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>> and i'm running. >> and now we want to do i want to do my favorite ballad and beautiful love song on the new album. it goes like this one, two, three. >> hey, hey, we have to have a party right away right up top.

hey, come on, you don't stop. us now we're on the move. yeah yeah yeah yeah. hey, stoppin us now we got the groove puglia. >> there have been so many things that have held us down. but now it looks like things are finally coming around. yeah, i know we've got a long, long way to go. and where we'll end up. >> i don't know, but we won't let nothing hold us back. we're gonna get ourselves together. we're gonna polish up our act. >> yeah. and if you've ever been held down before, i know that you refuse to be held down anymore. >> yeah, yeah. don't you let nothing, nothing, nothing stand in your way.

and all you're listen to every word i say. every word i say about it ain't no stoppin us now. that right? we're on the move. you said it. we've got the groove. ain't no stopping us now. we've got the groove you ain't no stopping us now. we're on the move. on the move. yeah, yeah, yeah. no stopping us now. we've got the groove from the bronx, new york. >> mr. luther vandross.

>> were you very poor as a child? >> you know, the funniest thing is if. if there's enough love in your house and in your home and in your life. poor, rich, none of that stuff registers. we were we were well fed, well cared for. we had toys at christmas, and i don't know if we were poor or not. i'll have to ask my mother, but it's certainly my impression of growing up was that life was great. this is very personal. this is luther talking about what he experienced as a child and as a teenager, aware of of a potential career in music. you

know, i was a motown child, the supremes and temptations on ed sullivan was a big deal around my neighborhood, you know? >> so let's have a fine welcome for the. >> i need love love to eat my mind. i need to find find someone to call mine. but mama said you can't hurry, love. no, you just have to wait and see i used to love. >> i used to draw pictures of the supremes in math class. you know, when i was a kid. because i used to just love the way my mother would punish me for doing something wrong or get to me is not allowing me to see the supremes on ed sullivan on on a sunday night, you know, and it worked. you know, i washed the dishes, took the garbage out, did the homework, did everything. and when i feel my skin, i. >> yeah, it's almost gone. i remember mama said i met luther when i was 15. >> we like so much of the same music. the supremes would appear on ed sullivan and it,

let's say, like maybe at 11:00 at night when everybody in my house was in bed, i'd be sitting by the phone and the phone would ring and i'd pick it up really quick. he'd say, did you see florence miss that step? no, i came down to it in my life alone. >> met luther vandross in the 11th grade, and he would say, i think our first date i friends, was come to my house and, you know, i'll make you some lunch and we'll listen to some music. great. happy. >> when she said, love, don't come easy. >> when i met luther, the first thing i was impressed with he had composition books stuffed with papers that he had torn out of another one and stuffed inside. >> there all filled with his lyrics. like the shades of jade was luther's first actual band, and we had a bass player, myself, on guitar. fonzi

luther, and we had a keyboard player. >> so he said, well, if you're going to be in the group, you have to get the uniform. i said, what's the uniform? >> well, you got to have patent leather, green emerald shoes. if you're in the shades of jade. >> he said, well, the shoes cost $23. and at that time, back in the 60s, my mother wasn't going to give me no $23 for no shoes to sing in, no group. >> don't you know this fool goes to my mama's house? i'm talking about a latin household. puerto rican. only my mother did not speak english. and then luther vandross proceeds in his broken spanish. uh, senora alomar is a muy importante los zapatos. uh, de carlos. valverde green. uh, more important. >> and by the time he finished talking to my mother, my mother came in the room and said, here, take this $25 and go buy those shoes. so he was a boss from the beginning. he had he had vision. he had an idea of how he wanted it to go down. and that's the way it went down.

>> luther studied every singer that he loved to sing. >> with, and i. guess my. soul is on money. for me he just a little respect. when you get on. when you. >> heard what he liked about female singers was he loved the tone. he loved the versatility, the range, every aspect. >> take care. tcb, you know, i used to love listening to aretha franklin because aretha is so bad. >> you know, she doesn't have to get you at her peak. high note you know, aretha, when she's singing in neutral, can render you helpless. i want you. >> i respect every luther studied the soul of aretha. >> he studied the sweet inspirations and the tight harmonies. oh, yeah. >> yeah, he studied dionne warwick, he studied. >> he studied the tonality and the grace of of her voice.

paul. >> me. >> i'll be there. just waiting. so don't think because you've been running around. >> i won't answer the phone. when your world tumbles down. you can call me any old time. >> oh, when did you know that you could sing? >> i knew that i wanted to sing. i was about 13 and i had gone to see dionne warwick at the brooklyn fox theater, and. and i think i knew from that moment that i wanted to be able to affect people the way she affected me that day. >> it was the height of black music. the apollo theater was the center for everything in harlem musically. we got to see it all happen, and there was music on 125th street blasting all the time. i like to know

that your love. >> i can't turn you loose now is one of the hottest groups in the country. >> the temptations, the world and saturdays. >> i refuse to explain. >> i just wish it would rain oh, let it rain. >> we were in a group called missing my brother, which was owned and managed by the people who owned the apollo theater, and we used to get to see all the shows from going to the apollo anytime we wanted to see any show. that was one of the real big perks. of the stand. >> my brother, to what we've got to say. this and my brother, cause this is our day. >> listen, my brother was five guys, five girls and a five piece band, and we were singing these original songs about being young and black and about, i'm going to make it. and they were all topical as it related to the time. sometimes we get burdened.

>> so many times we have to cry, but if you think when i come back, you to the top, it'll tell you that's all, oh, step back the context that we're talking about is extremely important, to have the whole black panthers and all of that. >> we sang songs about being young and black and no one stopping us. we want to make it to the top. move, move out of our way, out of our way. >> these songs were, in effect, mantras that we would repeat for the rest of our lives. this thing everybody. >> we got a story to tell. >> peter long, who ran the group, came to us one day in rehearsal and he said, someone's going to come down to see you guys because he'd always have people come down. so he said, this guy, jim henson is going to come down to see what you do. so we performed the whole show for him. we go to rehearsal the next day and peter comes to us and he says, there's a tv show that's a new show for kids coming on that i want you guys

to do like tv. are you kidding? something? you you just. >> like something. you've got to like something to get where you want to be. a man can play a song. no, no, there's no melody. a girl can bake a cake. now. if she don't have a recipe, a man can build a. house. if he can't cut a tree, you've got to learn. you got to learn. >> and he explains the concept of having a neighborhood just like harlem. a lot of people look at sesame street as, oh, sesame street, no, that's harlem, just like those little buildings that you see. and everybody's sitting on the porch and they're three story walk ups and they're all kind of old, but they're really well-kept and a lot of wood. that's harlem. well, that being said, you can't have

