be kind to those people who didn’t treat us fairly.

10. Listening to my body (paid). The book is written by Gabi Garcia, a mother. She is a licensed professional counselor and former teacher. She beleives it is a lifelong gift when you empower children to tune in and trust their bodies. She was also a therapist and agrees we should teach what we most need to learn.

Gabi Garcia is a mama, Licensed Professional Counselor and former teacher who believes in empowering children and that the ability of tuning into it and trusting their bodies is a lifelong gift. She has worked as a therapist in a variety of settings for over 15 years and currently works as a public school counselor.

This book is a good book to read to our toddlers. It is an engaging and interactive illustration book. It teaches our children to pay attention to their bodies.

By mixing a story and simple experiential activities, the story will guide our children through the process of noticing and naming their feelings while they develop a better sense of well-being. There are vocabularies to learn in the story such as "buzzing", "wiggly" and "squirmy". These will give them a name to what they feel and tell them that it is okay to feel this way.

The book teaches children to care for and be kind to themselves especially when they feel difficult emotions.

This is a good story which we need to finish to the end. Gabi Garcia has a unique way of giving a name to the sensations that children and adults feel.

More Free Resources For Parents And Teachers To Guide Toddlers Towards Health

These 10 children’s books are a good place to start to teach your kids how to live healthy and how to live happy. Each book has its own strengths and focuses on a different area.

However, if you want more resources to guide your children towards healthy and happy lifestyle you can check our free resources here:

The 18 Dangerous Trends In Children’s Health And How You Can Prevent Them – this discusses the dangerous health problems with today’s society and how children are being affected by those problems. Once you know what the problems are, you can take the steps to protect your child.

9 Ways To Keep Your Child Healthy – an excellent article on ways that you can protect your child in today’s time that addresses the problems discussed in the 18 dangerous health trends in children.

Teaching Your Child To Be Grateful – a good way to start teaching your child how to be grateful, which will develop their emotional intelligence and grit as well as appreciation for family and life in general. Being grateful helps counter depression which is a growing epidemic all over the world that is linked to obesity, diseases due to chronic stress, and suicide.

The Children’s Book With A Moral Lesson – a feature on the 200-page Children’s book with a moral lesson, you can also download the free 30 page ebook on the Homepage of the website too!

Free Health Podcasts For Parents And Teachers – perfect for parents and teachers who are on the go, you can listen to these podcasts on your mobile phone, tablet, iPad/iPhone, computer or laptop anytime, anywhere. Audio Learning will help you learn more about how to keep your child or your students healthy even as you drive, while you are out exercising, or doing whatever you want to do.

Free Health Videos For Parents And Teachers – free videos for parents, teachers, and children to appeal to the visual and auditory senses of the kids.

[lovebooksgroup]

In the gloriously hot summer of 1936, a group of people meet at a country house party. Within three years, England will be at war, but for now, time stands still.

Dan Ranscombe is clever and good-looking, but he resents the wealth and easy savoir-faire of a fellow guest, Paul Latimer. Surely a shrewd girl like Meg Slater would see through that, wouldn’t she? And what about Diana, Paul’s beautiful sister, Charles Asher, the Jewish outsider, Madeleine, restless and dissatisfied with her role as children’s nanny? And artist Henry Haddon, their host, no longer young, but secure in his power as a practiced seducer.

As these guests gather, none has any inkling the choices they make will have fateful consequences, lasting through the war and beyond. Or that the first unforeseen event will be a shocking death.

My Q&A with Caro Fraser 

Please tell my readers a little bit about yourself and your publishing journey.

I’m 64-year-old retired lawyer, I live in South East London, and I’ve been an author for almost twenty-five years, although I’ve been writing all my life. My first novel, The Pupil, was published in 1993 and was the beginning of a very successful series of legal novels (the Caper Court series). There are seven books in the series, all featuring the brilliant, charming, but amoral barrister Leo Davies, and I’m hoping to start number eight next year. In between, I’ve published a number of stand-alone novels. My new book, The Summer House Party, opens in the summer of 1936, three years before the war, at the country home of Henry Haddon, a famous society painter, and his wife Sonia. A group of friends – some young, some old, some wealthy, some less so – have been brought together for a week to enjoy the country house pleasures of tennis parties, picnics, and tea on the lawn. As the warm, lazy days unfold, intrigues and rivalries develop among the younger guests, and then a sudden death, like a foretaste of the war to come, puts and end to the party. In the years that follow the events of that week continue to haunt their lives, and as the country heads into war they must try to reconcile the choices and mistakes they have made….

This latest novel is something of a departure for me, as all my other books are set in the present day. I hugely enjoyed doing the historical research and trying to catch the tone and feel of that pre-war world. I like to think this is the kind of big book you could take on holiday for a long, lazy read!

The Summer House Party is published by Head Of Zeus, and what is especially delightful for me is that reunites me with Rosie de Courcy, the wonderful editor who published my first novel when she was with Orion Publishing.

