Luther vandross was gay
Home / gay topics / Luther vandross was gay
It hits many layers of who he is or was and how he got there and what happened for or to him.”
The documentary's director Dawn Porter added: "What we tried to do was balance, here’s how Luther handled those questions in his life."
"But it was really, really important to me and I hope the viewer senses, I’m trying to honour how he lived, because it’s important to not out people when they do not want to be outed and when they did not choose that...
“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.
Luther: Never Too Much will premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 21. I’m willing to stand behind it."
"It's not going to be for everybody. “A lot of that was thinking about the lyrics. 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.
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
SubscribeLuther 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.
[On] ‘Any Love,’ he was just endlessly frustrated with the absence of a romantic partner in his life. It was hard for him."
Watch Patti LaBelle speak about Luther Vandross below.
.
"They don’t make them like him anymore. 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.
LaBelle then nodded and replied: "Yeah, we talked about it. He was the last, in my opinion, true king of romance.
"Somebody didn’t do their research or someone likes messiness. Of the latter, Porter agrees that outing someone is wrong.
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.
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.
“He’s the soundtrack to America, not just the soundtrack for Black people,” she gushed. 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? But I think for all of us, your struggles and how you respond to those struggles, that’s the story.” Most of all, Porter shared that her goal with the documentary was to celebrate his talent.
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. 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?
I hope people see him as human, a man who had a great career, but a man who lived a life."
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. 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...
Everything isn’t everybody’s business all of the time."
It's an entirely justifiable stance, especially given that coming out as gay to the world throughout the eighties and nineties would've no doubt damaged his career. 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.
The documentary comes nearly 20 years after Vandross’ death in 2005.