songs that are i'm sorry. so square a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h i that ain't swinging, that ain't soulful a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x. >> y z. hey, boys and girls, have you met 26 letters of the alphabet? >> the little rhyming words, for lack of a better word. we're rapping. >> come on, children, and don't be slow. we're gonna count to 20. and here we go. 1234567, eight nine, ten. >> we're only halfway. so here we go again. yeah. 11. 12. 13. >> 14. it wasn't like he was top dog. so don't look at luther as being the top dog. and listen to my brother. he wasn't. and the fact is for that are the obvious. black and heavy. if you are too black or you're too fat, you got a problem. you

didn't know you had a problem until it was made a problem. could you sing your butt off better than everybody on that stage? >> 17, 18, 19, 20? >> even during those years, you still had prejudices based on the look and the appearance of what it is, not the talent. luther vandross went to kalamazoo, michigan to go to college. boy, he was miserable. he was. first of all, we were in listen, my brother. and then he got accepted. he didn't think he was going to get accepted. >> he used to always call down to the rehearsal, what are y'all doing? what are you singing? that kind of stuff. so he was doing well in school. he always said he was like a b plus student in school. but his his ear, he was thinking about the music. he wanted to come back to new york and be involved with the things that we were

doing. >> when i went to college, i did not go back the second year because i really did not want a plan b. i said, you know, it's going to be this or i'm going to be 80 trying to do it. and i told my mother that i wanted to drop out and pursue music, and she surprisingly said, sure. and i think the reason she said sure is because of what i didn't know, which is that my father was a brilliant singer. he passed away when i was eight years old, and they said that i got it from him. so i said, i'm going to focus my entire life and whole energy into this, and there is no other consideration. so rejection will just have to happen. and if it happens, it will happen. and i'll keep on going. >> philadelphia has a unique blend of rhythm and blues that is distinctly philly.

>> first it was motown and then there was west philly. there was gamble and huff. there were just all of those great groups that came out of there. the o'jays and first choice and the three degrees. when will i see you will be. they were doing their own thing. it wasn't motown. it was. it was lush. but it was. it was east coast. it was. it just had a, uh. >> i don't think they'll miss what they do. they smiling in your face all the time. you're gonna take your place to. backstabbers, backstabbers. >> i keep getting the philadelphia sound. took the motown sound and stripped it of its formality. stripped it of its tuxedos and beaded gowns. and it said, come as you are and scream a little bit. and you. >> you are. >> pick your hair out. you know what i'm saying? let your afro

be big and bouncy and wild. i know, i all mine, all mine. motown was giving you a little bit more of like. we matching and we home by midnight. more than i. >> deserve for. you. >> are you. the philly sound was more to the point and really got deep into the black experience. so when i when i hear about boy, when i hear about mick jagger, when i hear about all these people, this is music that they truly appreciated. it was a sound that deeply resonated with them. >> to somebody like david bowie, it was a little bit cooler, a little bit of the moment, a little bit raspier, a little bit rowdier. so why not be there? oh, i guess so. >> we're in new york city and carlos gets a call from david bowie baby, it's for the young

americans album, and carlos has to go down to philadelphia to record the last in my heart for me. >> during that time, we had this whole thing where the way that we used to get gigs is we would attend each other's sessions. and if, incidentally, they happened to need somebody to fill in. all my friends, a singer, he could definitely do it. and we always brought luther come forward. >> yeah, that looks great. taking it all the right way, keeping it in the back, taking it all the right way. >> luther started doing what he does, which is start singing. when david put music on, he starts, you know, whatever. how many? and david was like, wow, this guy is great. flying. just a sweet place never been known to fail, never been known.

david knew talent and he whispered to me, he said, i love this guy. and i'm like, what's not to love, right? >> and again, on the one, two, three time giving it, giving it, keeping it back. right. that's fine. okay. so we got that. that one's all right robin and luther are always making up parts. >> that's what you do. and so they sit on the concert. you know how it is. speakers are there. they're listening back to the music. she took his babies. >> he took him a minute. >> david bowie's back there with the engineer, and they're playing the tracks back. it's. >> all right. she wants the young american and david, he's playing young americans just to to hear it. >> and luther leans over to me and he says, robin, what do you think of this young american, young american? >> she wants a young american

and david, unbeknownst to me, was sitting at the board behind me with a guy named carl who was the engineer. and he said, i love that. >> what a breath of fresh air. i mean, it had just such a fantastic voice that i asked him if he wanted to kind of join in the session and start doing the backing vocals. so what? >> you want the younger brother john king badawi, young american, what, y'all got married? >> they went in there and started singing the young americans. david bowie was blown away. he's like, you're in. i heard the news today. >> oh boy, i got a sweet. you got the feeling. oh, ivan sokolov. joy in the room and say no more. and they were tied up with that judge and all that. all night, all night. you want the young american bowie was a rock n roller. >> he was doing stuff that was

miles away from what r&b music is. you know, luther brought a certain style of singing, and bowie loved it. and now, suddenly, luther was arranging the entire album, and this was also when luther had his group, luther on cotillion, because he had a whole album full of songs that he had written and produced, and david heard a song called funky music is a part of me. and he said, boy, i really, really like that, but i can't sing it. it's funky music. so they rewrote it as fascination. fascination that. naim qassem takes a part of me that was luther's song oh, i can't help it. >> no, i've got to move. every time i can. music comes around. >> yeah, this is luther, and that's the name of the group. why? just luther. luther?

>> uh, i write the songs, i sing them, you know, some of them. and the record company named us luther, by the way. they thought that name would be more recognizable than the others that we had tried. i love singing. >> just give me the beat. just give it to me. give it to me, give it to me. please. come on now, come on now. everybody. everybody get up, get up, get up, now. oh, i can't help myself. >> no, no. i love those days. david. you know what? he used to make me do? this was when he first hired me and first heard me singing. he used to have me go on stage and do a half an hour show of only my own material, and the audience was saying, bowie, bowie, you know, they had no idea who i was. you know, i was young and everything, and i came off stage. i said, david, if you're trying to kill me, use an ax. don't don't do it to me like this, you know, and he was saying, no, you have to understand. you're getting a chance to sharpen your tools and get out there. you're

getting the experience of a lifetime in advance of what i know is going to be your career. david introduced me to bette midler, and i toured with bette midler for many years, and she was big on production. so some of my early impressions about what to do on stage were that you should have, you know, big, elaborate productions. they do it. >> they do. he believed that background singing was an art form because you have to know how to blend. you have to know how to follow instructions. you have to know what to add tonally. you know, luther's session career opened up from his work with david bowie and bette midler, and people becoming aware of him being a vocal arranger. and besides that, the man outsang everybody. >> this cnn film, luther never too much, is brought to you by the all new electric i.d. buzz. >> are you having any fun? what are you getting out of living? who cares for what you've got?