  Describe yourself using three words?

Mother, child, writer  

  What inspired you to write your first novel?

The Pupil was the first novel I wrote, and it became the first in the Caper Court series of legal novels. It was inspired by my experiences in pupillage (which is a sort of apprenticeship on the road to becoming a barrister), and its hero, Anthony Cross, is a brilliant but hard-up pupil barrister who has to struggle against heavy odds to gain a tenancy in a prestigious set of barristers’ chambers. Halfway through the novel I introduced a character called Leo Davies, who becomes a kind of mentor to Anthony, but is also bisexual and has ulterior motives for befriending him… He was such a successful character that he became very much the ‘star’ of the novels that followed.  

  What time of day do you like to write?

I have a pretty regular routine – start at 9, break for coffee at 11, lunch at 1, gym or swim around 3 – but oddly enough, I find the most productive time of day to write is early evening.  Things just flow then, for some reason.

  What is your favourite book and why?

That’s a difficult one. I suppose my favourite from childhood is The Rose And The Ring, by William Thackeray, because it’s the book that first opened my eyes to wonderful writing. But for a desert island I would take Martin Chuzzlewit, by Dickens. I never get tired of it.

  How did you pick the title of your book?

Actually, it was my agent who came up with the title for The Summer House Party. I suppose it’s quite an obvious one because the book opens with guests gathering for a week-long house party in the summer of 1936, and that house party is the catalyst for all the events that follow.   

  Are the characters in your book based on real people?

No. Real people are far too complex to put on a page. That said, I occasionally take aspects of someone I know – mannerisms, tricks of speech, and so on – and use them in creating a character. And because I think very visually when I write, and see events as though they’re unfolding on film, I might pick an actor who could portray the character I’m creating and use them as a physical template. I did that with Leo Davies in the Caper Court books – in my mind’s eye he was the young (and at that time very dishy) Anthony Hopkins.  

  What’s your favourite word?

Not sure I have one. But I quite like the word ‘ludicrous’.

  If you were a colour what would it be?  

If she wants to wind me up, my daughter will occasionally tell me I’m in danger of becoming ‘beige’. But I like to think I’m more a soft, yet vibrant shade of yellow!

  Do you plan your story beforehand or go with the flow?

I generally have a rough idea of the story, but I never plot too tightly. I like to be true to my characters and allow them to shape things. There will be times in a story when I’m about to have a character do or say something, and I’ll think – hold on, she wouldn’t do or say that, she’d do or say this instead. Characters really take a hold of you in that way.  They become like real people, and you can’t let them act in a way that’s literally out of character. So that can take the story in an unexpected direction. I suppose the answer is that I tend to go with the flow, though there is always a point in a book, about two-thirds of the way through, where you have to start weaving plotlines together to bring it all to a satisfactory conclusion.

  Who is your favourite Author?

Bit of a chestnut, but I suppose Charles Dickens. He never lets you down, he is a genius of a storyteller, he can command humour and pathos with equal brilliance, and has created some of the most memorable characters in fiction. Mind you, I could say much the same of Stephen King, who is a master of his craft.

  You are attending a dinner party with four fictitious book characters who would they be and why?

Top of the invitation list would be Flashman, the anti-hero of my father George MacDonald Fraser’s wonderful historical novels. He’s sexy, amusing, and would have some great stories to tell. I reckon he’d probably get on pretty well with Scarlett O’Hara – I love her independent spirit and her determination to look after number one – so I’d have her there, too. And as I’ve always had a huge weak spot for him, please could I sit next to Bertie Wooster?  Maybe to inject some elegance, mystery and the possibility of intrigue among the guests, I’d like to invite the Marquise de Merteuil from Les Liaisons Dangereuses. How she and Scarlett would get along is anyone’s guess, so maybe they should be seated at opposite ends of the table.

  What book are you reading at the moment?

At the moment I’m reading Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory, as it’s my book club’s choice. Apart from that, I’m reading Quentin Crisp’s The Naked Civil Servant. Most people have seen the film starring John Hurt, but the book itself is well worth a read – it’s a brilliantly witty, elegantly written gem, and an astonishing insight into what it was like to be gay in the unforgiving era when homosexuality was illegal. Also on my bedside table is London Fog, The Biography, by Christine L. Corton. It examines the history of air pollution in London and the depiction and influence of London fogs in English literature, and is ideal for dipping in and out of.

  Where in the world is your happy place?

We have a cottage in the Isle of Man, where my parents used to live and where I went to school for a couple of years. The cottage stands on a remote headland overlooking a bay with a little beach, and has a wildflower meadow. The views are stunning, the air is wonderful, and lying in the meadow on a summer’s day it’s so quiet you can hear the swish of a gull’s wing as it flies overhead, and the buzz of insects in the grass. That’s my happy place.

  If you had one superpower what would it be?

