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Renowned bassist, producer and songwriter Marcus Miller was interviewed recently by EBONY magazine, and spoke about Luther Vandross. Here is an excerpt:

EBONY: You mentioned working with Luther and Miles [Davis]. On the surface, it would seem that they have nothing in common. But Miles played trumpet with a lyrical, vocal quality, and Luther’s voice was as supple as a trumpet. Did you notice any similarities in how they made music?

MM: Absolutely. There are a lot of trumpeters who play with a lot technique. And there are a lot of singers who can riff all over the place. But Luther and Miles; they could play all the notes, but they just played the right notes. They found the notes that would affect you, emotionally… Roberta Flack, too! I mention her because, I was in her band, and that’s where Luther and I met; he was singing background for her.

Read more at EBONY.com.

Seven years ago this Sunday, July 1st, Luther Vandross passed away at the age of 54. While we may be missing Luther’s smile and laugh, his voice is always nearby. Please feel free to share your warmest and most memorable Luther moments at our new website, fan forums and Luther’s official Facebook.

You can register or use your Facebook or Twitter account to post messages at LutherVandross.com.

The musical legacy of Luther Vandross is still going strong — Luther is being recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013, and a collection of Luther’s “Hidden Gems” was released earlier this year! If you want to participate in all things Luther, please register and join us at our brand new fan forums. You also can sign in using Facebook and Twitter. We’d love to have you share your stories and meet other Luther fans.

We’ll keep all of Luther’s fans informed as to when the ceremony will happen in 2013, and we hope to see you there!

WALK OF FAMER MARG HELGENBERGER AND THE HOLLYWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNOUNCE NEW WALK OF FAME HONOREES FOR 2013

HOLLYWOOD, CA. June 22, 2012 —For the first time in the history of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce held a live press announcement in order to proclaim the 2013 Hollywood Walk of Famers. This elite group of entertainment professionals is skilled in the categories of Motion Pictures, Television, Radio, Recording and Live Theatre/Live Performance. Actress and recent Walk of Fame recipient Marg Helgenberger will announce the new selections to the media on Friday, June 22, at noon in the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel’s Oscar Room at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard.

These individuals were chosen from among hundreds of nominations at a meeting held on June 15, 2012 and ratified by the Hollywood Chamber’s Board of Directors. Leron Gubler, President and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce hosted the event and David Green, Chairman of the Walk of Fame selection committee, who participated in this historic event stated, “The Walk of Fame committee is proud to announce next year’s honorees whose additions to the world famous Hollywood Walk of Fame will bring everlasting memories of their star power, talent, and popularity to the millions who visit Hollywood each year and which will shine even more light on the entertainment capital of the world.”

Helgenberger went on to read the names of the 24 newly selected Walk of Famers:

The Walk of Fame recipients for the year 2013 are:

MOTION PICTURES: Rick Baker, Javier Bardem, Viola Davis, James Franco, Ron Howard and Helen Mirren

TELEVISION: Simon Baker, Bryan Cranston, Ellen DeGeneres, Jane Lynch, Katey Sagal and Matthew Perry

RECORDING: The Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Hudson, Jane’s Addiction, Janis Joplin (Posthumous), New Kids on the Block, Usher Raymond IV, Thalia and Luther Vandross (Posthumous)

LIVE THEATRE/PERFORMANCE: Olympia Dukakis and Penn & Teller

RADIO: Steve Harvey and “Shot Gun” Tom Kelly

ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME – www.WalkOfFame.com
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an internationally-recognized Hollywood icon. With approximately 24 star ceremonies annually broadcast around the world, the constant reinforcement provided to the public has made the Walk of Fame a top visitor attraction. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce continues to administer the Walk of Fame as the representative of the City of Los Angeles. In 2010, the Walk of Fame marked its 50thanniversary. The Walk of Fame is a tribute to all of those who worked diligently to develop the concept and to maintain this world-class tourist attraction. The Walk of Fame is open to the public.

For more information and to view who shares a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, visit www.walkoffame.com

The Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Sign are registered trademarks of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

The soundtrack to Think Like A Man has risen to No. 1 on Billboard’s Soundtracks chart this week! The album includes Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much.”

Thanks to his understated elegance, impeccable phrasing and sophisticated style of delivering soul music, it’s hard to believe that anyone can say they’ve never heard, or heard of, Luther Vandross. Before he passed in 2005, the 54-year-old singer/songwriter/producer, who once scraped by singing commercial jingles and background vocals, had amassed a quarter century’s worth of hits, so titling anything by the superstar as a Hidden Gems may sound erroneous. However, due to the multiple smashes Mr. Vandross released over the years, other worthy numbers were overlooked or unrecognized, hence the reason for considering these selections as such.

Read more at SoulTracks.com.

Luther Vandross’ friend and collaborator, Fonzi Thornton, recently spoke with The Wall Street Journal about Luther and the new album Hidden Gems. Watch the interview in the video below.

Freddie Jackson shared a friendship and friendly rivalry with Luther Vandross, and he shares some of his memories of Luther in the video below.

Read more at TheUrbanDaily.com.

Today would have been Luther Vandross’ 61st birthday. In his honor, here is a special message from Luther’s best friend and music collaborator, Fonzi Thornton. Please share your birthday messages below and on Luther’s Facebook page!

Luther Vandross’ classic song “Never Too Much” is featured on the soundtrack to the new movie, Think Like A Man which hits theaters today! The soundtrack has debuted on the Billboard 200 albums chart at No. 33.