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date, pick a cleaner, and enjoy a spotless house for $19. >> kobe was global. people felt his presence. >> kobe the making of a legend premieres january 25th on cnn. the song we want to do for you now is from the broadway musical called the wiz. >> okay. it was the winner of seven tony awards and i had the privilege and the pleasure of being able to write one of the songs in that show. >> okay. and we want to do it for you now, in our own style. carry on, carry on. everybody look around. >> cause there's a reason to rejoice. you see. everybody come out and let's commence the singing. >> we had a vision, but there was a long period of time where he was trying to get a deal and

wasn't. so it wasn't like this was a sure thing. it love. >> see? >> but he knew what he wanted. he knew he was talented enough to have it. and he kept going for it. can you? >> be more brand new baby. brand. yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah brand new. be gone. good night. >> i was in luther's band and we were opening for marvin gaye at radio city music hall. and in those days, you had two shows a night at radio city music hall. so we played our show. then during the intermission, we ran over to the recording studio and recorded my very first song, which was everybody dance, everybody dance. >> doo do do your hands, clap

your hands. everybody dance. doo doo doo doo. clap your hands. clap your hands. >> luther came and he brought all of his singers. and it sounded amazing. after i cut everybody dance with luther, it just was magical. it was like, wow, this is the sound. this is something special. and it's chic. >> love your feet. >> so chic. freak out. have you heard about the new dance craze? >> listen to us. >> i'm sure you'll be amazed. big fun to be had by everyone. it's up to you. >> surely can be done young and old are doing it. >> i'm told it's called a freak. they're doing it night

and day. and now we'll show you. are freak show. you freak. so chic. >> luther singing every record we did. he's on everything. every single record we did. so the first chic album he's on, every song. second chic album he was on every song. then we do sister sledge. he's on every song on that record. luther vandross vocals had a big part, played a big part. >> what worked for me was that i was one of the first real singers to emerge out of that disco period, and it made me kind of singular in what i contributed to music at that point. and from there i went into jingles. there's nothing like a roller coaster ride. >> there's nothing like a view from a mile in the sky, and there's nothing like the flavor of juicy fruit gum. >> i come from a world of

background singing, singing for other people. >> welcome to miller time doing jingles. >> and that's the world that luther was traveling in. >> bring your thirsty self right here. the rich, smooth taste of miller beer. >> and so i knew his voice before he became famous. tonight, tonight, tonight. >> let it be. low and bright. >> that whole thing. the thing that i do. came out of my first jingle. it was for gino's pizza gino's. you're go for the food. >> we've got. gino's. you go for it. sizzling hot. >> and the producer, her name was debbie mcduffie. she says, can you give me just something to make me feel it hot? make me feel it sizzling hot. and i said, genus you go for it. sizzling hot, hot. and, you know, i just could see the control room just jumping up and clapping and stuff.

>> he did it. >> and and we did erupt then because it was like, oh man, this is going to end up being his his thing. so we were thinking it in the control room and he was thinking it on mike. oh, i'm not doing this in any more jingles. and he never did go off to set some trends. >> want to laugh and dance and sing. >> and it was just he was killing it. he was killing it. and the rates, the pay rates that singers got paid was like 100 million times more than what the musicians got paid. so i would say, hey, man, can we go to your mailbox? i just want to see those commercial checks falling out of your mailbox, you know, as opposed to my little $34 check. >> it was really a wonderful period of of life. you know, it allowed me to move out of my mother's house, you know, and it allowed me to move her out of her house and into someplace really nice. >> luther eventually became like one of the number one

background singers for commercials and also for records. oh. >> for so long, strange was a studio group. it was us singing background, luther singing lead on a few things. luther went in and sang searching and glow of love in one take and nailed it. >> the producers heard me singing in the background and they asked me, you know, if i would sing the lead or audition for the lead. we are one. >> having fun walking in the glow of love. >> so searching and glow of love went on to become big records, and they wanted luther to be officially become the the lead singer of the group. but luther's contention was that i am a writer and a producer. i want to write and produce my own songs. i don't want to be just the lead singer of your group while you feed me songs, you know? so he kept writing, he kept singing, he kept doing his own thing. >> roberta flack heard luther and said, listen, i'm doing gigs. i'm doing i know you do sessions during the week, but

maybe you'll come out with me on the weekend strolling in the park. >> watching winter turns to spring walking in the dark, seeing lovers do their thing. ooh, that's the time i feel like making love to you. >> making love to you. that's the time i feel like making dreams come true. >> oh, babe. >> i used to sing background vocals for roberta flack on the road. and roberta sometimes would have interviews, and sometimes she'd be unable to show up at soundchecks. so i would sing her songs for her in soundchecks. the test, her microphone. making love to you,

till making love to you, that's the time. happened is that one day she had come back to the theater and i was singing, and she came over to me and she said, you know, you're getting a little too comfortable sitting on the stool in the background singing oohs and ahs. i really want you to make your own statement and make your own record, you know? and she, in effect, fired me. >> luther vandross likes to say that i fired him, but i never really fired him. what i did was to encourage him to believe in his own ability to produce his first album. >> all the monies that he was making from a hugely lucrative recording career as a sideman, he was putting back into going into the studio and creating his records. >> luther said, hey man, i want to make a demo for my own music. and i was like, why would you want to take all the headaches of being an artist? you know, you're a number one background singer in new york city. you know, i have a sound in my head and i got to get it

out. so we went in the studio sunday morning because that was the only time you could get studio time. >> everybody played on spec. marcus miller, nat adderley, junior, you know, all the musicians, cissy houston, all the singers they all sang with for no money. >> nat says, okay, here's how it goes, fellas. boom boom boom boom boom boom boom. i'm just reading boom boom boom boom boom boom, boom boom. this is a quirky little bass line. >> all the record companies passed on me, turned me down, including cbs, including epic, including epic and columbia. separately, as a matter of fact. and i went back to a different person at epic with never too much. >> that was my song, and that's how i got signed. >> i can't feel myself. i don't want nobody else to ever love me. you are my shining star, my guiding light, my love

fantasy. there's not a minute, hour, day or night that i don't love you. you're at the top of my list. >> cause i'm always thinking of you i still remember in the days when i was scared to touch you. how i spend my day dreaming. planning how to say i love you. you must have known that i had feelings deep enough to swim in. >> that's when you opened up your heart. and you told me to come in. >> oh my love a thousand kisses from you. >> i remember one take. it was just so easy to play. simple. i mean, we knew what we were doing and i thought it was great. i was like, wow, this sounded so different than everything on the radio. but i didn't hear that it was going to be a hit. a million days in your arms two grammy nominations, big hit song that he had remained on the charts for 84 weeks. >> luther vandross, never too much, luther never too much,

never too much, never too much. >> when i heard never too much, i instantly recognized it as being original, and he was wise enough to know how to stand out and to have a hook that we wouldn't forget. i just don't want to stop. >> oh, my. my. love, my love. la la love love love. >> i can't exactly weren't sure. but man, when that thing hit the airwaves, everybody else was sure. never too much was on the radio all day long. and it was just incredible to see my boy just explode like that. >> we all love a surprise, but not if it's flu or covid. >> if you're 65 or older, vaccines are your best defense. getting your flu and covid