Invisibility. I suppose I should say something like superhuman strength so that I could go around doing heroic deeds and rescuing people, but I’d much rather be able to slip unseen in and out of places and find out what’s going on….

  If you could give any literary villain a happy ending who would you chose?

I think it would be rather nice if Satan from Paradise Lost (who is, after all, a fallen angel) could see the error of his ways and get back together with God and become a force for good, rather than evil. It would save the world a lot of grief! 

  Are you working on a new project?  

I’m happy to say I’m working on the sequel to The Summer House Party. Everyone knows that feeling of getting to the end of a book and wanting to know more. That’s the way I want my readers to feel, so that they need to find out what happens next with the characters. I’m often quite curious myself! I’m already halfway through it, and I’m even hoping it may lead to a third novel.  

  Do you have any upcoming events our members can attend?  

Yes, I’ll be at Romance In The Court, hosted by Goldsboro Books in the delightful Cecil Court just off Leicester Square on May 25th from 6 – 9pm. I would love to meet readers – yours and mine! – so I do hope people will come along. https://www.goldsborobooks.com/event/romance-court-2017/

  Thank you to Caro Fraser and Suzanne @HoZ_Books for this wonderful Q&A, come back soon.

Amazon UK | Click to order!

        Check out Caro Fraser’s other titles too ~ Caro Fraser Author Page Amazon

  Find Love Books Group here too:

 TWITTER       INSTAGRAM  FACEBOOK

  The Summer House @carofraser @HoZ_Books #QA In the gloriously hot summer of 1936, a group of people meet at a country house party.

[blackkudos]

Luther Vandross

Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Throughout his career, Vandross was an in-demand background vocalist for several different artists including Judy Collins, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Janet Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Ben E. King, and Donna Summer. He later became a lead singer of the group Change, which released its gold-certified debut album, The Glow of Love, in 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. After Vandross left the group, he was signed to Epic Records as a solo artist and released his debut solo album, Never Too Much, in 1981.

His hit songs include "Never Too Much", "Here and Now", "Any Love", "Power of Love/Love Power", "I Can Make It Better" and "For You to Love". Many of his songs were covers of original music by other artists such as "If This World Were Mine" (duet with Cheryl Lynn), "Since I Lost My Baby", "Superstar" and "Always and Forever". Duets such as "The Closer I Get to You" with Beyoncé, "Endless Love" with Mariah Carey and "The Best Things in Life Are Free" with Janet Jackson were all hit songs in his career.

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".

Early life

Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. was born on April 20, 1951 at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, New York City. He was the fourth child and second son of Mary Ida Vandross and Luther Vandross, Sr. His father was an upholsterer and singer, and his mother was a nurse. Vandross was raised on Manhattan's Lower East Side in the NYCHA Alfred E. Smith Houses public housing development. At the age of three, having his own phonograph, he taught himself to play the piano by ear.

Vandross's father died of diabetes when Vandross was eight years old. In 2003, Vandross co-wrote the song "Dance with My Father" and dedicated it to him; the title was based on his childhood memories and his mother's recollections of the family singing and dancing in the house. His family moved to the Bronx when he was nine. His sisters, Patricia "Pat" and Ann began taking Vandross to the Apollo Theater and to a theater in Brooklyn to see Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin. Patricia sang with the vocal group The Crests, and was featured on the songs "16 Candles" and "Sweetest One".

Career

In high school, Vandross performed in a group, Shades of Jade, that once played at the Apollo Theater. During his early years in show business he appeared several times at the Apollos infamous amateur night and was booed by the audience. While a member of a theater workshop, Listen My Brother, he was invoiced in the singles "Only Love Can Make a Better World" and "Listen My Brother". He appeared in the first series of Sesame Street during 1969. Vandross graduated from William Howard Taft High School in 1969, and attended Western Michigan University for a year before dropping out to continue pursuing a career in music. He added backing vocals to Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway in 1972.

Vandross founded the first Patti LaBelle fan club, of which he was president.

Vandross sang on Delores Hall's Hall-Mark album (1973). He sang with her on the song "Who's Gonna Make It Easier for Me", which he wrote, and he contributed another song, "In This Lonely Hour". Having co-written "Fascination" for David Bowie's Young Americans (1975), 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.

Vandross also sang backing vocals for artists including Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, Ben E. King, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, and Donna Summer, and for the bands Chic and Todd Rundgren's Utopia.

Before his solo breakthrough, Vandross was part of a singing quintet in the late 1970s named Luther, consisting of former Shades of Jade members Anthony Hinton and Diane Sumler, as well as 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), which Vandross produced, didn't sell enough to make the charts. Vandross bought back the rights to those albums after Cotillion dropped the group, preventing them from being re-released.

Vandross also wrote and sang commercial jingles from 1977 until the early 1980s, for companies including Mountain Dew, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, and Juicy Fruit. He continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 1970s.

