logo

Remembering when Luther Vandross' sang 'A House is not a Home' and brought Dionne Warwick to tears

Edduin Carvajal
Sep 20, 2018
02:20 P.M.

Luther Vandross, a very talented singer who rose to fame in the 70s and 80s, sang “A House Is Not a Home” during the 1986 NAACP Image Awards and brought Dionne Warwick to tears.

Advertisement

As Rolling Stone reported, Luther had the challenging task to perform the previously mentioned song in front of several important celebrities, including Janet Jackson, Anita Baker, and, of course, Dionne Warwick.

Dionne received the Entertainer of the Year Award during the night, and Luther was about to sing a song that she had released in the early-60s, more than two decades before.

Thankfully, Luther’s rendition was terrific, and it wowed everybody that night, including Dionne, who was so excited that she couldn’t stop shedding tears.

Advertisement

LUTHER WAS DIONNE’S FAN

The man was an outspoken fan of Dionne’s vocal skills, and they even collaborated in the 80s. He released his own cover of “A House Is Not a Home” in 1981, but gave it his personal touch and made it considerably longer.

Source: Getty Images

Source: Getty Images

His seven-minute version added it some space that maximized its drama, a significant change compared to Dionne’s version that felt somehow rushed from time to time, but it was just the way the tune became popular.

Source: Getty Images

Source: Getty Images

Advertisement

A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION

“His voice is flexible enough to splinter a single “no” into six or eight parts and transform “love” into a colorful spray of falsetto,” were just a couple of words that Rolling Stone used to describe Luther’s version of the song.

Source: Getty Images

Source: Getty Images

THE CROWD WENT CRAZY

Every time Luther varied the original melody or added some other words, the audience would cheer and applaud. At the end of the almost-seven-minute performance, he got a well-deserved standing ovation.

Advertisement

HIS PASSING

On July 1, 2005, the entertainment world lost a talented singer. Luther passed away at the age of 54 at the JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey, after suffering a heart attack.

The man suffered from diabetes and hypertension and survived a severe stroke that left him in a coma for almost two months in 2003. His legacy will live on for many years to come.

Advertisement
info
Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories!
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Advertisement
Related posts

'Pins & Needles': Prince Had Severe Pain in His Hands & Looked 'Frail' before He Died in an Elevator at 57

February 07, 2024

Inside the Real-Life 'Home Alone' House More than 30 Years after the Film – Photos

December 05, 2023

Erykah Badu Has 3 Kids from 3 Different Men – Meet Her Children Seven, Puma, and Mars

November 16, 2023

Cass Elliot's Daughter Owen Vanessa Elliot-Kugell Met Her Father after Her Mother Died

December 05, 2023

This Girl Was Bullied & Thought ‘Weird’ for Liking Country Music — Now She’s a Star Whose Shows Help US Economy

November 28, 2023

How Simon Cowell, Who Barely Recognized Himself Once, Would Look Today If He Never Used Fillers

December 12, 2023

Toby Keith's Wife Teared Up as He Sang on Stage amid Cancer Battle – She Has Stayed with Him through Debts & Chemo

November 02, 2023

Toby Keith Was a ‘Man of Faith’ & Leaned on It Every Day before His Death – Inside His Last Days

February 07, 2024

This Girl Who Lost Rock Legend Dad When She Was 1 Has Remarried after Battling with Ex over Dad’s Guitar

October 28, 2023

"Last Christmas of 4": Kane and Katelyn Brown Thrill Fans with Announcement of Third Child

December 26, 2023

Dolly Parton Defends Elle King After Her Drunken Tribute Performance — Details

February 13, 2024

Jojo Zarur Is Not Kevin Gates's New Girlfriend as Clarified in One of His Interviews

November 03, 2023

Why Michael Jackson Wore a White Glove on His Right Hand – Pics Where We Saw His Bare Arm

February 23, 2024

Mariah Carey's Fans Are in Awe of Her in White Mini-Dress and Thigh-High Boots at 54 in New Pics

November 21, 2023