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not available in stores. just text wit to 321321. >> now i'm elizabeth wagmeister in los angeles and this is cnn. >> closed captioning is brought to you by skechers. hands free slip ins, boots introducing hands free skechers slip ins,

boots. >> it's like they have an invisible built in shoehorn so your foot slides into place without bending down. try skechers slip ins, boots. look here. >> roll back the rug. everybody. >> move all the tables and chairs. we're gonna have us a good time tonight. >> you are cranking up there in the charts. >> yes. number one with a bullet in billboard. see you there. >> moving up five notches. second week in the countdown. here's luther vandross with his third top 40 hit. hey look. >> now, every night when i sleep, i dream of my baby. she's such a lady. >> he has been praised as the most promising all around pop soul craftsman to emerge in the 80s. the man i'm referring to is luther vandross, singer songwriter producer arranger whose latest album has recently gone platinum. i'm all back till my baby comes home. >> you know somebody who has some money to spend lives here.

this is one spectacular house, right? for baby. >> it was the most exciting time in the world. so, i mean, my head, my heart, everything was immersed in this business. >> luther has released four albums and all of them platinum. the baby, i'm all right, all right. >> it's not only his voice that's made him a superstar, he's also a gifted producer, arranger and composer. he's been behind some of the great hit songs of david bowie, aretha franklin and my baby calls. >> i gotta jump to it. >> one of the the most exciting moments i have ever had is the day that i met aretha franklin. i jump, jump, jump to a lot of people to this day, don't realize that he wrote those songs. >> he was a fantastic songwriter who became a great artist and then who became a great performer. she was just a triple threat.

>> thank you very much. i'd like to thank my producer, mr. luther vandross. yes, ma'am. >> was it a thrill having had those people as your idols to produce their records? >> oh, the biggest thrill in my life was was meeting and working with aretha and dionne. >> and how many times can we give it one more try before we. >> really? say goodbye. >> and you sing. >> you get over luther vandross, a big kentucky fried chicken eating but he put his on anas said women go, everybody is saying, oh, did you hear what eddie murphy said? i said, yeah, i love it. i think it's great. you know, you have to know how to play the game. if you're going to have a party, you got to party hearty. you got to do this thing right. you know what i'm saying? the reason i did

this is because i had looked on the guest list to see who was coming, and i saw eddie's name. that's when i got the idea. i said, we gotta. we have to address this. this is going to be so funny. there's been a lot of talk going on about me lately. don't think i don't know about it. and i didn't want to let eddie murphy down, you know what i'm saying? ooh, we're america's favorite. >> bite off the bite. tender and juicy. we do it right for you. yes. >> luther had been dealing with this weight thing forever. he was at his best in terms of his humor. when. when he got attacked or or there's a situation that was difficult for him. his humor got him through. but it was hard for him with him, it was all or

nothing at all. >> he was either eating or he was dieting. and i used to just say, just do it when you're ready, you know? but he he felt like this was something that he had to do, you know, to be accepted. what's there to say? >> there's not much to talk about. and whatever happened to all of the love that we've had? >> well, you have lost so much weight. you look great. >> you have lost how much? 126 pounds. >> someone was just saying over there when they saw you sit down, they said, who's that? and i said, it's luther vandross. and they said, no, no, no. he's about 150 pounds heavier than that. >> i'm sure they want to know who your diet doctor is, the diet doctor, if anybody is, is, uh, gianni versace. i was an emotional eater. if something if the music wasn't sounding right, i ate to cope any little excuse that i could use, i

would use to eat. and, um, i just decided not to not to do that. you know, i just decided that that that was not right for me. give me the reason i want you back. >> and why should i love you again? >> you know, i feel better, you know, on stage, i move more. now, let's just say on stage i move now. whereas i didn't before. and it hasn't affected my voice or my singing at all. back in the day, if you wanted to fall in love, you let luther do the work for you. so i would put the phone up to the radio. and what's crazy is you had to wait for it to come on the radio. so i had to keep i'm buying time until it came. and here's luther vandross. oh, perfect. and i put the phone up to the radio, and i told her, this is what i want to tell you. let me hold you. >> tight

if only for one night. >> let me keep you. knee. ease. now that you're feeling it, go right back. >> you're. >> fear and i can honestly say ten out of ten. 100 times out of 100 times. i put that luther on him. it is what it is. one night the one night of your love, of your love, of your love, your love. >> he did that thing he does. woo woo woo woo. that's what they think of you as. because you send folks to the bedroom. one look in your eyes and there i see you want to give these lovely ladies a little preview of what a date would be like with you. >> oh, let me, let me run it by you first. we'll sail out on

my private yacht, you know, all alone under the stars. i've been fantasizing about you and kissing your picture and stuff. you look like you've been kissing a weed whacker. i look in your eyes, so they call you doctor love. now you let me tell you something. i don't really take that title. i want to be remembered as a premier singer of our day, all right? not as the love doctor. the love that you share makes life because he was so, so into the singing aspect of things. >> he didn't want that to be all you. you got out of the musical experience of seeing him. so he would talk us down from it. but they were still running to the bedroom. here and now. >> i promise to love. faithfully. he

cause your love is all i need. oh. >> i keep getting the feeling that the best part of my career is still ahead of me. >> as the new year starts, follow cnn. >> president carter will be remembered for his lifetime of service, reporting the events shaping history. >> follow all the changes in 2025. >> i, donald john trump, follow the facts. >> follow cnn. >> i thought we had a plan for dad. he was set to go to the senior living community right by my house. then a friend suggested i talk to a place for mom. they really opened my eyes. my advisor listened and understood his needs and showed us options that were still nearby, but a better fit for

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>> closed captioning brought to you by book.com. >> if you or a loved one have mesothelioma, we'll send you a free book to answer questions we'll come to you. >> 808 two one 4000. >> singer luther vandross was driving in north hollywood sunday when his mercedes jumped the divider and collided with two oncoming cars. one person in vandross's car died. the singer is listed in fair condition tonight with three broken ribs. >> it was very tragic, you know. i was in new york and he was in l.a., where the accident happened, and i was talking to him in the hospital, and i said, man, are you okay? he said, yeah, i'm good, man. i'm good. i said, man, you need me to come out. you know, that's what we all say, you know, when something happens. you know. he said, actually, yeah. it was

the first time somebody ever said, yeah, actually, yeah, i could use the support, you know i lost one of my best friends, and i just do not want to get back in touch with that in terms of doing, interviewing and really, you know, talking about that, i don't want to relive that. >> that's an unfortunate thing that, you know, that i wish had never happened. >> so after he had the car accident, it was a really rough time. but someone was killed in that accident, so it took a toll on him. and food was his panacea. food was his medicine. he thought he said food has never let me down. and i said, yes, it has. food is not your friend. >> i was walking down the street and this woman comes up to me and she says, you gonna

put it all back on just like luther did? which was such a mean thing, you know, such a mean thing to say. >> anyone without the problem may or may not understand the full implication of what it is. you know, it's all kinds of things. it's not just eating, it's not. the food is incidental in it. it is more about your emotional state. right? whatever your your coping mechanism is, you know, if you feel hurt or betrayed you. whether you know it or not, you go. you cope with something. something you cope with. you either go to church, you you do drugs, you overeat, you do something to cope. >> we were preparing to tour and they said, we're going to cancel the tour. >> but then he decided to go and we gave him so much love he needed to be on the road. even though that had happened. right? mentally.