In 1978, Vandross sang lead vocals for disco band Greg Diamond's Bionic Boogie on the song titled "Hot Butterfly". Also in 1978, he appeared on Quincy Jones's Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!, most notably on the song "I'm Gonna Miss You in the Morning" along with Patti Austin. Luther also sang with the band Soirée and was the lead vocalist on the track "You Are the Sunshine of My Life"; he also contributed background vocals to the album along with Jocelyn Brown and Sharon Redd, each of whom also saw solo success. Additionally, he sang the lead vocals on the group Mascara's LP title song "See You in L.A." released in 1979. Vandross also appeared on the group Charme's 1979 album Let It In.

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, "The Glow of Love" (by Romani, Malavasi and Garfield) and "Searching" (by Malavasi), both featuring Vandross as lead singer, 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." Both songs were from Change's debut album The Glow of Love.

Vandross was originally intended to perform on their second and highly successful album Miracles in 1981, but declined the offer as Petrus didn't pay enough money. Vandross' decision led to a recording contract with Epic Records that same year, but he also provided 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 Dionne Warwick 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 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 Vandross's 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, two of Vandross' singles reached No. 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 follow-up album, 1983's Get It Right.

In 1983, the opportunity to work with his main musical 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 No. 27 on the Hot 100 chart (#7 R&B/#4 Adult Contemporary), while the second single, "Got a Date" was a moderate hit (#45 R&B/#15 Club Play).

Vandross wrote and produced "It's Hard for Me to Say" for Diana Ross from her Red Hot Rhythm & Blues album. Ross performed the song as an a cappella tribute to Oprah Winfrey on her final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show. She then proceeded to add it to her successful 2010–12 "More Today Than Yesterday: The Greatest Hits Tour. Vandross also recorded a version of this song on his Your Secret Love album in 1996. He made two public appearances at Diana Ross's Return to Love Tour at its opening in Philadelphia at First Union Spectrum and its final stop at Madison Square Garden in 2000.

In December 1985, the singer filed a libel suit against a British magazine after it attributed his 85-pound weight loss to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Vandross said he weighed 325 pounds when he started a diet in May that year.

In 1985, Vandross first spotted the talent of Jimmy Salvemini, who was fifteen at the time, on Star Search. Vandross thought Salvemini had the perfect voice for some of his songs, and contacted Salvemini, who was managed by his brother Larry. A contract was negotiated with Elektra Records for $250,000 and Vandross agreed to produce the album. He contacted his old friends Cheryl Lynn, Alfa Anderson (Chic), Phoebe Snow and Irene Cara to appear on the album. After the album was completed, Vandross, Jimmy, and Larry decided to celebrate. On January 12, 1986, they were riding in Vandross's 1985 convertible Mercedes-Benz on Laurel Canyon Boulevard, in the north section of Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. Luther was driving at 48 mph in a 35 mph zone when his Mercedes veered across the double yellow center line of the two lane street, turned sideways and collided with the front of a 1972 Mercury Marquis that was headed southbound, then swung around and hit a 1979 Cadillac Seville head on. Vandross and Jimmy were rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Larry, who was in the passenger seat, was killed during the collision. Vandross suffered three broken ribs, a broken hip, several bruises and facial cuts. Jimmy, who was in the back of the car, had cuts, bruises and contusions. Vandross faced vehicular manslaughter charges as a result of Larry's death, and his driving license was suspended for a year. There was no evidence Vandross was under the influence of alcohol or other drugs; he pleaded no contest to reckless driving. At first, the Salvemini family was supportive of Vandross, but later filed a wrongful death suit against him. The case was settled out of court with a payment to the Salvemini family for about $630,000. Jimmy Salvemini's album, Roll It, was released later that year.

Vandross also sang background vocals in Stevie Wonder's 1985 hit "Part Time Lover". 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 album 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.

In 1990, Vandross wrote, produced and sang background for Whitney Houston in a song entitled "Who Do You Love" which appeared on her I'm Your Baby Tonight album. That year, he guest starred on the television sitcom 227.

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, and his track "Power of Love/Love Power" won 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, he 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, teaming with Mariah Carey on a cover version of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross's duet "Endless Love". It was included on the album Songs, a collection of songs which had inspired Vandross over the years. He also appears on "The Lady Is a Tramp" released on Frank Sinatra's Duets album. At 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, Vandross sang the American national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner", during Super Bowl XXXI at the Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana.

In September 2001, Vandross performed a rendition of Michael Jackson's hit song "Man in the Mirror" at Jackson's 30th Anniversary special, alongside Usher and 98 Degrees.

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

In the spring of 2003, Vandross' last collaboration was Doc Powell's "What's Going On", a cover of Marvin Gaye from Powell's 2003 album 97th and Columbus.

