| Author | Message | ||
  DyvaNaye (westside314) 6-Zenith Username: westside314 Post Number: 953 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 152.163.100.134 |
Just for general purposes and armchair analysis...who had more number one hits, Freddie Jackson or Luther Vandross? I find it interesting that their careers parallelled one another and every bio that aI read or hear about Luther states that he did not exactly have many major hits. Was Luther just a really popular in the 'hood because of his songs and cuts off the album, so to speak, or did Freddie top him on the charts? Freddie was popular in the 'hood too. One could not pass a radio on inthe street with 'Rock Me Tonight ' on....that's for sure. Just curious, no comparisions in vocal styling... DyvaNaye (Message edited by westside314 on September 28, 2004) | ||
mike s (mike_s) 5-Doyen Username: mike_s Post Number: 176 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 195.93.33.7 |
Freddie was very big on the soul/black music charts with abt 30 hits over a ten year period from 1985, including ten number ones. He's been less popular on the pop charts with only two that made the BB top 20 (not the top 10)- Rock me Tonight and follow-up You are my lady. Luther has had a much longer career on the charts starting back in 1976 as Luther and 1981 as LV. He has had more hits on the black chart but only 7 number ones. On the pop chart, Luther has had six songs that have reached the top 20 including four in the top 10. | ||
mike s (mike_s) 5-Doyen Username: mike_s Post Number: 177 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 195.93.33.7 |
In addition, it is fair to say that Luther has a much bigger worldwide following and sales as well. Hope that helps.... | ||
Eli (phillysoulman) 6-Zenith Username: phillysoulman Post Number: 1630 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.163.57.173 |
Luther, hands down. Freddie just didnt have that certain something needed to carry him to higher heights, plus he was associated with a management/production company who were known to have dubious business practices. The very same business practices which made Melba Moore have to resort to the the welfare rolls. Need I say more. | ||
Linda Di. (linda_di_fsg) 5-Doyen Username: linda_di_fsg Post Number: 226 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 165.170.128.66 |
I have one word for this -- Hush. | ||
Eli (phillysoulman) 6-Zenith Username: phillysoulman Post Number: 1635 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.163.57.173 |
Hi Linda.. Thats funny(but sad) How could Melba's own husband do that to her and have her wind up in that position?? | ||
Linda Di. (linda_di_fsg) 5-Doyen Username: linda_di_fsg Post Number: 227 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 165.170.128.66 |
I think there's a special place in hell for that man. And a special place in Heaven for Miss Melba. | ||
Eli (phillysoulman) 6-Zenith Username: phillysoulman Post Number: 1637 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.163.57.173 |
yes Linda, I have known melba since the early seventies and she is a very sweet woman and very special. And yes, burn, Huggins burn!!! | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 2556 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Hi everyone!! Linda & Bobby, y'all sure telling the truth about Hush! It's amazing to think how one man destroyed so much. When you consider all of the careers that was destroyed by that man. Melba, Lillo, Paul Laurence, Freddie Jackson...none of their careers were ever the same after that damn debacle. And what angers me more than anything, is how he utterly & totally betrayed his wife! They had a veritable musical empire happening there in the early to late 80s. Lillo was hot, Melba was hot, Freddie was hot, Paul Laurence was hot. Even Paul Jackson Jr got in on the act, suddenly...POOF!!!! everything destroyed. For a woman as talented & as prolific as Melba to end up on Public Service & reduced to appearing on the Mother Love show, is downright criminal, CRIMINAL!!! I used to be assigned to distribute the mail to Midwood station in Brooklyn. Every now & then, I'd see a letter addressed to Melba Moore come through. I was so tempted to write her a letter of support, but, I never did. Linda & Bobby, you're correct about that special place for Charles. I do believe that he'll be running through hell with gasoline drawers on. If there's any justice, Melba will just happen to be striking a match as he runs by. And Bobby, yes, Luther wins this in a slam dunk! From a vocal standpoint, he has so many nuances to his voice & he's much smoother than Freddie. Luther wrote & produced many of his hits. I think that Freddie relied more on the Hush Production team. Not to forget that icons such as Aretha & Dionne sought Luthers magic touch. Luther has