>> right. >> and and that's exactly what we said to him. you need to come out. >> and he really felt that, that vibe. >> can we try this, kevin? um, santa here in front of that. and y'all take a i really would like to give a riser each. >> now, he was a hard taskmaster, which means, you know, when we went to rehearsal or when we were putting the show together, we really worked. >> right. >> and just. you don't have to get here at the same time, right? because there's different distances, you know, to travel. we wave at you. >> with that power of love. >> when we walk down the street. that's this one. okay. >> that one when we i just need in my head to know where i end and where to go. >> ten hour days, six days a week. that's right. ten hour days. me and lisa was like, ah, choreography early. and then we would be learning it, and then luther would come in and sit there and watch us do the choreography and try to put and put the music with it.

he'd be like, excuse me, i'm not playing the lottery. so get it right? that's right. you know, so you have no one, no one, no one, no one, no one, no one, no one, no. >> one, no one, no. one. >> we got a trailer for lisa. she comes in. right. okay. >> he would cast vocally cast the right people with the right vibration of sound, the right weight in their voice to complement the other person's voice. it was almost like being a film director for your ears the rhythm is who who?

>> who, who. >> and it goes on a cycle until the band plays out. >> what's your life like? us going back to this one again, it's easier. >> okay, so close your eyes. and you can feel it. >> the requirement of perfection and the willingness to take whatever time you needed and spend whatever money you needed to accomplish that because it's going to be right. >> you got to believe in love. >> it's feeling at. next tonight can't stop until we are one with the power of love. till every. >> when you're out there on the road, man. you know you have your good nights and your bad nights. no man. every night, every night. he was nailing it. and he expected everybody to nail it. also, when we walk down the street, we don't care who we see or

who. >> meeting. don't need to. run don't need to hide. cause we've got something burning inside. hey, we've got love, love. >> power, power. we all appreciated the witch because it was making us better. and we saw year after year how how we were developing. we were ready to get up every day and go to work for him. >> i know, i know that we've got love. we got love. yes, we all love the power. that's the greatest power i've ever oh, love, love the love, the love power. somewhere in the world. together we can fall i know, i know that we've got love. >> people would say you could just go on stage with a flashlight and not spend any money on staging and clothes on. we'd be fine with that. he

wasn't fine with that. >> you know what i mean? >> he wanted to give his audience a show that they would remember. we do not play with your ticket money. let's go. >> make me love. >> he's keeping me awake at night, tossing and turning my. want to kiss. want to hold your soul to. ooh. but i want to love. whether you know or not. when you just hurry away. leaving me laying there and. i just want to be the one that you want to see. >> the elegance of those dresses. every dress was hand-beaded and just so beautiful, so beautiful. fly away almost every day. >> you work a lot. you never stop to love. i love you. stop, stop. come

home from the road. gotta stop to love. yeah. and let's celebrate. celebrate the love we got. >> he designed many of the costumes himself and said, listen, this is my idea. and took it to somebody and say, this is what i want you to create. that is the key to luther's entire career. you know, people don't understand those amazing shows and all of the regalia, all of the costuming and all the staging and all that kind of stuff. he was putting his money into putting on those shows. have we gone? >> stop, say you're coming. home oh, got to stop to love. all right, i love you. stop, stop, stop stop. i feel my feet to the beat. >> all right. >> we are live for our tribute to luther. everybody's here right? >> yeah.

>> at this time, our guest of honor has arrived. >> ladies and gentlemen, mr. luther vandross. >> luther, welcome. thank you. glad to be here. >> luther vandross, look at all your fans. >> how does it feel when you see luther was r&b music? it was great r&b music. and a lot of that was to his benefit. but luther would only be played on black radio. so when it became a challenge is when he wanted to cross over because luther was not necessarily embraced or given the freedom to do it the same way that other artists that don't look like luther are. >> he felt very strongly that he was being treated in a racist way by the executives.

>> he felt it from the budgets that he was being given to make records to the amount of money that they were spending to promote. when he'd look around and know that the promotion budgets for that white artist or that white artist were triple what they were spending on his records. he was not a guy who sort of just made records and stayed out of the business side of it. he was very astute. he was a very astute businessman, and he he knew what was happening. >> the concept of crossing over was really so important, honestly, to every artist, radio in america really was black, white, black, white. and when you had the ability to cross over, if you were fortunate enough to cross over, really what that did for you was give you way more record sales, because now you had other lanes. you didn't just get played on the black station, you got played on the white stations as well.

>> when records and cds were sold in stores, when you walked into the store, it was very rare that black records were even at the front of the store. so if you just came in to browse and you were a fan of black music, you walk in the store and you're just looking and you don't even really do they even sell black music in here? and then somebody is telling you and it's at the back. this is real talk. and when you go to the back, it's starting to smell like mice. and you know what i'm saying? this the speakers are staticky. and are they even playing black music in the record store for you to get that taste of, oh, should i buy that? and luther was fighting all of this. that's why when you hear him quoted so often, i want a number one record. some of that is i want a number one record. some of it is i want to be treated fairly in this business. >> live from the shrine auditorium in los angeles, the 28th annual grammy awards

tonight, luther wanted to be number one on the pop charts, and then he also wanted a grammy. >> now, most of us are too cool to want a grammy. you know you want it. you're too cool to say you want. luther didn't care about that. he's like, i want my grandmother. and it took a while. >> and the grammy goes to terence trent d'arby. we're here to present the grammy for best r&b performance, male, and the grammy goes to mr. stevie wonder, and the grammy goes to living in america. >> james brown. >> she calls me up, he says, so the grammys are in new york this year. he'd been nominated nine times before and had not won. he said, i ain't gonna win. so listen, just come with me, you know, we'll go to the ceremony, we'll go out and eat. we'll hang out the nominations for best artist. regina belle and michael bolton

are on the stage calling out the names. and the grammy goes to luther vandross. i could feel him go like this. and then he just sort of calmed down and just got really cool. joe biden well, i'm stunned, i said. so this is a dude i met in the projects, and he's here tonight winning a grammy for here and now. you know, love is all. >> your love is all i need. >> i'm so glad. i'm so glad, i'm so glad. i'm so glad. i'm so glad. i'm so glad. >> i'm so glad. yes, i am. that i won a grammy. >> so you. welcome to studio. the next day says everyone here you are to address me for the

rest of the day as luther, grammy winner vandross. so we laughed, right? and he made us do that for the whole day it's about time time, time. >> i had to get that in. yeah yeah, yeah, those shows can weirdly inspire you because if you get shut out so many times, if you think about it, luther's music just kept getting better, kept getting better. he said, i'm going to be undenied. and so it could be the blessing and the curse. of course, he should have won a grammy nine times. of the nine times he was shut out, but in a weird way, it purified him, made him, made him do his best. you know? >> okay, everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. >> ensure with 27 vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune health and ensure complete with