In 2003, Vandross released the album Dance with My Father. It sold 442,000 copies in the first week and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. The title track of the same name, which was dedicated to Vandross' childhood memories of dancing with his father, won Vandross 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 only career No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. The video for the title track features various celebrities alongside their fathers and other family members. The second single released from the 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. Vandross, who had been to only one basketball game in his life, was the new singer, and the video had none of the special effects, like glowing basketballs and star trails, that videos from previous years had. This song version is in use today.

Personal life

Vandross was never married and had no children. His older siblings all predeceased him.

Throughout his career, Vandross was very guarded about his private life and sexuality; on the many occasions he was confronted by interviewers about it, he'd become defensive and short-tempered. After his death in 2005, many media outlets began to focus on Vandross's sexuality, including The Advocate—who was the first major publication to explicitly call him a "gay artist"—and The Village Voice. "Though he never came out as gay, bisexual, or even straight, you had to be wearing blinders—as many of his fans, particularly female, must have been—to overlook his queerness", Jason King wrote in Vandross' obituary in The Village Voice. According to Gene Davis, a television producer who worked with Vandross several times, "everybody in the business knew that Luther was gay". Bruce Vilanch, a friend and colleague of Vandross, later said Vandross confided details about his personal life to him; "He said to me, 'No one knows I'm in the life.' ... He had very few sexual contacts", Vilanch told Out magazine in 2006. He added that Vandross experienced his longest romantic relationship with a man while living in Los Angeles during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Illness and death

Vandross suffered from diabetes and hypertension, both of which may have been brought on by family genetics as well as lifestyle and nutrition. He had just finished the final vocals for the album Dance with My Father when on April 16, 2003, he suffered a severe stroke at his home in New York City. The stroke left him in a coma for nearly two months, during which time he also had to fight both meningitis and pneumonia (which required a tracheotomy). The stroke also left Vandross with difficulty speaking and singing, as well as confined to a wheelchair.

On February 8, 2004, at the Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Vandross appeared in a pre-taped video segment to accept his Song of the Year Award for "Dance with My Father". In addition to thanking his fans for their support throughout his illness and recovery, he said, "When I say goodbye it's never for long, because I believe in the power of love" (Vandross sang the last six words). His mother, Mary (1922–2008), accepted the award in person on his behalf. Following a May 6, 2004 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he was never seen in public again. Vandross died on July 1, 2005, at the JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey, at the age of 54.

After two days of viewing at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel, his funeral was held at Riverside Church in New York City on July 8, 2005. Cissy Houston, founding member of The Sweet Inspirations and mother of Whitney Houston, delivered a heartfelt rendition of "Deep River" at the funeral service. Vandross was buried at the George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey. He was survived by his mother, Mary Ida Vandross, who died in 2008. Vandross's estate left an undisclosed major gift to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Voice

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.

His vocal talent led him to be compared to much younger R&B singer Tevin Campbell and even to those some considered his female counterparts like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Patti LaBelle and mostly Whitney Houston.

By popular vote, Luther Vandross was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall of Fame at SoulMusic.com in December 2012.

Tribute

In 1999, Whitney Houston sang Vandross' "So Amazing" as a tribute to Vandross as he sat in the audience during the Soul Train Awards. Johnny Gill, El DeBarge, and Kenny Lattimore provided background vocals. On July 27, 2004, GRP Records released a smooth jazz various artists tribute album, Forever, for Always, for Luther, including ten popular songs written by Vandross. The album featured vocal arrangements by Luther, and was produced by Rex Rideout and Bud Harner. Rideout had co-authored songs, contributed arrangements and played keyboards on Vandross'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 Vandross.

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 his songs performed by various artists, including Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Fantasia, Beyoncé, Donna Summer, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Celine Dion, Wyclef Jean, Babyface, Patti LaBelle, John Legend, Angie Stone, Jamie Foxx, Teddy Pendergrass, 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. In the music video "Bye Bye" from Mariah Carey Vandross' picture appears in the closing images. His image was included as a tribute along with various other deceased people with whom Carey had collaborated.

On A Different Me, Keyshia Cole sang the outro to "Luther Vandross" on "Playa Cardz Right", which featured 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 covered his rendition on his final track "The Night I Fell in Love" on Backbone in 1994.

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.

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

New releases

J Records released a song, "Shine"—an upbeat R&B track that samples Chic's disco song "My Forbidden Lover"—which reached No. 31 on the R&B chart. The song was originally slated to be released on the soundtrack to the movie, The Fighting Temptations, but it was shelved. A later remix of the song peaked at No. 10 on the Club Play chart. "Shine" and a track titled "Got You Home" were previously unreleased songs on The Ultimate Luther Vandross (2006), 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 boxed set titled Love, Luther. It features nearly all of Vandross' R&B and pop hits throughout his career, as well as unreleased live tracks, alternate versions, and outtakes from sessions that Vandross recorded. 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

Never Too Much (1981)

Forever, for Always, for Love (1982)

Busy Body (1983)

The Night I Fell in Love (1985)

Give Me the Reason (1986)