maintained his success & popularity for over 20 years now. He first gained notoriety with David Bowie, arranging & singing the back up vocals on Young Americans. Then for the Disco crowd, there was Chic & Change. Finally he broke through with his 3rd LP, Never Too Much, in 1981. He hasn't looked back from there. I pray that some day, he'll recover enough to grace un with his voice again. If not, I'd be more than gratified to hear that he can walk on his own & life a normal life. Hell, he's given us more than enough classics. Forget about singing, I'd be happy to hear that one day, he'll be able to resume his normal functions. (Message edited by juicefree20 on September 28, 2004) (Message edited by juicefree20 on September 29, 2004) | ||
~medusa~ (~medusa) 6-Zenith Username: ~medusa Post Number: 788 Registered: 3-2004 Posted From: 68.251.226.121 |
The fact that they both difered a bit in their style of song, I say they both are great R&B/Soul Singers. | ||
~medusa~ (~medusa) 6-Zenith Username: ~medusa Post Number: 789 Registered: 3-2004 Posted From: 68.251.226.121 |
The fact that they both differed a bit in their style of song, I say they both are great R&B/Soul Singers. | ||
DyvaNaye (westside314) 6-Zenith Username: westside314 Post Number: 957 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 152.163.100.134 |
I thank you all for your opinion...it counts here. I did not mean for the comparison to be in their vocal styling, like who sang better....I was after the statistics in the matter which Mike S answered. I have heard loose stories about Melba, Freddie, etal, but I dont think I know the fullstory. Would some one elaborate? Also how did Luther survive all these years? What were his failing albums and who was his production teams? When his career begin to falter? Or did it? | ||
Shawn1 (shawn1b) 5-Doyen Username: shawn1b Post Number: 181 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.30.13.211 |
One must also note that Luther was taught by the best Cissy Houston .Luther has sang on Many background parts with Cissy and even back her on her solo albums .I always thought Freddie was a product of Melba and even tho I loved her I really didn't care for him that much although I did enjoy their duets .Shawn | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 2576 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Dyva, Basically what happened at Hush Productions was this. A certain trusted production team member, robbed them blind & cleaned out his wife to such an extent that she ended up on Public Assistance. Of all of the talented artists of that production team, none of them have regained the sales & popularity that they enjoyed when the team was together. Basically, the brother ruined a lot of careers! (Message edited by juicefree20 on September 29, 2004) | ||
Charise (mistrivia1) 6-Zenith Username: mistrivia1 Post Number: 604 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 198.81.26.46 |
Hello Everyone! I have heard stories about HUSH productions. When I read certain acccounts, I could not believe that a man could let those kind of things happen to his artists, who were all high on the charts in the mid 80's and whom I enjoyed. When I found out that Melba had to go on welfare, I was very upset. Juice, you should have wrote her a letter, I think she would have appreciated it! If those accounts are true and he did them, caused them or did nothing to stop or correct them, he should be extremely ashamed and remorseful, if he isn't already by now, because not only did it affect many artists, especially Melba, but also their daughter Charli. I mean how could a person put their child through that? I read that she was living with the Cosby's at one time. She is about 27 or 28 now. I hope that he has made some positive progress by now, especially in her life, if nothing else. Sometimes POWER is a "dangerous" thing that can affect lives in a devestating way. Does anyone know what he is doing these days? Does he have a relationship with Melba or his daughter at all? P.S. Bobby welcome back & how ya feelin'?  (Message edited by Mistrivia1 on September 29, 2004) | ||
Eli (phillysoulman) 6-Zenith Username: phillysoulman Post Number: 1641 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.236.62.183 |
Hi Charise! Im cool. Had a blast in Tennessee. I go in for surgery this coming Monday, the 4th. Ill update when I can, or better yet, Vonnie will. | ||
Eli (phillysoulman) 6-Zenith Username: phillysoulman Post Number: 1642 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.236.62.183 |
