Luther Vandross spent years singing behind some of the biggest stars in music before getting his own turn in the spotlight. In 1981, “Never Too Much” changed that, giving the longtime backing vocalist his first major breakthrough as a solo artist.
Vandross began performing as a young singer in New York City, including appearances at the Apollo Theater and on Sesame Street in the early 1970s. By 1972, he was working as a session vocalist, providing backing vocals for artists including Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway.
As his reputation grew, Vandross began working with stars like David Bowie, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler and Donna Summer. He collaborated extensively with Chic, helping conduct and arrange the background vocals on songs including “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah),” “Everybody Dance” and “Le Freak.”
Vandross also had songwriting ambitions. In 1975, he formed the band Luther, which released two albums before breaking up. He continued writing and singing commercial jingles while becoming one of the music industry’s most in-demand session singers.
Vandross finally moved closer to the front of the stage in 1980 when he became the featured vocalist for the post-disco group Change. He sang lead on “The Glow of Love” and “Searching,” both featured on Change’s debut album, The Glow of Love. Vandross later called “The Glow of Love” “the most beautiful song I’ve ever sung in my life.”
His work with Change helped introduce more listeners to his voice, but Vandross soon decided it was time to pursue a solo career. After leaving the group, Vandross signed with Epic Records and released his debut solo album, Never Too Much, later in 1981.
The album’s title track, which Vandross wrote and produced himself, became an immediate hit. “Never Too Much” topped the Hot Soul Singles chart for two weeks before reaching the Billboard Hot 100, where it landed in the Top 40.
The success of Never Too Much established Vandross as a solo artist after nearly a decade of working primarily behind other performers. The album eventually went double platinum and earned him one of his first Grammy nominations for Best New Artist in 1982.
Vandross would go on to become one of the most celebrated voices in R&B, with later hits including “Here and Now,” “Any Love” and “Power of Love/Love Power.” But it was his 1981 breakthrough that marked the end of an era and the beginning of the career that most fans came to know.
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