Any Love (1988)

Power of Love (1991)

Never Let Me Go (1993)

Songs (1994)

This Is Christmas (Luther Vandross album) (1995)

Your Secret Love (1996)

I Know (1998)

Luther Vandross (2001)

Dance with My Father (2003)

Tours

Luther Tour (1981)

Forever For Always For Love Tour (1982–83)

Busy Body Tour (1984)

The Night I Fell in Love Tour (1985–86)

Give Me the Reason Tour (1987)

Any Love World Tour (1988–89)

Best of Love Tour (1990)

The Power of Love Tour (1991)

Never Let Me Go World Tour (1993–94)

Your Secret Love World Tour (1997)

Take You Out Tour (2001–02)

BK Got Soul Tour (2002)

Wikipedia

[blackkudos]

Luther Vandross

Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Throughout his career, Vandross was an in-demand background vocalist for several different artists including Judy Collins, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Janet Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Ben E. King, and Donna Summer. He later became a lead singer of the group Change, which released its gold-certified debut album, 

The Glow of Love

, in 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. After Vandross left the group, he was signed to Epic Records as a solo artist and released his debut solo album, 

Never Too Much

, in 1981.

His hit songs include "Never Too Much", "Here and Now", "Any Love", "Power of Love/Love Power", "I Can Make It Better" and "For You to Love". Many of his songs were covers of original music by other artists such as "If This World Were Mine" (duet with Cheryl Lynn), "Since I Lost My Baby", "Superstar" and "Always and Forever". Duets such as "The Closer I Get to You" with Beyoncé, "Endless Love" with Mariah Carey and "The Best Things in Life Are Free" with Janet Jackson were all hit songs in his career.

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".

Early life

Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. was born on April 20, 1951 at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, New York City. He was the fourth child and second son of Mary Ida Vandross and Luther Vandross, Sr. His father was an upholsterer and singer, and his mother was a nurse. Vandross was raised on Manhattan's Lower East Side in the NYCHA Alfred E. Smith Houses public housing development. At the age of three, having his own phonograph, he taught himself to play the piano by ear.

Vandross's father died of diabetes when Vandross was eight years old. In 2003, Vandross co-wrote the song "Dance with My Father" and dedicated it to him; the title was based on his childhood memories and his mother's recollections of the family singing and dancing in the house. His family moved to the Bronx when he was nine. His sisters, Patricia "Pat" and Ann began taking Vandross to the Apollo Theater and to a theater in Brooklyn to see Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin. Patricia sang with the vocal group The Crests, and was featured on the songs "16 Candles" and "Sweetest One".

Career

In high school, Vandross performed in a group, Shades of Jade, that once played at the Apollo Theater. During his early years in show business he appeared several times at the Apollos infamous amateur night and was booed by the audience. While a member of a theater workshop, Listen My Brother, he was invoiced in the singles "Only Love Can Make a Better World" and "Listen My Brother". He appeared in the first series of Sesame Street during 1969. Vandross graduated from William Howard Taft High School in 1969, and attended Western Michigan University for a year before dropping out to continue pursuing a career in music. He added backing vocals to Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway in 1972.

Vandross founded the first Patti LaBelle fan club, of which he was president.

Vandross sang on Delores Hall's Hall-Mark album (1973). He sang with her on the song "Who's Gonna Make It Easier for Me", which he wrote, and he contributed another song, "In This Lonely Hour". Having co-written "Fascination" for David Bowie's Young Americans (1975), 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.

Vandross also sang backing vocals for artists including Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, Ben E. King, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, and Donna Summer, and for the bands Chic and Todd Rundgren's Utopia.

Before his solo breakthrough, Vandross was part of a singing quintet in the late 1970s named Luther, consisting of former Shades of Jade members Anthony Hinton and Diane Sumler, as well as 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), which Vandross produced, didn't sell enough to make the charts. Vandross bought back the rights to those albums after Cotillion dropped the group, preventing them from being re-released.

Vandross also wrote and sang commercial jingles from 1977 until the early 1980s, for companies including Mountain Dew, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, and Juicy Fruit. He continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 1970s.

In 1978, Vandross sang lead vocals for disco band Greg Diamond's Bionic Boogie on the song titled "Hot Butterfly". Also in 1978, he appeared on Quincy Jones's Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!, most notably on the song "I'm Gonna Miss You in the Morning" along with Patti Austin. Luther also sang with the band Soirée and was the lead vocalist on the track "You Are the Sunshine of My Life"; he also contributed background vocals to the album along with Jocelyn Brown and Sharon Redd, each of whom also saw solo success. Additionally, he sang the lead vocals on the group Mascara's LP title song "See You in L.A." released in 1979. Vandross also appeared on the group Charme's 1979 album Let It In.

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, "The Glow of Love" (by Romani, Malavasi and Garfield) and "Searching" (by Malavasi), both featuring Vandross as lead singer, 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." Both songs were from Change's debut album The Glow of Love.

