Luther Vandross and David Bowie had a legendary friendship
(CNN) — Luther Vandross had a huge fan in David Bowie, who also played a key role early in the late soul singer’s start in music.
Vandross’s remarkable career is back in the spotlight in the new documentary, “Luther: Never Too Much.” The film has been screening in select theaters and premieres New Year’s Day at 8p ET/PT on CNN.
Both Vandross and Bowie are considered icons in the music industry, and the story of their friendship is equally legendary. A post on DavidBowie.com documents their first collaboration.
“Luther’s first break in the music business came via Bowie, when he was invited by an old school friend and workshop colleague, Carlos Alomar, to join him in the studio with David Bowie for the recording of ‘Young Americans,” according to the site. “While recording the album at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, David overheard Luther singing and he was invited to join the backing vocalists on the album.”
Vandross talked a bit about it during an appearance on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” which ran from the late 1990s to the early 2000s.
“David Bowie discovered me,” he told O’Donnell. “Accidentally, he discovered me singing in the studio with him.”
Vandross went on to explain that he was visiting his old friend, Alomar, singing on a couch, when Bowie overheard him and was impressed with what he heard. The young singer had already worked as a backup singer for Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, yet Vandross hadn’t quite broken through yet.
He didn’t just sing with Bowie. Vandross also shared a songwriting credit on “Young Americans,” and Bowie rewrote Vandross’s single “Funky Music (Is A Part Of Me)” as the single “Fascination.” The original version of “Funky Music” is a single on his self-titled 1976 debut album, “Luther.”
Bowie’s support of a young Vandross shouldn’t be a surprise for those who followed Bowie’s career. In a 1983 interview with MTV, during the promotion of Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” album, he called the network out for them not playing music videos by Black artists.
“It occurred to me having watched MTV over the past few months, it’s a solid enterprise with a lot going for it” he told MTV’s Mark Goodman. “Im floored by the fact that there are so few Black artists featured on [MTV]. Why is that?”
Goodman tried to explain.
“I think that we’re trying to move in that direction,” Goodman said. “We want to play artists that seem to be doing music that fits into what we want to play for MTV. The company is thinking in terms of narrow casting.”
“That’s evident,” Bowie countered.
“The only few black artists one does see are on in about 2:30 in the morning until 6:00,” he added. “Very few are featured prominently during the day.”
Goodman attempted to defend his network.
“Also we have to try and do what we think not only New York and Los Angeles will appreciate, but also Poughkeepsie or the Midwest, pick some town in the Midwest that would be scared to death by Prince [a Black artist], which we’re playing, or a string of other black faces,” Goodman told Bowie. “We have to play the music that we think an entire country would like.”
Goodman used the example of whether the then-New York rock radio station WPLJ would be playing black artists like the Isley Brothers. Bowie wasn’t having it.
“I’ll tell you what maybe the Isley Brothers or Marvin Gaye means to a Black 17-year-old,” he said. “And surely he’s part of America as well. Do you not find that it’s a frightening predicament to be in?”
Bowie and Vandross maintained a friendship until Vandross’s death at the age of 54 in 2005, following complications of a stroke. David Bowie died in 2017 after an 18-month battle with cancer. He was 69.
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