FYI, Melba discovered Freddie J at Smals paradise in harlem and brought him to Hush. Gene Mc Fadden produced produced a lot of things for Hush including Freddie and Melbas' number 1 hits. Of course, he never received a dime and was forced to live in the back of a truck for a long time. BTW, it was Charles and not Beau who Melba married. | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 2577 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Dyva, Pull up a chair, this is deep! This is so deep, that I'll have to do this in two parts! Melba & said individual were married in 1976.While married, he formed Hush Productions & Melba was the only client for awhile. As we know, by the late 80s, Hush Productions had numerous clients & grossed $25 Mil yearly. In '89, he then had his lawyer filed a POST-NUPTIAL AGREEMENT!! And this is what was requested therein: 1. He would retain SOLE OWNERSHIP of the company. 2. He would retain SOLE OWNERSHIP of the other businesses acquired DURING their marriage. 3. He would own MOST of the real estate that was acquired DURING the marriage. 4. Melba would own a Pennsylvania Town House. 5. Melba would retain her personal CHECKING account. 6. Melba would retain her corporation, Lips & Mouth. Now, here's where it gets very ugly..... In 1990, a divorce was granted in Pennsylvania & it was uncontested. Melba stated that the divorce was fraudulently obtained & that her husband forged documents & also by the fact that he misrepresented himself as a Pennsylvania resident. She said that she only learned of the divorce, when she received the judgement in the mail. If true, in an amazing case of chutzpah, they were still LIVING TOGETHER in N.Y. when she received the papers! Unfortunately, the Pennsylvania divorce followed the Post-Nup agreement, which by the way, made no provisions for support or custody for their 13 year old daughter! In '92, Melba filed a case in the New York Supreme Court, looking to overturn the Pennsylvania divorce, on the grounds that it was invalid. The court agreed & granted her a divorce on the grounds of abandonment. During this action, she obtained a temporary order of protection. She claimed that her husband tried to physically intimidate her into dropping her suit. In Feb '93, the couple settled the N.Y. divorce by settling into a divorce agreement. Part of that agreement was that her husband agreed that Pennsylvania DID NOT have ANY juristiction to grant him a divorce. The settlement was basically along the lines of the Post-nup. The primary difference being that Melba received $250,00, plus custody & child support for their daughter! The agreement also incorporated a confidentiality clause, whereupon neither was to disparage, nor give any statements about one another or the marriage, that would be published in an article. This laid the seed for her husbands' lawsuit. I'll finish this up a little later! | ||
Charise (mistrivia1) 6-Zenith Username: mistrivia1 Post Number: 605 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 198.81.26.46 |
Eli, you will come through with flying colors and I will be praying for you! I remember reading that she discovered Freddie, btw I was just listening to some old personally made cassette tapes that I made ages ago and did not label. I popped one in on the way home from work the other day and it was Melba! I like surprises like that, you forget what the heck is on the tapes-LOL. One of my favorites that I heard was Lean On Me, that one just does something to me!! | ||
DyvaNaye (westside314) 6-Zenith Username: westside314 Post Number: 962 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 64.12.116.138 |
Bobby Eli, How are you? Check out a thread Im starting in your honor...(clubhouse) DyvaNaye (Message edited by westside314 on September 29, 2004) | ||
Charise (mistrivia1) 6-Zenith Username: mistrivia1 Post Number: 606 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 198.81.26.46 |
Juice, I remember reading about that nasty divorce thing! Not pretty, not a pretty picture at all! Why are human beings sometimes lower than "animals"? Animals do what they do for survival, but man has many choices, and they just lose their freakin' minds, literally!!!!!! Life is too short(how many times have you heard that one, but it's true). Too short to waste energy on doing negative things that only bring sorrow and grief to others and yourself. If you can waste energy on trying & finding ways to cheat,deceive and step on people who have helped you in some capacity, be it the music business,corporate or just everyday life, then surely you can take that same energy and use it for uplifting and positive things to help people. You cannot take it all with you, you know what I mean!!!! | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 2578 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Hey Bobby, I always thought that Beau was his nickname. | ||
Eli (phillysoulman) 6-Zenith Username: phillysoulman Post Number: 1645 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.236.62.183 |