Vandross was originally intended to perform on their second and highly successful album Miracles in 1981, but declined the offer as Petrus didn't pay enough money. Vandross' decision led to a recording contract with Epic Records that same year, but he also provided 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 Dionne Warwick 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 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 Vandross's 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, two of Vandross' singles reached No. 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 follow-up album, 1983's Get It Right.

In 1983, the opportunity to work with his main musical 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 No. 27 on the Hot 100 chart (#7 R&B/#4 Adult Contemporary), while the second single, "Got a Date" was a moderate hit (#45 R&B/#15 Club Play).

Vandross wrote and produced "It's Hard for Me to Say" for Diana Ross from her Red Hot Rhythm & Blues album. Ross performed the song as an a cappella tribute to Oprah Winfrey on her final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show. She then proceeded to add it to her successful 2010–12 "More Today Than Yesterday: The Greatest Hits Tour. Vandross also recorded a version of this song on his Your Secret Love album in 1996. He made two public appearances at Diana Ross's Return to Love Tour at its opening in Philadelphia at First Union Spectrum and its final stop at Madison Square Garden in 2000.

In December 1985, the singer filed a libel suit against a British magazine after it attributed his 85-pound weight loss to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Vandross said he weighed 325 pounds when he started a diet in May that year.

In 1985, Vandross first spotted the talent of Jimmy Salvemini, who was fifteen at the time, on Star Search. Vandross thought Salvemini had the perfect voice for some of his songs, and contacted Salvemini, who was managed by his brother Larry. A contract was negotiated with Elektra Records for $250,000 and Vandross agreed to produce the album. He contacted his old friends Cheryl Lynn, Alfa Anderson (Chic), Phoebe Snow and Irene Cara to appear on the album. After the album was completed, Vandross, Jimmy, and Larry decided to celebrate. On January 12, 1986, they were riding in Vandross's 1985 convertible Mercedes-Benz on Laurel Canyon Boulevard, in the north section of Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. Luther was driving at 48 mph in a 35 mph zone when his Mercedes veered across the double yellow center line of the two lane street, turned sideways and collided with the front of a 1972 Mercury Marquis that was headed southbound, then swung around and hit a 1979 Cadillac Seville head on. Vandross and Jimmy were rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Larry, who was in the passenger seat, was killed during the collision. Vandross suffered three broken ribs, a broken hip, several bruises and facial cuts. Jimmy, who was in the back of the car, had cuts, bruises and contusions. Vandross faced vehicular manslaughter charges as a result of Larry's death, and his driving license was suspended for a year. There was no evidence Vandross was under the influence of alcohol or other drugs; he pleaded no contest to reckless driving. At first, the Salvemini family was supportive of Vandross, but later filed a wrongful death suit against him. The case was settled out of court with a payment to the Salvemini family for about $630,000. Jimmy Salvemini's album, Roll It, was released later that year.

Vandross also sang background vocals in Stevie Wonder's 1985 hit "Part Time Lover". 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 album 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.

In 1990, Vandross wrote, produced and sang background for Whitney Houston in a song entitled "Who Do You Love" which appeared on her I'm Your Baby Tonight album. That year, he guest starred on the television sitcom 227.

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, and his track "Power of Love/Love Power" won 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, he 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, teaming with Mariah Carey on a cover version of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross's duet "Endless Love". It was included on the album Songs, a collection of songs which had inspired Vandross over the years. He also appears on "The Lady Is a Tramp" released on Frank Sinatra's Duets album. At 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, Vandross sang the American national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner", during Super Bowl XXXI at the Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana.

In September 2001, Vandross performed a rendition of Michael Jackson's hit song "Man in the Mirror" at Jackson's 30th Anniversary special, alongside Usher and 98 Degrees.

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

In the spring of 2003, Vandross' last collaboration was Doc Powell's "What's Going On", a cover of Marvin Gaye from Powell's 2003 album 97th and Columbus.

In 2003, Vandross released the album Dance with My Father. It sold 442,000 copies in the first week and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. The title track of the same name, which was dedicated to Vandross' childhood memories of dancing with his father, won Vandross 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 only career No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. The video for the title track features various celebrities alongside their fathers and other family members. The second single released from the 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. Vandross, who had been to only one basketball game in his life, was the new singer, and the video had none of the special effects, like glowing basketballs and star trails, that videos from previous years had. This song version is in use today.

Personal life

Vandross was never married and had no children. His older siblings all predeceased him.

