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Luther Vandross' All-Star Send-Off
Luther Vandross spent his career singing about the power of love; at his funeral Friday, it was sung right back at him.
The pews of Manhattan's Riverside Church were filled by old friends and new--Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Patti LaBelle, Cissy Houston, Usher and Alicia Keys--who turned what was supposed to be a memorial for the Grammy-winning R&B star into a raucous affair, culminating with an altar-rattling all-star rendition of "Power of Love/Love Power."
"There are no sad faces here today," said LaBelle. "It's not a mournful service. I'm celebrating because Luther would want us too."
Vandross died July 1 at the age of 54.
LaBelle referred to Vandross as the "ambassador of love" and said he inspired the birth of many babies. She also read a poem written by his mother, Mary Ida Vandross.
Houston, Wonder and Franklin turned the proceedings into a church-shaking revival meeting, taking turns performing the gospel standards "Deep River," "I Won't Complain" and "Amazing Grace."
"I pray that you will inspire all of us to write and to sing songs, and to give the emotion and spirit to the true, committed people of God," Wonder said in the direction of Vandross' gold, flower-adorned coffin.
Unable to attend, fellow Motown great Gladys Knight faxed a message referencing Vandross' final hit song.
"We should be happy for Luther," she wrote. "He made a difference in this world, and now he has the extraordinary chance to dance with his father again."
Before the funeral service Friday, a hearse bearing Vandross' remains made its way through Harlem, pausing outside the famed Apollo Theater, where a young Vandross would take the stage on amateur night.
Earlier hundreds of fans had lined up in the rain for hours to pay their respects to the singer, with some turned away due to the enormous turnout.
The memorial followed two days of public and private viewings attended by the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Roberta Flack and Cicely Tyson.
Following the service, Vandross was interred at a private ceremony at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.
The eight-time Grammy winner sold over 20 million albums during his career, and is best remembered for his sultry hits like "Here and Now," "Your Secret Love," "Always and Forever" and most recently, Ruben Studdard. The disc is due out later this year.
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