Its his brother. | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 2579 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Bobby, You are absolutely & unequivocably correct sir. As a self-inflicted punishment, I will now sit & listen to coupious amounts of The Best Of The Lettermen, chased with a shot of Morris Albert & those FEELINGS!!! I think I'm gonna be sick  | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 2580 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Charise, as you will see in Pt 2, it ONLY gets worse. I'm trying to find the final decision. As of now, I only have the disposition of the case up to last year. I'd kinda like to have it all tied up with a neat bow before I proceed. | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 2581 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Bobby, Please save me from The Lettermen. You couldn't really sit back & allow me to do such a ting to myself!!!! That would be unbeweavable!!! HELP PLEASE!!!! | ||
Linda Di. (linda_di_fsg) 5-Doyen Username: linda_di_fsg Post Number: 228 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 66.67.198.38 |
When I was a kid, our neighbor was an aunt of one of the Lettermen. Whenever he visited his aunt, he would make such a fuss over my mother. It made her day/week/month/year. She loved them. So I will honor them in my mother's memory. Not my cup of tea, but they did have nice harmonies. Gotta give 'em that much. | ||
~medusa~ (~medusa) 6-Zenith Username: ~medusa Post Number: 790 Registered: 3-2004 Posted From: 68.79.97.165 |
Bobby, I hope all goes well, with whatever you're having done... Medusa | ||
Lady Mystique (ladymystique) 6-Zenith Username: ladymystique Post Number: 721 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 216.37.254.198 |
I would say Luther since he had more cross over hits than Freddie...and I mean ACROSS the charts (R&B, POP, JAZZ, and ADULT CONTEMPORARY). | ||
mike s (mike_s) 5-Doyen Username: mike_s Post Number: 183 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 195.93.33.7 |
I am still confused. Who started Hush productions...was it Charles or Beau Huggins? Or both? All the best for the op Bobby! | ||
mike s (mike_s) 5-Doyen Username: mike_s Post Number: 184 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 195.93.33.7 |
Hi Dyva Luther's production teams were basically...himself! He has had a lot of help over the years from Marcus Miller who has done some co-production and arranging and helped to write some of the original material on the albums, as well as playing keyboards and bass Nat Adderley Jr has done most of the other arranging as well as playing duties, while Luther has used the legendary Paul Riser for strings/brass arrangements on some tracks. Fonzi Thornton looked after many of the vocal arrangements and Luther has featured Cissy Houston in the backup group for years. Michael Brauer mixed and engineered early albums, Ray Bardani more recently. | ||
Eli (phillysoulman) 6-Zenith Username: phillysoulman Post Number: 1647 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.236.44.251 |
Linda Di, Believe it or not, the Lettermen did a version of Love wont let me wait! The album it is on is called "The time is right" They had to change several words to protect the innocent(probably themselves) The only person moaning, however is me, when I listen to it! | ||
DyvaNaye (westside314) 6-Zenith Username: westside314 Post Number: 967 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 152.163.100.134 |
MIke S - How does Richard Marx fir into the Luther picture? I noticed when LV's health took a turn for the worse and the tributes began, Richard Marx was talking about the work he has done with Luther and that they were friends from 'ago'... | ||
Eli (phillysoulman) 6-Zenith Username: phillysoulman Post Number: 1650 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.236.44.251 |
Richard and Luther co wrote Dance with my father. | ||
DyvaNaye (westside314) 6-Zenith Username: westside314 Post Number: 969 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 152.163.100.134 |
Thank you Eli. I have the darned cd and never looked at the credits. I am not an absolute fan of that record. I love the other stuff on there though. | ||
isaiah imani (isaiah) 4-Laureate Username: isaiah Post Number: 107 Registered: 8-2004 Posted From: 66.119.33.135 |
Aint no kinda contest, LUTHER by KNOCKOUT in the first sentence!!! Freddy aint ready for this kinda comparison*contrast, who's da baddest ass!!!(smile!) LUTE*LUTE*LUTE*LUTE, the undisputed best Harlem ever produced!!!(smile!) Peace! Isaiah | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 2653 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
I have to say that the biography about Luther is pretty good. It give some nice background info & it isn't overly gossipy. For example, I never knew that Lisa Fischer sang the 80s electrofunk club hit, "On The Upside" under the pseudonym Xena. |