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>> closed captioning is brought to you by skechers hands free slip ins, boots introducing hands free skechers slip ins boots. >> it's like they have an invisible built in shoehorn so your foot slides into place without bending down. try skechers slip ins, boots. >> i try to do songs that i think i can do differently, you know, and that i think fit me. you know, sort of like a what somebody chooses to wear, you know, when they're going to go to the academy awards or something. you know, they choose that special thing, you know? so that's the way i try to look at the tunes i cover. >> now, unlike a lot of artists from like the 80s and 90s up to today, luther, his esthetic was from the 60s and the 70s. luther had heard superstar in the early 70s. long ago and oh, so far away. and i'll never forget one day he walks in and says, man,

we're going to record superstar. i said, the carpenters. he goes, yeah. and i said, okay, i know, i know better than to question you, but i need to see how this is going to work. >> i want to tell you, baby the changes i've been. going through. missing you. >> listen, you um, when luther does a cover, it's going to be slower than the original version. >> and he asked for an intro, and i just went home and started arranging. that was the first full arrangement that i did for him long ago and

i'm so far away. >> i fell in love with you before the second. >> show oh don't you remember? >> you told me you loved me, baby. you said you be coming back this way again. baby. baby, baby baby, baby, oh, baby. yeah. i love you i really do.

>> he was such a master at space. he would let space go by. and get your anticipation up for the next line. there were huge pauses where it was just emotionally affect you. when he finally came back in, you look for me to be your. >> you are my. daughter on the road to be don't you remember me? everyone? >> and you know, there's one point in the song where he goes, keep it right there, keep it right there. because we got to that little part in the song that luther likes to add after the song is supposed to be ended, keep it right there. and he's telling me and the rest of the guys who like to play jazz don't jazz this thing up. keep it right there. play it easy. that's what he said. >> easy. keep it right there.

easy. keep it right there. keep it right there. yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah i said okay. >> well what are you going to do is he's going to turn his vocal off when the song gets mixed. no. you just left it right there. and it became one of the most wonderful parts of the song. >> and i do remember. >> even though it was. >> long ago. yeah. yeah so how do i do it? >> god, let me let me tell you something. who? right there. okay, let me give it because i like the low end. yeah. you know you're coming, right? they all know her. they love her. i'll wait until the end. wait until after the song. >> yeah. >> and they know the record,

right? exactly. >> luther just had such a pure heart that came out through his vocals and his music in general. that, you know, it really was, like, otherworldly, like from out of a dream. >> and in this dream, there was a major diva in the wings waiting for me. oh, yes, she will appear out of somewhere. >> i was so nervous because i had never probably played in a place that big before. it's the beginning of the performance and luther's like. i'm seeking out a diva and she's here and she's there. and i really was honored when he brought me out to sing with him. my love.

>> there's only you in my life. >> the only thing that's. right. you. >> my first. love. yeah. oh, every breath that i take. >> mariah kept coming up with song titles that she thought i would sound good. singing. and then she suggested endless love. and she says, oh, and i'll sing it with me. and i want to. share. all my love. >> so i guess it was my idea. if luther said it was. but i couldn't have been happier because i was such a fan of his and luther being one of the greatest vocalists is something that i really was inspired by. i'll be that fool. >> for you. for you, baby. oh

so sure that you know i don't. mind, i don't, i don't mind yeah. you be the only one. cause no one, no one can be. there's love i have inside you. and i'm give it all to you. all my, all my love, my, my, my, my. endless love. >> la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la.

>> love. yeah. >> do la la la la la la la la la la. >> love my love, played a downbeat like that for a verse. >> yeah. no, it one more time. every time you go away i'm going. yes, i always say. it's goodbye. dear. loving you the way i did. >> check it out. >> right. >> i take you back. without you i died in. >> knowing

i love you so. anyone a little would make me in his. love. me. do you could really ever love and hurt me like you made me. and. listen to what am i to do? >> what i loved more than anything else about hearing the songs that he decided he wanted to record of mine was that he made them his own. it was no, going to sing like dion sang it. i'm going to sing it like luther, mister luther vandross. >> whoa oh! >> dum dum dum dum dum dum. hey, baby. whoa.

>> i remember hearing a house, not a home for the first time. i couldn't believe that i was hearing. i told him, i said, baby doll, you have just given me the definitive version of that song. >> a. chair is still a chair, even when there's no one sitting there. like what he's singing about furniture in this is sound great. you know, we at wayfair put a chair is still a chair. but also a room is not a house and a house is not a. >> home. when the two of us, we are far apart and

one of us. has a broken. >> heart. >> yeah. i got to say, when i was being honored by the naacp and he performed it for me, it was it was overwhelming. it really was, because he just showed out that night. he really did. cause i'm not meant to live alone. >> no no no no no no no no no no time. this house into a home when i climb the stairs. when i turn the key. oh please be there saying that you're still in love. you're. showing love with me. >> so i am not meant. >> to live. alone. time this

house into our home where i climb the stairs. >> reach out and turn the. key. oh, baby, please be there and still in love with me. yeah. when me. >> oh. love. still in love. oh, with. me. yes. >> this cnn film luther. never

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date, pick a cleaner, and enjoy a spotless house for $19. >> the whole story with anderson cooper is a five time emmy winner for long form journalism. >> the whole story with anderson cooper tomorrow at 8:00 on cnn. what up, what up? >> the moment hip hop got on the radio, i became a huge challenge for artists like luther and all those r&b artists who dominated radio. and it became hip hop's time. so a lot of artists from luther's generation got a little quiet for them, not to the point that

they weren't successful, but not successful in the way that they had previously been successful. >> well, i haven't released a product in a couple of years now, and it will be interesting because i'm about to sign a new record deal now. >> wait wait wait wait wait wait wait. you're going to sign with i read this, you're going to sign with clive davis? >> i am, yeah. >> you are going to sign with j records with his new label? >> absolutely. yeah. >> clive davis is so known for his expertise as an executive producer. aretha came to clive. dionne came to clive. whitney started with clive. he's just instrumental in a lot of black artists lives. and so if i'm luther vandross and i'm a little bit at a turning point, clive can seem like. um, a very soft place to land. >> i was just starting my new record label, j records, and we agreed to have dinner.

