American soul singer Luther Vandross has died, two years after suffering a major stroke. The 54 year old singer had sold over 25 million albums over this career, and won dozens of awards, including four grammys for his final album, 'Dance With My Father', released after his stroke.
Tributes poured in from fellow stars, including Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Roberta Flack, Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson. His publicist, Jeff O'Conner, said the singer's death was "a huge loss in the R&B industry", adding: "He was a close friend of mine and right now it's shocking," he was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.
Meanwhile Renaldo "Obie" Benson, a member of Motown singing group the Four Tops, also died this weekend, aged 69. He was suffering from lung cancer. Fellow Four Tops member Abdul 'Duke' Fakir told reporters that Benson had "enjoyed every moment of his life", adding: "He put a smile on everyone's face, including my own".