Luther Vandross revealed two hidden truths that sparked his legendary music career, including being discovered by rock icon David Bowie.
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Vandross' official TikTok account recently shared a snippet from his 1990s appearance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, where he recalled the life-changing encounter.
"Yeah, accidentally, he discovered me singing in a studio with him," Vandross said. "I was on the couch — I was visiting the guitar player who I had gone to school with, Carlos Alomar, and I was on the couch singing, and David overheard me and said, 'Oh, that sounds great, put it on the record.' "
Bowie was working on his Young Americans album in 1974 when the two met. On that album, Vandross co-wrote "Fascination" and sang backing vocals on the track "Young Americans."
The acclaimed album peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1975.
Although Vandross didn't sign with Epic Records until 1981, his work on Bowie's album helped establish him as a defining voice in the music industry. Later, Bowie introduced the "Never Too Much" singer to Bette Midler.
Luther Vandross Thrived in Hidden Role
Vandross joined Midler's backup group, The Harlettes, as a vocalist, but often remained hidden during live performances. After years of secret contributions to the group, Vandross revealed to Rosie O'Donnell that he was the fourth member.
"[Midler] went through the list, she went through Katey Sagal, she went through the whole — everyone who was a Harlette, and I'm like 'Okay, come on, come on' ... and she never mentioned the fact that I was always the fourth Harlette," he said.
The Grammy Award-winning artist explained why he remained anonymous at the time.
"You never saw me because I was really shy and I used to stand behind a curtain with a microphone and a monitor and a music stand," he shared. "For all those years, I was the fourth Harlette."
While his work with The Harlettes is impressive, Vandross' success as a solo artist is even greater.
Vandross is a nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2026. He won eight Grammy Awards and received a staggering 83 nominations.
The legendary musician passed away on July 1, 2005 at age 54.