>> luther had one mission in mind for that dinner. do you believe that i could have hits again? >> said he, and i said, that opens up my question to you. >> will you be open to my finding some outside songs for you? he said, i am totally open to outside material. >> he sold over 20 million albums worldwide, and apparently he's definitely not done. >> luther had a voice like no other. it's spectacular. and he was back to being platinum, making a special appearance. >> 106 and park. y'all better stand up right now. >> give it up for the one and only luther vandross. all right. >> i'm happier now than i've ever been, but i expect to one day be the happiest i can be. i'm still looking for that

meaningful other person in my life. that is something that baffles me that i haven't been able to find. that seems like such a basic thing. sometimes i think that that fate has to work with you, you know, to find certain things. i mean, if fate wants you to find love, you can hide in the basement of your house with all the doors bolted, you know, and it'll still happen. yeah. that's the question. >> you've done a number of great songs over the years. >> which two were your favorite and why? >> mm. >> any love remains my favorite song. >> really? why? >> because it is probably the only real autobiographical song that that i wrote. that's exactly the way i was feeling when i wrote the song. i speak to myself sometimes, and

i say, oh, my. in a lot of ways you're a lucky guy. and oh, now all you need is a chance to try any love. in my heart there's a need to shout. die and scream and cry. and let me out. there are all those feelings that i want to touch. any love. >> when people ask me. tell me about luther. i said just listen to any love. just listen to those lyrics. you know, i got everything. i speak to myself sometimes and i say, oh, am i? in a lot of ways, you're a lucky guy. now all you need is a chance to try any love. right? ooh. >> any. love. and oh, everyone needs

love. no doubt. and in. love. any. love. and oh everybody feels alone. without any love. any love. and i know there's someone waiting to enter my. life. >> come into my life. and oh, suddenly out of the clear blue sky. >> oh yeah. >> that was that day. oh, goodness. >> and the next line is what? because i'm trying to think, why is it autobiographical? >> lonely tears start to fill my eyes. oh, i get weak. but i refuse to cry. i've got to keep holding on. you know it was one of those days. you everyone needs a love. >> no doubt. any love. any

love. >> and oh, i love, love, love that song. and he loved before i worked for luther. but once i started working for luther, i could see that the desperation described in that song was real. >> and i hated that song after that, because it always reminded me that he wasn't seeking love. he was seeking any love. >> is there. any love in. >> that he would say, i feel like a trick has been played on me. what do you mean? well, god has given me everything i asked

for except for this one thing. to have one person who loves me. and we would say, but luther, you know we love you. and he said, i know you guys love me. that's not what i'm talking about. so we never made that a focal point of our relationship. and we were together quite a bit. our dream for luther was just that he could be loved and appreciated for who he was, because he was a wonderful human being. >> his life had some extremely joyful moments and some really difficult moments. there was one time after luther lost all the weight, there was a rumor that he died or that he had aids or something. >> now, last week there was last, last year there were a lot of rumors because you got thin. >> yeah. you're not going to ask me about that stupid thing? >> no, i'm going to ask you. what diet you went on so irresponsibly. >> i'm not going to even mention it. >> there was a report out, a rumor out that luther was dead. >> oh, yeah? did you guys see

that? >> yeah, i heard it. yeah. >> there was. so finally, it just made me realize you have to just. i copped to it. i died. >> can you imagine? he said, man, i'm sitting here in the living room watching tv on sunday, and the pastor is saying a prayer for me because i just passed. he went, no, i'm still here. can you imagine? i mean, this is like i tell a lot of you young people, fame and fortune. fortunes. cool. fame is not always so cool. going love the way i do i can say for certain that it's true. >> there's a chance for me and you. >> what would you say? you

spent more time being in love or like waiting for love or waiting? >> waiting. and the time that was spent being in love was largely, unfortunately, always unrequited. unreciprocated. whatever the word is, you know what i'm saying? now, i remember spending all my time on a dream that kept me wishing that you could be mine yeah, i don't consider myself a lover by any stretch, but no, it has. that had not happened, you know, so i i'm still waiting for me to get the love i've been missing. sometimes love takes a long time. >> but wait for love. >> and you're gonna get it up. >> chance to wait for love. wait for love. and you. you.

yeah, i love. >> takes. it always made me sad. >> because i always wanted luther to find whatever would fulfill his heart. there's something inside of luther that he just. i think, in some ways, felt like he couldn't share all of himself i think that because of the stigma back then, if he was gay, the thought of, quote, coming out that he couldn't bear it, he'd rather be alone than have that stigma attached. >> one of the things that really me off is there were people who have talked about his personal life who, you know, he considered friends. >> did he struggle with the

idea of coming out publicly? was that was that something that you talked about at all? >> we talked about it. it was basically he did not want his mother to be, although she might have known, but he wasn't going to come out and say this to the world. and he had a lot of lady fans, and he told me that he just didn't want to upset the world. >> i don't really know what i want to say. i'm going to always respect whatever position he took. >> questions about my sexuality. well, i suppose just always be questions. let me tell you who i owe answers to. what i owe you is my music, my talent, my best effort. you know, that's all. i will neither deny or confirm that any such rumors about personal things like that are are true or untrue. i won't

give the satisfaction of a denial because that is a submission of sorts. i wouldn't even address it. i would just say, mind your business. that's my response to that. >> you seem to be at a weight that you're comfortable with. >> how did you lose it, and are you feeling better these days than you have in a long time? >> i am feeling better. i'm somewhere in the middle right now, but i'm feeling better than i than i do when i'm really obese. i lost a 120 pounds put on a some fraction of that. i'm not giving any specifics. >> you look great at whatever weight you're currently at. >> luther vandross, thank you so much for joining us. >> so the whole thing of being fat and being thin and being fat and being thin, we always told him, dude, you can't keep this up. can't you just find out where your basic? because everybody normalizes at a certain place. but if you have diabetes, you don't know what

anybody's negotiating with at any one time. and so we must not forget that above all things, luther was a diabetic you know, we all worried about it because it's how many times can your body take that? >> and he says, robin, you don't have the same problem. i have. he said, i obsess about food. he said, i'm thinking about food from the time i wake up until the time i go to sleep. and i just said, whoa. >> i read in a magazine once. this is the weirdest question i'm sure you've ever heard, but i read in a magazine one of the strangest things you had ever eaten was a hamburger between two glazed donuts, because you couldn't find any hamburger rolls. is that a true story? and how disgusting was that? >> disgusting. oh, no. no, that was good. >> you take somebody who was as huge a talent and as accomplished as he was, and they just sort of, like, shrunk him down to that, to a

soundbite about his weight. it's like it absolutely irritated him, as it should have. >> a lot of people make a big deal out of your weight. does it bother you? >> yeah, it's bothersome right now. now that you're asking me, it's bothersome because i don't enjoy talking about it a lot. you know, my record company, j records, used to always insist, oh, you got it. because i used to say, i don't want to talk about that. i don't really want to speak on that. you know, that's a personal struggle. and and they would always say, yeah, but it it's like a human interest story and everybody wants to talk about it. and i said, yeah, but what if i talk about it and gain any of it back. you know, then i have to carry that type of paranoia. >> his weight was like this huge story. i mean, it broke my heart when, you know, when he finally managed his weight, when he was maintaining his weight, they decided to promote the album. it would all be about his weight loss story. it was too much and it broke and he started to gain the weight