Throughout his career, Vandross was very guarded about his private life and sexuality; on the many occasions he was confronted by interviewers about it, he'd become defensive and short-tempered. After his death in 2005, many media outlets began to focus on Vandross's sexuality, including The Advocate—who was the first major publication to explicitly call him a "gay artist"—and The Village Voice. "Though he never came out as gay, bisexual, or even straight, you had to be wearing blinders—as many of his fans, particularly female, must have been—to overlook his queerness", Jason King wrote in Vandross' obituary in The Village Voice. According to Gene Davis, a television producer who worked with Vandross several times, "everybody in the business knew that Luther was gay". Bruce Vilanch, a friend and colleague of Vandross, later said Vandross confided details about his personal life to him; "He said to me, 'No one knows I'm in the life.' ... He had very few sexual contacts", Vilanch told Out magazine in 2006. He added that Vandross experienced his longest romantic relationship with a man while living in Los Angeles during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Illness and death

Vandross suffered from diabetes and hypertension, both of which may have been brought on by family genetics as well as lifestyle and nutrition. He had just finished the final vocals for the album Dance with My Father when on April 16, 2003, he suffered a severe stroke at his home in New York City. The stroke left him in a coma for nearly two months, during which time he also had to fight both meningitis and pneumonia (which required a tracheotomy). The stroke also left Vandross with difficulty speaking and singing, as well as confined to a wheelchair.

On February 8, 2004, at the Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Vandross appeared in a pre-taped video segment to accept his Song of the Year Award for "Dance with My Father". In addition to thanking his fans for their support throughout his illness and recovery, he said, "When I say goodbye it's never for long, because I believe in the power of love" (Vandross sang the last six words). His mother, Mary (1922–2008), accepted the award in person on his behalf. Following a May 6, 2004 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he was never seen in public again. Vandross died on July 1, 2005, at the JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey, at the age of 54.

After two days of viewing at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel, his funeral was held at Riverside Church in New York City on July 8, 2005. Cissy Houston, founding member of The Sweet Inspirations and mother of Whitney Houston, delivered a heartfelt rendition of "Deep River" at the funeral service. Vandross was buried at the George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey. He was survived by his mother, Mary Ida Vandross, who died in 2008. Vandross's estate left an undisclosed major gift to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Voice

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.

His vocal talent led him to be compared to much younger R&B singer Tevin Campbell and even to those some considered his female counterparts like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Patti LaBelle and mostly Whitney Houston.

By popular vote, Luther Vandross was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall of Fame at SoulMusic.com in December 2012.

Tribute

In 1999, Whitney Houston sang Vandross' "So Amazing" as a tribute to Vandross as he sat in the audience during the Soul Train Awards. Johnny Gill, El DeBarge, and Kenny Lattimore provided background vocals. On July 27, 2004, GRP Records released a smooth jazz various artists tribute album, Forever, for Always, for Luther, including ten popular songs written by Vandross. The album featured vocal arrangements by Luther, and was produced by Rex Rideout and Bud Harner. Rideout had co-authored songs, contributed arrangements and played keyboards on Vandross'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 Vandross.

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 his songs performed by various artists, including Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Fantasia, Beyoncé, Donna Summer, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Celine Dion, Wyclef Jean, Babyface, Patti LaBelle, John Legend, Angie Stone, Jamie Foxx, Teddy Pendergrass, 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. In the music video "Bye Bye" from Mariah Carey Vandross' picture appears in the closing images. His image was included as a tribute along with various other deceased people with whom Carey had collaborated.

On A Different Me, Keyshia Cole sang the outro to "Luther Vandross" on "Playa Cardz Right", which featured 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 covered his rendition on his final track "The Night I Fell in Love" on Backbone in 1994.

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.

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

New releases

J Records released a song, "Shine"—an upbeat R&B track that samples Chic's disco song "My Forbidden Lover"—which reached No. 31 on the R&B chart. The song was originally slated to be released on the soundtrack to the movie, The Fighting Temptations, but it was shelved. A later remix of the song peaked at No. 10 on the Club Play chart. "Shine" and a track titled "Got You Home" were previously unreleased songs on The Ultimate Luther Vandross (2006), 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 boxed set titled Love, Luther. It features nearly all of Vandross' R&B and pop hits throughout his career, as well as unreleased live tracks, alternate versions, and outtakes from sessions that Vandross recorded. 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

Never Too Much (1981)

Forever, for Always, for Love (1982)

Busy Body (1983)

The Night I Fell in Love (1985)

Give Me the Reason (1986)

Any Love (1988)

Power of Love (1991)

Never Let Me Go (1993)

Songs (1994)

This Is Christmas (Luther Vandross album) (1995)

Your Secret Love (1996)

I Know (1998)

Luther Vandross (2001)

Dance with My Father (2003)

Tours

Luther Tour (1981)

Forever For Always For Love Tour (1982–83)

Busy Body Tour (1984)

The Night I Fell in Love Tour (1985–86)

Give Me the Reason Tour (1987)

Any Love World Tour (1988–89)

Best of Love Tour (1990)

The Power of Love Tour (1991)

Never Let Me Go World Tour (1993–94)

Your Secret Love World Tour (1997)

Take You Out Tour (2001–02)

BK Got Soul Tour (2002)

Wikipedia