120: The Quiet Storms of Luther Vandross with Filmmaker Dawn Porter

Legendary singer-songwriter Luther Vandross pioneered a golden age of silky-smooth R&B and passionate slow jams. In addition to countless hits and platinum albums, he earned eight Grammy Awards, including ‘Song of the Year’ in 2004 for “Dance With My Father” – a track that was released while he was hospitalized after suffering from a stroke. He studied from the best at a young age, spending hours watching and recreating the routines of Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick that he saw on television. He wrote, arranged and sang back up for David Bowie, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand and Roberta Flack, before finally deciding to step into the spotlight as a solo artist.Despite his success, the powerhouse balladeer had a very public struggle with weight, especially with an unforgiving media fixated on image. He was also dogged by constant questions over his sexuality, despite pleas to respect his privacy. It’s hard to believe that a man responsible for some of the most beautiful ballads ever recorded had a difficult time finding true love in his own life. Nonetheless, Vandross persevered with an unprecedented work ethic and an unrelenting spirit to succeed.Join I SEE U as host Eddie Robinson chats unguarded with award-winning filmmaker, Dawn Porter. Her latest documentary, Luther: Never Too Much, has received critical acclaim for uncovering details of Luther Vandross’ life previously unknown to even the most die-hard fan. Utilizing a hefty trove of archival footage and rare rehearsal recordings, Porter allows Vandross to tell his own story with assistance from his closet friends and collaborators, including Warwick, Mariah Carey, Marcus Miller, Richard Marx and Nile Rodgers. With the recent news of CNN Films and OWN acquiring the film, the director chronicles for I SEE U the triumphs and tribulations of an extraordinary vocalist who grew up admiring the heroines of ‘60s music royalty to become one of the most influential and decorated artists of the last few decades.