back. and it was so sad that there was such a fixation about his weight. that was heartbreaking luther, big luther though, big luther, not little luther. >> oh, i don't do little luther. i don't do little luther. >> i, like big curl. >> ain't quite right, luther. that's the one i like. >> here's a man who was probably like, i need to get healthy. but it's tough because when we see you and we love you, we love you for what we see and love, right then. if something changes, you know how black people, you lose weight, man. you okay? you know black people you can't lose weight. well, you okay? you're sick. if we were to be able to talk to luther at that time, as fans, we'd be able to say whatever weight you are, we don't care. we just. we just love you. >> we worried about him because

when luther was under stress is when he would eat. i'm supposed to ignore this camera, but i'm going to wait because i like waiting. he was back and forth at the studio 24 over seven. he was working on that record like crazy just to get it done, to get it out. >> he called me in the middle of the night one night, like at 3:00 in the morning. he's he's in the studio at hit factory when it was on 54th street. he says, i'm come downstairs. i want you to take a ride with me. i said, okay, fine, get in the car. he says, i got this new song i want to play for you. at the end of it, my face is wet. i said, what is that? he said, this is going to be my career song. he said, i'm probably going to have a struggle with the rest of the record company, he said. but this is my career song. >> back when i was a child before life removed all the innocence my father would lift me. high.

and dance with my mother and me. and then spin me around till i fell asleep. then up the stairs he would carry me and i knew for sure i was. loved. if i could. >> when he played it i was in awe. because how could he remember these things? you know, he said, i wrote this, listen. and then when i heard it as a saying, it just it grabbed me forever. >> and how i'd love, love. love to dance with my father again. >> him doing dance with my father. it's almost like he put his own flag in the sand. it's like i've got this song. y'all are going to put this out. and they did. and he was right. and

i'd hear how my mother cried for him. they could show something else in the story. it might have been different. he might have never had a number one record. we might not have ever heard this emotion that speaks to everyone. every night i fall asleep and this is all i ever dream. >> i just was crying, man, because you know, he wrote it from such an honest place. and he had been. refining this, this song in his head somehow for all those years. and not long after that, he had a stroke. >> now's the time to go back in time and shine a light on the family journey that led to you. learn when they said, i do. when they became heroes, how they ruled the school. curious about what you might find with billions of records, photos, and more, you're bound to find some gems. ancestry can help

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down the door. i know you just had it done. you can take it out of my paycheck, but i don't know what's going on, and you're not answering, and i just need to see what's going on. and it was quiet, so i walked around and i walked down the hallway, and i looked to the right, to the bedroom. >> soul singer luther vandross is still hospitalized in intensive care in a new york city hospital after r&b legend luther vandross suffered a massive stroke that left him hospitalized in critical condition. >> those were some difficult times to see. the strongest person you knew to be knocked to his knees, you know, in a health situation, the last thing that anybody thought, including him, is that that would happen. >> how devastatingly ironic is it that that song is number one on the pop charts, and he can't even appreciate it

because he was in and out of that coma, you know, and the grammy goes to. >> richard marx and luther vandross for dance with my father of luther vandross. >> i have had the honor for the last 13 years to write songs with luther, my friend, who i love, who i wish was here with me because he'd be whispering to me about what everybody's wearing you all know how ridiculously talented he is, but some of you don't know that. he's also one of the funniest, kindest, brightest people on the face of the earth. i thank the academy so much for honoring not only our song dance with my father, but luther himself tonight, because no one is more deserving. i went right from the grammys

to see him because i wanted to celebrate with him. but, you know, obviously he was in bad shape, but we he did his exercises and he did this therapy. and then we ended up coming back to his room and and we did have a pretty amazing conversation about winning that grammy. >> i said, luther, it's. everything that we could have hoped for. i mean, it is everybody's favorite song. favorite record. we're going platinum and greater, and smile came on his face. he said, i love it the doctors were shocked. i mean, he understood every word that i was saying. it was such a

wonderful sign. at the time of. recovery was a possibility. >> i want to know what you wanted to say to your many, many, many, many fans. >> i want to thank them for even caring as it was a wonderful feeling every day. >> do you say, i want to get a little better at something? >> well, right now what? i want to get better at is, um. >> living with this, living with these thoughts, living with this, you know, feeling of, uh, of the last. >> chapter. >> now, i got a call from the

hospital saying you need to come here. i said, what? what's the matter? they said, well, he's he's not breathing. i said, what do you mean he's not breathing? i said, what does that mean? they said, you just need to come. >> we went into the room where his body was and we saw our friend. i'm sorry, i'm sorry. >> i just remember us going into the room. and me, robin and carlos just holding him. just. just holding him. just like. this

is crazy. oh, jesus. >> will be waiting for me. >> i think i was just too full at luther's. service to i can't tell you who else did what or what or it was just overwhelming for me gaza meet your nancy faeser. >> oh yes, i will. i i know it was surreal being asked to speak. >> we will all miss him. but as has been said, and probably will be said over and over again, his legacy will live on forever. was something that had to be done.

we got through it i love all of the power. >> it's the greatest power of all. you can't love and honor the power. >> that day of his funeral was so beautiful. everybody sang. we got up and sang. stevie was singing alicia keys everybody. freddie jackson, everybody was there, and we made it a celebration. it was the greatest power. >> is the love. i'm talking about love. >> everybody has something that they're supposed to do in this life. my uncle had a job to do while he was here, and he did it. he fulfilled his obligation to this earth. you can't think of that man without

thinking about love. thank you for coming out and celebrating this awesome occasion with us. the store will be here for many, many moons for many, many people to come back. and when they see his name, they're going to remember why they love him. love. has truly been good to me. >> not even one sad day or minute have i had since you've come my way. >> i hope you know i gladly go anywhere you take me. >> it's so amazing to. be. loved. i'd follow you to the moon in the sky above. >> if you say aretha, you know who we're talking about. if you say marvin, you hear a

sound in your head. stevie, you definitely hear, like, a few thousand. yeah. and if you say luther, we all know exactly what you're talking about. got to tell you, i can't think of anybody that is near to him. >> and his uniqueness and his talent. just even the texture of his voice. you only come across an artist like luther vandross, like once in a lifetime. and it's so. amazing. >> amazing. i could stay forever. stay forever. here in love and no, leave your. never. cause we've got amazing. love. truly. it's amazing, amazing love brought us together, together i would leave you never and never. guess we've got amazing love. >> everybody's looking for a hero.

>> chris wanted to change the world. >> people are literally walking because of him. >> i wouldn't have missed this for the world. >> super man. >> the christopher reeve story coming in february on cnn. >> i've got good news and i've got bad news. what do you want? first, the bad. the news is newsy even more than ever. what's the good news? we're doing another season of have i got news for you. >> have i got news for you returns february 15th on cnn. >> i want to be the greatest player that i could possibly become.