Luther vandross was gay

Home / gay topics / Luther vandross was gay

I’m going to let him have the last word."

Confusion and misinformation around Luther's death still exist today, especially after Madonna added him to an in-memoriam video at one of her recent concerts, with the Vandross estate requesting he be removed.

'He was thrown up there, as far as I’m told, as a person who had passed away from AIDS," says Williams.

If it’s incorrect information it shouldn’t be there.

Certainly, nowadays that wouldn't be the case as society is more accepting, though it was too late for Luther who died on 1st July 2005.

A new documentary has been scheduled for release at the start of 2025 - twenty years after Vandross' passed away - to celebrate his legacy.

Never Too Much will reveal more about Luther's life and career, delving into his immense talent alongside his struggles with weight and sexuality.

Williams said about the documentary: "I recently viewed it again and I enjoyed it a lot.

But, he never officially came out. 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."

The music icon added: "And he had a lot of lady fans and he told me that he just didn't wanna upset the world... So through his lyrics, I think you get to know a little bit more about him.”

Two of the most sensitive topics when it comes to discussing Luther Vandross are his weight and his sexuality.

Continuing, “On the other hand, I’m not homophobic; I wouldn’t want to be homophobic, so what we tried to do was have the people who loved him and knew him talk about his desire to be private and then say, ‘We’re going to respect how he wanted to live his life and what he wanted to say.’” 

Porter did receive Sony and Vandross’ family’s blessing to create the film, granting her access to 80 hours of rehearsal footage, 150 hours of archival footage, and over 2,000 exclusive images.

She revealed, “The family is sensitive about some things, and I had a lot of respect for that, but they also had a lot of respect for me as a filmmaker and knew that all the aspects of his story should be told, so everybody’s happy.”

The famed director later noted that “he didn’t have a perfect life by any means, so we addressed all of that.

luther vandross was gay

He passed away from a combination of stroke, diabetes and hypertension."

Seveda also revealed that her uncle never stopped what he loved doing in spite of his health issues.

"He was singing up to the last minute. LaBelle then nodded and replied: "Yeah, we talked about it. I hope people see him as human, a man who had a great career, but a man who lived a life."

.

He was the last, in my opinion, true king of romance.

Luther: Never Too Much will premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 21. [On] ‘Any Love,’ he was just endlessly frustrated with the absence of a romantic partner in his life. However, LaBelle said that he didn't want to come out because he didn't want to let certain people down.

"Did he struggle with the idea of coming out publicly?

Patti LaBelle: Luther Vandross Didn't Come Out As Gay Because Of His Mom

When Vandross was alive, there was speculation that he was gay. The beloved vocalist died at age 54 from a heart attack, two years after a stroke left him in a two-month coma — ultimately, leaving him wheelchair-bound and damaging his ability to speak or sing.

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox

Subscribe

Luther Vandross' niece opens up on why late singer kept his personal life private

2 July 2024, 10:38

Few knew much about Luther Vandross's personal life.

R&B icon Luther Vandross was notorious for keeping his private life as private as it could be, despite being one of the most celebrated singers of his generation.

Even before the 'Dance With My Father' star entered the charts as an artist in his own right, his voice could be heard in countless records.

He had a magnificent voice, but he also wrote the lyrics, these heartfelt lyrics."

Tragically, the romantic singer died from health complications at the age of 54, but rumours around his sexuality led to speculation about his cause of death.

Being part of his inner circle, Seveda - who runs her uncle's fan club, Fandross - has revealed his reasons for being so guarded.

"He had his friends in his crew and nobody else needed to be a part of that,” says Williams.

"If you are not my friend, why are we talking about certain things?

It was hard for him." 

Watch Patti LaBelle speak about Luther Vandross below. 

Luther Vandross’ Documentary Director Details How She Tackled Controversial Topics Like His Weight And Sexuality

Dawn Porter, director of Luther: Never Too Much, is speaking out about his life, legacy, and the struggle to get his story right in the upcoming documentary about the pioneering crooner.

“I really wanted him to be able to tell you his story as much as possible, so how do you do that with someone who’s not with us?” she told The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview.

I’m willing to stand behind it."

"It's not going to be for everybody. Of the latter, Porter agrees that outing someone is wrong. “A lot of that was thinking about the lyrics. “He’s the soundtrack to America, not just the soundtrack for Black people,” she gushed. “What’s challenging, of course, is that he’s not here to speak for himself, and he chose to keep his private life private,” she explained.

Cohen asked LaBelle if the two of them ever spoke about his sexuality and the possibility of him one day telling the world his truth. I think it is very inclusive of everything and you'll get to see it and come up with your opinion."

"It doesn't hide anything.

"Somebody didn’t do their research or someone likes messiness.

The documentary comes nearly 20 years after Vandross’ death in 2005.