Luther Vandross

Jet, July 16, 2001

TALKS ABOUT

* New CD

* How He's Kept Off 120 Pounds For 3 Years

* The Rumors About Him

Luther Vandross's new, self-titled CD soared to the top of the charts, going gold in its first week of release and demonstrating his enduring musical muscle 20 years after his first hit.

And the musical maestro is svelte again, having kept 120 pounds off for the last three years, putting an end to yo-yo diets.

Sure, he's gone gold quickly before. But, considering the fact that musical tastes have changed and consumers are far more fickle than in the past, he says he's blessed to have loyal fans who love his product. "The face of the industry has changed," he told JET. "It's a really good feat at this point in my career. That's what makes it so special. I don't even try to figure it out or analyze it. I just go ahead and do what feels good and that seems to work."

Luther Vandross, his first album on J Records, has the mixing of his signature ballads with contemporary, up-tempo tunes with an edge. And that was no accident, he said. "Clive Davis kept brining me these songs from these young producers (and songwriters) and I was loving it." Davis, head of J Records, assembled a hot team who included Warryn Campbell, Ron Lawrence, R.L. of Next, Shep Crawford, Harvey Mason Jr. & Damon Thomas as well as Soulshock & Karlin. The album includes his covers of Dionne Warwick's Are You There With Another Guy and Chuck Jackson's Any Day Now.

The first single released on the album, Take You Out, went to the top of the R&B charts and features a hot video with actress Garcelle Beauvais. "She was recommended to me and I knew exactly who she was," he recalled. "I said, `She's the perfect choice.' She's such a doll. And so compatible with me movement-wise. I just felt very comfortable with the whole exchange."

Regarding Are You With Another Guy, Vandross said it was a tribute to Dionne Warwick. He previously recorded her A House Is Not A Home. "Everything is a tribute to Dionne Warwick. All the songs that ain't even hers are a tribute to her. She's tremendous. That voice is simply too much for words. I haven't heard anybody sounding like that lately. Not too many with that depth. The new girls are fabulous in their own way, but Dionne is a whole special case. As is Aretha (Franklin)."

He said he softened the edges of Jackson's Any Day Now. "His is very masterful. I wanted to soften it and make it sadder. I used to go to the Apollo every time Chuck Jackson and the Shirelles were there."

And later this year, when he goes on an international tour, Vandross fans will see a slim Luther. Yes, he's been on more than 10 diets and gained all of it back. But this time is different. Three years ago he lost 120 pounds and has managed to keep it off

"It's mainly a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet," he explained. "I'm very carbohydrate-sensitive. In other words, whenever I eat a little bit of carbs, I crave more. Even when I talk about them sometimes, I start craving. it's like with an alcoholic who starts talking about martinis who might get a twinge. It's similar to that. But, the diet has worked well. I lost 120 pounds, and I just go up and down my little 7 or my 11 pounds and fight that back down. In the past, it was hard to keep."

Beyond cutting down on carbohydrates such as pastas, Vandross said he incorporates exercise into his weekly routine. "After I lost a certain amount of weight, I decided to incorporate exercise to keep it down. I do step aerobics four times a week for an hour."

Still, he said it's a daily struggle. "Everyday is not a breeze. There's nothing like a piece of cornbread or some pasta. I take it a day at a time. I have to find distractions. I started reading a whole lot. I read Oprah book club books. I've read Memoirs of a Geisha, Conversations With God, both Wally Lamb books (She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True). And all four Harry Potter books."

More than cutting carbs and embracing aerobics, Vandross gives much of the credit for his long-lasting slimness to former boxer George Foreman's food grill. Yep, the one that's advertised late at night and on cable channels.

"My goodness, that thing was so much help. It is the most fantastic thing," Vandross acknowledged. "When you cook something, it's on a slant and excess oils drain down into a pan below it. I use it all the time. I bought five and take them on the road with me. We set them up backstage and my whole band and singers cook our chicken, fish, turkey burgers."

And on the subject of food, Vandross said his middle name actually is Ronzoni, the maker of pasta products. "It's true! It's on the birth certificate and driver's license. During the latter part of my mother's pregnancy, all she could hold down was pasta. Everything else came up. So, she ate a lot of Ronzoni products. She happened to see the ad on the night stand and that's the middle name she gave me."

Little nuggets of information like that and others related to his years-long battle of the bulge will be in the autobiography he's writing. He's currently searching for a publisher. "This is more than just my own personal struggle. It's one that lots of men and women have. And kids! We're checking to see what publishers might be interested."